Chumbawamba Is Breaking Up The Band

posted in: Music News • Pop • Rock

We guess you could say that the band who got “knocked down,” won’t “get up again” any time soon.

The anarchist punk band who happened to write that song you’ve heard a million times about getting knocked down is about to break up. Chumbawamba, the UK band known best for their single, “Tubthumping,” publicly announced their intention to dissolve the group today.

“That’s it then, it’s the end. with neither a whimper, a bang or a reunion,” the group said in a statement released through their site. The reasons behind the breakup were left mostly ambiguous, with the group claiming that they had, “got to a point where what we did as a band “ and specifically the writing, recording, touring cycle “ wasn’t doing justice to what Chumbawamba set out to do in the first place.” Much of the rest of the lengthy statement outlined the group’s modus operandi and pending future plans, including farewell shows.

The band had a resoundingly unique career arc. Having formed in 1982, they released seventeen records of generally challenging music. Punk with a decidedly dadaist bend, Chumbawamba produced songs that reflected the radical and artistic inclinations of the members. Chumbawamba was a group in the loosest sense, with frequent collaborators and guest musicians contributing to the band’s albums and live performances. Probably one of the unlikeliest one hit wonders in rock history, the band managed to reach #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with “Tubthumping” in 1997. Despite signing and releasing two records, including the one that featured “Tubthumping,” through the major label machine, the group would not find popular success again after their late 90s hit. It is unlikely that their failure to retain fame fazed the band, who were always happier to push boundaries in their creation of their art over moving units.

Check out the video for “Tubthumping” below and let the waves of nostalgia wash over you.