Robert David "Lu" Edmonds (born 9 September 1957) is an English rock and folk musician. He is currently, as of 2018, a vocalist and saz and

cümbüş The ''cümbüş'' (; ) is a Turkish stringed instrument of relatively modern origin. It was developed in 1930 by Zeynel Abidin Cümbüş (1881–1947) as an oud-like instrument that could be heard as part of a larger ensemble. The cümbüş is s ...

player in the Mekons and the lead guitarist for

Public Image Limited In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichk ...

. Edmonds reportedly plays electric guitar, bass guitar, keyboards,

bouzouki The bouzouki (, also ; el, μπουζούκι ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', from Greek ), also spelled buzuki or buzuci, is a musical instrument popular in Greece. It is a member of the long-necked lute family, with a round body with a flat top and ...

, saz, cümbüs, oud, and drums, among other instruments.

Personal life

Growing up abroad in Poland, South America, Russia and Cyprus, Edmonds was educated in local schools and at

Ampleforth College Ampleforth College is a co-educational independent day and boarding school in the English public school tradition located in the village of Ampleforth, North Yorkshire, England. It opened in 1802 as a boys' school, it is situated in the groun ...

. As of 2018, he resided in Ireland.

Rock music

Edmonds is currently, as of 2018, a vocalist and saz and

player in the Mekons, and also the lead guitarist for

. Edmonds first came to prominence as a member of the Damned, playing guitar on their second album, 1977's '' Music For Pleasure''. It was the rest of the band that nicknamed him "Lu"—short for "Lunatic". Billed simply as "Lu" while with the Damned, subsequent bands billed him as Lu Edmonds (or occasionally "Lu Knee"). He has played in Public Image Ltd, the Spizzles, the Mekons,

Shriekback Shriekback are an English rock band formed in 1981 in Kentish Town by Barry Andrews, formerly of XTC and the League of Gentlemen (keyboards/synthesizers/vocals), and Dave Allen, formerly of Gang of Four (bass), with Carl Marsh, formerly of ...

, as a Bloke in Billy Bragg & the Blokes as well as on tracks by

the Waterboys The Waterboys are a folk rock band formed in Edinburgh in 1983 by Scottish musician Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. Mike Scott has remained ...

and

Kirsty MacColl Kirsty Anna MacColl (10 October 1959 – 18 December 2000) was a British singer and songwriter, daughter of folk singer Ewan MacColl. She recorded several pop hits in the 1980s and 1990s, including " There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears H ...

. He also co-wrote songs with MacColl for her first album and played lead guitar on her first single " They Don't Know" (and also on the cover of that song by comedian Tracey Ullman). In 1979 Edmonds was guitarist/vocalist in new-wave band the Edge. This band also featured drummer

Jon Moss Jonathan Aubrey Moss (born 11 September 1957) is an English drummer, best known as a member of the 1980s new wave group Culture Club. He has also played with other bands, including London, the Nips, the Damned and Adam and the Ants. Early ...

, (whom Edmonds met in the Damned, and who went on to become the drummer in

Culture Club Culture Club are an English pop band formed in London in 1981. The band comprises Boy George (lead vocals), Roy Hay (guitar and keyboards), Mikey Craig (bass guitar) and formerly included Jon Moss (drums and percussion). Emerging in the New ...

), bassist Glyn Havard (who played in proto neo-age prog-rock gods Jade Warrior) and keyboardist Gavin Povey (who later played with UK virtuoso guitarist

Albert Lee Albert William Lee (born 21 December 1943) is an English guitarist known for his fingerstyle and hybrid picking technique. Lee has worked, both in the studio and on tour, with many famous musicians from a wide range of genres. He has also mai ...

in Albert Lee & Hogan's Heroes).

Eclectic music

In the early years (1982–?) of the band 3 Mustaphas 3, " world music" pioneers, Edmonds played various instruments under the pseudonym Uncle Patrel Mustapha Bin Mustapha. Then Edmonds and

Ben Mandelson Ben Mandelson (born 6 October 1953, in Everton, Liverpool, England) is an English world musician, and also manager and producer. Punk and new wave years In the mid-1970s, Mandelson was a student at Bolton Institute of Technology (now Bolton Uni ...

, both former "Mustaphas", created two trios: in 2009 Blue Blokes 3 with

Ian A. Anderson Ian A. Anderson (born 26 July 1947, in Weston-super-Mare, England) is an English magazine editor, folk musician and broadcaster. Country blues, The Village Thing and "psych folk" Anderson first performed in his home town of Weston-super-Ma ...

, releasing the album ''Stubble'' (

Fledg'ling Records Fledg'ling Records is a British independent record label founded in 1991. The label has re-released some albums previously issued by Hokey Pokey Records which was also run by the Fledg'ling founder—David Suff. David Suff having been half of ...

); and in 2010 Les Triaboliques with fellow picker

Justin Adams Justin Alexander Adams (born 22 July 1961) is an English guitarist and composer who works in blues and African styles. Biography Born in London, the son of a diplomat, Adams spent some of his early childhood growing up in Egypt, before returni ...

, releasing the album ''Rivermudtwilight''. In 2010, Edmonds appeared on ''Poets and Lighthouses'', the latest album by

Albert Kuvezin Albert Budachievich Kuvezin (Russian: ''Альберт Будачиевич Кувезин'' / Tuvan: ''Күвезин Альберт Будачи оглу'', Küvezin Albert Budachi oglu, , alternatively spelled ''Kögeezin'' (Көгээзин, ) ...

of the

Tuva Tuva (; russian: Тува́) or Tyva ( tyv, Тыва), officially the Republic of Tuva (russian: Респу́блика Тыва́, r=Respublika Tyva, p=rʲɪˈspublʲɪkə tɨˈva; tyv, Тыва Республика, translit=Tyva Respublika ...

n ethnic-rock fusion group

Yat Kha Yat-Kha is a band from Tuva, led by vocalist/guitarist Albert Kuvezin. Their music is a mixture of Tuvan traditional music and rock, featuring Kuvezin's distinctive '' kargyraa'' throat singing style, the '' kanzat kargyraa''. Biography Yat-Kha w ...

. In 2019, Edmonds and Mark Roberts, as Blabbermouth, released the album ''Hörspiel'' ("

hörspiel Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...

" being

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

for "

radio drama Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine t ...

" or "audio play"), with several guest musicians, including

Rico Bell Rico Bell ( Eric Bellis) is a UK and California based artist and musician best known for his work as a member of the British punk rock band the Mekons which he joined in 1983. A singer and multi-instrumentalist with the Mekons, Bell has also rel ...

and Sally Timms of the Mekons, and Albert Kuvezin. Circa 2000–2015, Edmonds spent several years helping local musicians in

Western Siberia Western Siberia or West Siberia (russian: Западная Сибирь, Zapadnaya Sibir'; kk, Батыс Сібір) is a part of the larger region of Siberia that is mostly located in the Russian Federation. It lies between the Ural region ...

and

Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes the fo ...

to promote their work and to set up recording facilities.

References

External links

Biography & Discography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edmonds, Lu English rock guitarists English bass guitarists English male guitarists Male bass guitarists English keyboardists English multi-instrumentalists People from Welwyn Garden City Living people The Damned (band) members Public Image Ltd members 1957 births People educated at Ampleforth College Musicians from Hertfordshire The Mekons members