Chiefs of Relief

Updated on Jan 19, 2024

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Origin Britain Labels Polydor Active from 1985 Members Matthew Ashman, Paul Cook		Years active 1984–1989, 2010 Active until 1988 Albums Chiefs of Relief

Associated acts Sex Pistols, Adam and the Ants, The Professionals, Bow Wow Wow, Agent Provocateur Past members Matthew Ashman, Paul Cook, Duncan Grieg, Lance Burman, David Barbarossa, Leigh Gorman Genres Rock music, New wave, Electronic dance music, Hip hop music Similar Bow Wow Wow, Sex Pistols, Leigh Gorman, David Barbarossa, Adam and the Ants

Chiefs of relief holiday 1984 new wave bow wow wow

Chiefs of Relief were a British rock group, led by guitarist and vocalist Matthew Ashman, and also featuring drummer Paul Cook. Often compared to Big Audio Dynamite (whom they would later open for on tour), The Chiefs fused rock with hip hop and electronic elements from the era.

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Career

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The band was formed shortly after the demise of new wave band Bow Wow Wow in 1983. An early line-up included former Bow Wow Wow members Matthew Ashman (who for a brief time tried to continue Bow Wow Wow as their lead singer after they ousted the original singer Annabella Lwin, formed with remaining band members David Barbarossa and Leigh Gorman, with Paul Cook on drums. It later consisted of Ashman, Cook, keyboard player Duncan Grieg, and bassist Lance Burman.

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The group's only album was 1988's self-titled release, which was issued in the US by Sire Records. Ashman died in 1995 and, on the fifteenth anniversary of his death, the band reunited for a tribute concert on 21 November 2010 at the Scala in London, in a show with Adam Ant topping the bill. It also featured later Ashman bands, Bow Wow Wow and Agent Provocateur.