Click here for the Killing Joke and Raven Image Gallery

  "This is a piece I wrote in London describing what it felt like to be drumming with Killing Joke. I think we were rehearsing in London at the time, and I'd just gotten married (the first time) - There were some immigration problems regarding me leaving the US, I can't remember all of the details except that if things with Killing Joke hadn't worked out for me, I could have been trapped in London for up to a year (that's why the piece talks about 'forces at work pulling me thousands of miles across the ocean. This is also some of my earliest ramblings without alcohol, and in re-reading the piece, I was surprised to see 2 lines after 20 mentioning that. Sober as I was, it sounds to me like I was tripping my fucking head off (which, indeed on Killing Joke and mad tribal drumming, I was.)" - Martin Atkins

Killing Joke Pack - 2CDs with Laminate
INV004: Courtauld Talks
Recorded at Londons legendary Courtauld Institute, the double vinyl album is captured here on cd features spoken word performance by Jaz Cleman - the leader of Killing Joke, with guitar atmospheres from Geordie Walker and percussion from Jeff Scantlebury.
CDL0345: Inside Extremeties...
A double CD of Killing Joke material taken from the band preparation for the 1991 "Extremities" album: rare mixes, a totally unheard track "The Fanatic" and a full live show from the Extremities tour.

Flexi-Disc - Martin isn't performing on this flexi - it's a demo of "The Beautiful Dead" -- there were only 1000 ever made and they were given to people who signed O.D.I.C. - Order of the Distant Island Charter - the Killing Joke fan club at the time. Manufactured in 1987 or 1988 (This has never been played, and is mint from Martin's private collection)

Vinyl Box Set - "I originally had loads of these, over-anticipating the demand. They were beautifully put together, with each album on striking colored vinyl. The first album on white vinyl, "What's This For?" in clear green vinyl, "Revelations" with an inner sleeve and on clear blue vinyl. "Fire Dances" on red vinyl, and "Night Time" on clear vinyl. The exterior of the box is a little banged up around the corners, but for me, the value of this is that's it's signed by the four primary members - Paul Raven, Geordie, Jaz (of course) and (during his time at 2024 s. wabash working on murder inc. and pigface) Paul Ferguson. The vinyl inside is pristine-- but there are just a few dings on the exterior of the box."

  


Hitler Shirt - "There's an interesting story behind this shirt, which I designed around '87-88. I was fascinated by a story in the Sunday times about stamps - postage stamps that were created to be put on bogus mail and dropped onto train wrecks in Germany. The stamps originally said "futursreich" and the idea was that "Mr. Joe Blow German" would be casually reading his mail on a saturday afternoon and these propaganda stamps would creep under his defenses and win the war. Apart from liking the image, which I manipulated and pasted over a collage of skulls I'd been working on separately, it was a powerful design for Killing Joke. Interestingly enough, the Germans retaliated with stamps of the Queen with her face contorted into a half-queen-half donkey (which seems redundant...) Once again, these shirts are from my private collection and there aren't many."

  



Joker Shirt - "Honestly, although I designed this shirt and manipulated elements from a comic book, it's one of my least favorite designs, though it sold well. I've only got 1 or 2 of each in my collection. "

    


Tour Itinerary - "We also have a reproduction of the European tour itinerary from 1991, which might have been my last tour with Killing Joke. I think the show on June 16th, 1991, where we played with the Pixies, was interesting -- it was some kind of mad afternoon on a hailai court with Frank Black playing acoustic guitar, along with Roberto (also from Pixies). Lee Popa (sound man for Killing Joke, Ministry, Pigface, and now Macy Gray) is also screaming "how much for that dog" in the background. There are many other stories that simply opening this 13 year old itinerary spark, but for those you'll have to read the book!"

Test Pressings - "Still in their cardboard wrapped addressed to "Invisible Management" with a letter from Modern Music GMBH, their label at the time. These are made by the German company "Palas" and they are "Unverkaufliche Musterplatte," which we think means, "Test Pressings." The back of the packaging has for some reason disappeared, but the vinyl is pristine."

Reflex Magazine with split Killing Joke/Violent Femmes Flexi 7" - "This mix is a Bizarr Sex Trio "Scratched the fuck up" mix. In the days before the Mattress Factory studios existed, so this audio mayhem was committed at the old Halsted St. location of Chicago Trax, the birthplace of Ministry and Revolting Cocks. I think this will have been mixed from the original demos engineered here in Chicago by Steve Albini. The title is: Money Is Not Our God (Hideous Remix)."

  


German Killing Joke Poster - "We did 2 or 3 shows with the same promoter in Germany - he printed literally thousands of posters - they were everywhere! I think this was my first tour with the band - may '89 - so I grabbed a stack out of the promoters office and put them under my mattress in my bunk. This poster is unsigned, but if you like I'll be happy to sign it-- 'Martin Atkins Slept Here'"

Martin and Paul Raven in Prague - "Not the wildest thing in the world... but here's a hat I bought on a bridge in Prague (91-92?) and a photo of me wearing the hat next to Paul Raven. I just thought the whole circular nature of the picture of the hat -- attached to the hat - was kind of interesting. But, on closer inspection, I think I look like a complete ass and this picture in the book will be titled 'The twat in the hat!'"

Tour Backdrop Pieces - Martin hand-screened these himself to decorate the set for the filming of the "Money Is Not Our God" video. "There were also two white boiler suits that were made for Jaz (that we assume are still in his possession). The video was filmed by H-Gun at Invisible's old South Wabash location. At one point during the video shoot, Jaz poured gasoline onto a cash register that was placed outside under the EL tracks and threw a match on to it just as a train passed overhead - I don't think any of us were prepared for the explosion that followed... I remember that night during the shooting at the Cabaret Metro in Chicago and the two days that followed as the most painful in my life, as a scratched eyeball kept me awake and screaming in pain. It was a great show though, and what a great fuckin' band! After the tour dates, the backdrops remained in my studio on South Wabash, which was also where Swans did preproduction, as well as Murder inc., Pigface, Lard, etc. I still have the original screen and someone told me that despite the size of the bill', it could still be considered "counterfeit." We're offering four original pieces of the backdrop, each measuring 12" x 28"."