Shibboleth: My Revolting Life

by Penny Rimbaud

The extraordinary autobiography of Jeremy John Ratter, a.k.a. Penny Rimbaud, founder, lyricist, and drummer of Crass, a band unique in the history of rock 'n' roll. Crass took the idealism of punk seriously. When Sex Pistol Johnny Rotten screamed "No Future" the challenge was taken. In the space of seven short years, from 1977 to their breakup in 1984, Crass almost single-handedly breathed life back into the then moribund peace and anarchist movements. They birthed a huge underground network of do-it-yourself activism, fanzines, record labels, activist action groups, and concert halls. While remaining on their own independent record label, and steadfastly refusing any interviews with the major press, they managed to sell literally millions of records. Their political "pranks" included the now infamous "KGB tapes," trumpeted among others, on the front page of the New York Times , and the duping of Total Loving magazine into including a Crass song (ranting against the patriarchy of marriage) as the "perfect song to play on your wedding day." In this book, Penny takes us from his strict lower-middle class childhood and his experiences in art school to the Crass years, the hippies, and Free Festivals, including the now legendary, illegal Stonehenge Festival, of which Rimbaud was a cofounder.
Shibboleth also includes, for the first time, the full story of Wally Hope—"The Last of the Hippies," close friend of Rimbaud, cofounder of the Stonehenge Festival, and who was murdered by the State while incarcerated in a mental institution.

Genres: Music, Punk, Nonfiction, Biography, Politics, 21st Century, Anarchism

344 pages, Paperback

First published September 3, 1998

About the author

Using the pseudonym Penny Rimbaud, Jeremy John Ratter has long been a thinker, artist, musician and activist within British counterculture. Opening Dial House in Essex in 1967, an 'open house' for visitors interested in alternative living which exists and is a centre of activity to this day, for example for permaculture courses, he then found himself with like-minded individuals who coalesced into the anarchist punk band, Crass, also forming their own Crass Records label and becoming central to the large underground 'anarcho punk' or (as called in the USA 'peace punk') movement that still exists in its more obvious forms here and there, but also was influential way beyond, in terms of plain-speaking political and personal expression, severe criticism of and opposition to the political status quo and dominant patterns of culture, egalitarian, non-commercial and d.i.y. approaches to music making, record labels, distribution and any other resulting 'business', as well as in simply creating a massive network centred on the record label for small d.i.y. punk bands, records, concerts, related artistic projects, information distribution, activism, graffitti campaigns, media manipulation and tricksterism, etc., etc., etc. Since the band's break up in 1984 he has carried on with writing and his own artistic and musical projects, as well as continuing to live in and help maintain the function of Dial House.

Reviews

[OSKR · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fans of Crass will know that besides producing noisy punk songs with great lyrics, the band also recorded a few sprawling ambient works overlaid with spoken word. It's not surprising then, that the band had at least one member who wrote for the page as well as the microphone. This member was drummer J. J. Ratter, who took the stage name of Penny Rimbaud.

This book is very loosely an autobiography, interspersed with a few fiction pieces and a bit of self-reflective waffle. Ratter's life has been very interesting and before the punk scene even began he had already had considerable adventures. As a small child he experienced the German bombing of London and went on to be involved in the teddy boy subculture. Later he became part of the 60s counterculture and for many years was a respected art teacher. He established the famous Dial House, a commune in Essex, and met a young man twenty years his junior - Steve Ignorant. Together they formed Crass in 1977 and for the next ten years, played hundreds of shows and were the perpetrators of several notorious media stunts.

Ratter was also a close friend of Wally Hope, an eccentric visionary who started the free stonehenge festival in 1974. Wally Hope was later arrested for drug possession, and given involuntary psychiatric treatment which lead to his death. Ratter then investigated the strange and terrible story, and claims to have compiled a book which contained enough evidence to overturn the official version of events. Astonishingly he then claims to have burned the book in order to symbolically put the past to rest. Unfortunately, rather than solving the mystery Ratter seems to have become part of it. Why burn evidence which may have brought justice to the wrong doers? The reader is forced to question not only the official version of events but also Ratter's. Despite trying to move on it is clear that Ratter is still deeply troubled by Wally's death.

This book is also a composition of several different styles of writing - the book has a suitably punk feel. There are a few gratuitous fiction pieces which have been inserted into the story and these make for good reading. My particular favourite involves the murder of a pimp who has his throat slashed in full view of a McDonald's children's party. Ratter also occasionally divulges some very personal things. Essentially Ratter comes across as a remarkably likeable, humble and refreshingly unambitious person.

While the first half of the book makes for great reading, the second part descends occasionally into aimless self-reflection. The best parts of the book are about the band and the political campaigns they were involved in. Unfortunately there are many interesting annecdotes which could have been fleshed out, and a lot of meaningless passages which could have been removed.

review first appeared at: http://bench-press.blogspot.com.au

[Leopold Bienkowski-gibbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is stunning. I started reading it and I found myself reading it out loud to mouth such beautiful writing and rest on the pauses to take it in. There is a lot to take in. And sometimes it hurts. Penny Rimbaud's revolting life is exactly that. Insurrectionist and, at times, quite repulsive. But always beautiful in an often sad, poignant kind of way. His words and stories are wounding. The turn of events and the turn of phrases in his book are at times so sharp, so to the point, they are like the delicate twisting of a knife--his life story reads like an autobiography carefully etched into skin. Brilliant, raucous, and yet refined. A messy individual who has lived a messy life and born the heartache and scars of that life as best he could. And thanks to his lyrical way with words, it made for a great book. It touched me and left a mark that will probably out last my memory of any of its specifics. Maybe we are not kindred spirits, but we are not dissimilar souls. Thank you Comrade Black. :)

[Imogen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Politically active or not, I’m convinced this book could move virtually everybody with its piercing verses and genuineness. As biting as the scratching rythm and unshackled anger of Crass’s music, this book sparked in me, a bit of hope and rebellion that I thought had long eroded inside of me. As I’ve run out of pretentious shit to say; punk is dead, long live punk!

[ChaCha Ala Mode · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a slow reader, I read too many books at once. If I don't have my current book I pick up another one. This book is a fairly simple read in the beginning. As it progresses it begins to incorporate poetry, which at a glance seems random and needs to be read a few times. I am currently fascinated with communal living and find this to be a realistic reflection of what that looks like. It also reflects on the state of true anarchy and pacifism, which both also fascinate me.

In the end this book is sad and you get the sense that somewhere in the middle the author loses his focus a bit. His anger with the system is the same anger with the same system that I hold. If you still want to believe capitalism is the greatest way to live this book is definitely not going to inspire you, more like turn your apathy into judgements. If you have never rebelled against the system, then you will likely just think this book is nothing but punk garbage. I am not a punk, I have never really stood up in rebellion, my rebellion is much more subtle, so I am not swayed into the movement.

The one thing that I could truly draw from it, is that anarchy is not about property destruction, but destruction of a system and for anyone to think otherwise, needs a good smack on the noggin. Research it, you will find that true anarchy is so much more than the current youth parading around in masks and destroying things.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crass was single handedly one of the greatest punk rock bands, and one of the greatest political/creative projects of all time. This book is a great read and details the life of Jeremy Ratter (aka Penny Rimbaud): An upper middle class poet/writer/drummer who created an "open-door" house in Essex, England where Crass took form. This book also includes a history of the band as well as some really cool essays that shaped much of Crass' songs (the original essay "Rocky Eyed", which is included in this book, was the basis for the Crass masterwork "Yes Sir, I Will"). It's a down to earth read and a great insight to a man who helped define what it truly means to understand our surroundings and selves. Like the ol' saying goes: "There is no authority but yourself".

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not just about Wally Hope and the free festival as the back of the book suggests but a view on politics , the anarcho punk movement and communal living as well as the odd bit of prose thrown in.
A great read I'm more a fan of the idea of CRASS than much of the music but certainly this led to me dusting off the old vinyl

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't so much a "music" book, but it is penned by Penny Rimbaud. This is at times a strange read, but a good one. It's quick and interesting. The author's dedication to anachism is obvious throughout this text. Interesting stuff.

[Menneh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing.
I love reading about his life and his tangents.
Probably my favorite book.

[Ryan Mishap · Rating 2 out of 5]

Memoir of the author and Crass...kind of essential if you are a punk, but I wasn't very fond of him, and the novel he wrote was terrible.

[Sally McRogerson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some explanation of what inflluenced Crass and Penny Rimbaud in particular. He is one of the most complex characters I've ever come across but was still left wanting to know more about the guy

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good in places before meandering into rather odd fiction and general waffle in others. Was left feeling with a sense of disappointment as too many stones left unturned.

[Brendan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Less a complete, detailed biography and more of an examination of the ripples produced by one person’s entry in his life, Shibboleth is a fantastic examination of both punk and hippie culture, and their effects on Rimbaud’s life. I’ve read this multiple times, and it has not decreased one bit in its emotional effect on me.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I’d read this as a teenager.

[Simon Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

a book of many parts. inspiring, depressing, contradictory and a great read. THERE IS NO AUTHORITY BUT YOURSELF.

[Alessandro Boscolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

most probably the most sincere book i ever read, so far... still have an unread copy of "the diamond signature", can't wait to jump on it!

[Niles G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stuff.