Genesis P-Orridge

Making music on the fringe since punk ignited in the late 1970s, Genesis P-Orridge has developed an impressively large and uncompromising body of work as a member of Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV, among others. Initially shunned for his attempts to expose the hidden taboos of what he considered a corrupt and complacent society, P-Orridge's integrity and persistence eventually won him a sizable cult following, both in England and the United States. Born Neil Megson, Genesis P-Orridge's controversial performing career began in Hull, England, in 1969. That year, he formed the abrasive improv outfit COUM Transmissions with then-partner Cosey Fanni Tutti. Unable to find many clubs willing to book the band's blend of fluxus-influenced performance art and industrialized punk rock, the collective often took to the streets, setting up at various outdoor locations throughout the city. Eventually acquiring grant money, COUM established a communal live-work space in Hull before moving to London after two members were arrested. In October of 1976, with a new lineup that included designer Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson and Chris Carter, COUM assembled Pornography, an exhibit at London's Institute of Contemporary Art. The quartet appeared for the opening, performing "Music From the Death Factory" under their new name, Throbbing Gristle. Due to its status as a publicly funded event, the ICA and Throbbing Gristle drew fierce criticism and vicious attacks from the press. Being left with little possibility of finding a label to fund and promote the band's music, Throbbing Gristle established their own Industrial Records. In 1977, a year that spawned a number of seminal punk releases, P-Orridge (bass, electric violin, vocals), Tutti (guitar, cornet), Christopherson (tapes, trumpet), and...