Like fellow Damage Manual cohort Martin Atkins, Chris Connelly is also an exceptionally well traveled musician who has sang with some of the most influential and notorious bands of the last two decades. Check just some of the names: Pigface, Ministry, Revolting Cocks, KMFDM, Fini Tribe, Murder Inc., and most recently The Damage Manual.

Chris first took the stage with Fini Tribe, hailing from his hometown of Edinburgh, Scotland. They released four EP's and several singles over eight years, before disbanding in 1987. Towards the end of Fini Tribe Chris hooked up with the outrageous Revolting Cocks, who he toured and recorded with from 1987 until 1993. He recorded several singles with the band, as well as three full-length releases: "Live! You God Damned Son of a Bitch!" (1988), "Beers, Steers, and Queers" (1990), and "Linger Ficken' Good" (1993) Overlapping even more, in 1991 Chris also toured and sang with Murder Inc. on their two releases, the self-titled full length and the "Corpuscle" EP. Murder Inc. included two other future members of The Damage Manual, drummer Martin Atkins and guitar player Geordie Walker of Killing Joke.

Chris and Martin were on more than familiar terms. Not only had they played together in Ministry, but Chris was also a member of the traveling sonic circus/freak show Pigface that Martin had fathered back in 1989. Chris was an active member of the Pigface collective from 1990 'til 1993, doing two tours of duty and the recording of "Gub" (1991) and "Welcome to Mexico...Asshole," as well as a couple of live albums. This incredibly prolific time of multiple band memberships and collaborations-- including numerous short term ones not mentiond here (see www.chrisconnelly.com) -- more or less started to ebb after his work with industrial legends KMFDM on the "Xtort" album in 1996.

Amongst all this other activity, Chris has found the time to record a series of solo albums. The first three--all for Wax Trax!--were recorded during the boom days of the early to mid-90's."Whiplash Boychild" was released in 1990; "Phenobarb Bam-ba-lam" came out in 1991, followed by "Shipwreck" in 1993. The next two-- 1997's "Ultimate Seaside Companion" (HitIt Records, re-released by Invisible Records) and "Blonde Exodus" (Invisible Records)-- were released under the name "Chris Connelly and the Bells." These solo recordings show another side of Chris' music, and owe much more to folk and other acoustic-based musics than the high volume, confrontational essence of Pigface, Ministry, or Revolting Cocks.

A collection of Chris' poetry and lyrics has recently been put in print by KB Publishing. Titled "Confessions of the Highest Bidder," it lets the reader amble through many years of his writing without the electric or acoustic current of music to enhance or distract.

Chris has made his home in Chicago for the last twelve years.

Also see www.chrisconnelly.com for further information or to get in touch with chris directly.

Chris Connelly's Solo Work:

"A gorgeous piece of work, refined, rich in texture, bitterswet in mood, saturated in deep, melancholy melody, and defined by Connelly's blue-eyed soul vocals."
- Greg Kot, Chicago Tribune

"Chris Connelly... has grown into a beautifully spooky songwriter reminicent of late-70's David Bowie."
- Lisa Gidley, Option

"These albums so aptly essay Bowie's shimmery preening, epic sweep and effette surrealist lyricism, it's scary and monstrous and beautiful at the same time"
- A.D. Amorosi, Magnet

  


 




The Damage Manual

Chris Connelly supplies sneering, abrasive vocals, Martin Atkins otters mesmerising beats, Jah Wobble shakes building foundations with his reggae infused bass and Geordie Walker, often copied, never matched, is just plain colossal on guitar." Kerrang

"...THE DAMAGE MANUAL is mandatory listening for smart music fans..." Alternative Press

Damage Manual Image Gallery

 




Murder Inc.
"of course parts of this sound like killing joke... guitarist geordie, drummer paul ferguson and bassist raven were one of the most Powerful musical units in the land. add ferguson's replacement atkins, one time kj synth man john bechdel and revolting cock chris connelly and you've got yourself a party." - neil perry, melody maker

"i've not heard anything this cantankerous since pil's flowers of romance." - j.e. sumrell, flagpole

 

 

 



Pigface and Others

Probably the least known and most buried gem in the Invisible vaults would be the love interest - an EP featuring Martin and Chris recorded at Chicago Trax's old Halsted location (the studio that gave birth to Ministry, RevCo, etc.) Recording with David Sims (bass for Jesus Lizard), Michael Balch (FLA) and Mary Lynn Bowling on vocals. Originally intended as a cover EP to the 60's movie Bedazzled featuring Racquel Welch, Peter Cook and Dudley moore. Those sessions also spawned the Pigface track 'I can do no wrong' from Pigface's album Fook.
Not only was Michelle from VooDou featured on a few songs from Private Education (Chris' latest solo album) but Chris also sang two songs on VooDou debut -- The Blessing of Curses.