Andrew "Andy" Palmer (born 19 April 1956), also known as N. A. Palmer, is a British musician and artist. He was the rhythm guitarist for

anarcho punk Anarcho-punk (also known as anarchist punk or peace punk) is an ideological subgenre of punk rock that promotes anarchism. Some use the term broadly to refer to any punk music with anarchist lyrical content, which may figure in crust punk, har ...

band

Crass Crass was an English art collective and punk rock band formed in Epping, Essex in 1977 who promoted anarchism as a political ideology, a lifestyle, and a resistance movement. Crass popularized the anarcho-punk movement of the punk subculture, ...

Crass

Palmer joined the band in 1977 and plays on all their albums and singles apart from their final release, '' Ten Notes on a Summer's Day''. He played his guitar in an unusual way: his left hand would be sliding over the

fretboard The fingerboard (also known as a fretboard on fretted instruments) is an important component of most stringed instruments. It is a thin, long strip of material, usually wood, that is laminated to the front of the neck of an instrument. The stri ...

while he strummed the strings with his right thumb,Berger, George ''The Story of Crass'' (Omnibus Press, 2006) using the instrument to produce 'drone' or percussive sounds. He hardly ever played conventional chords and never a solo. Palmer was also responsible for the artwork for some of the albums released by

Crass Records Crass Records was an independent record label that was set up by the anarchist Punk rock, punk band Crass. Overview and history Prior to the formation of Crass, Penny Rimbaud and Gee Vaucher had published their creative works via their own D ...

, such as '' The Eye'' by Kukl and '' The Fucking Cunts Treat Us Like Pricks'' by

Flux Of Pink Indians Flux of Pink Indians was an English punk rock band from Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, active between 1980 and 1986. Biography The band formed in Hertfordshire, England in 1980 from the remaining members of The Epileptics (who during the ...

. He left Crass in July 1984, after a concert in

Aberdare Aberdare ( ; ) is a town in the Cynon Valley area of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, at the confluence of the Rivers Dare (Dâr) and River Cynon, Cynon. Aberdare has a population of 39,550 (mid-2017 estimate). Aberdare is south-west of Merthyr Tydf ...

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

.In Which Crass Voluntarily Blow Their Own - CD booklet. This catalysed the affirmation of Crass' consistently stated intention to split up in 1984, and the band stopped performing and recording.

After Crass

Palmer returned to his art college studies. Between 1985 and 1990, he studied at St. Martins School of Art and the

Royal College of Art The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a public university, public research university in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in South Kensington, Battersea and White City, London, White City. It is the only entirely postgraduate art and design uni ...

. His paintings are regularly exhibited. He collaborated with former Crass members as part of the 2002 'Voices In Opposition To War' event at the

Queen Elizabeth Hall The Queen Elizabeth Hall (QEH) is a music venue on the South Bank in London, England, that hosts European classical music, classical, jazz, and avant-garde music, talks and dance performances. It was opened in 1967, with a concert conducted by ...

on London's

South Bank The South Bank is an entertainment and commercial area on the south bank of the River Thames, in the London Borough of Lambeth, central London, England. The South Bank is not formally defined, but is generally understood to be situated betwe ...

, performing three songs with

Eve Libertine Eve Libertine (born Bronwen Lloyd Jones; 1949) is an English singer. She was one of the vocalists who worked with English anarcho-punk band Crass. Her works with the band include the single "Reality Asylum", as well as performing most of the ...

and jazz guitarist

Phil Robson Phil Robson is a British jazz guitarist, bandleader, and composer. Biography Born in Derby (Derbyshire), England in 1970, Robson began guitar studies at age 14. He played in the house rhythm section at the local club with visiting musicians as ...

. Apart from this he has chosen not to participate in, nor contribute to, any further Crass related activities or projects, including books and documentaries about the band.

Discography (with Crass)

LPs

*'' The Feeding of the 5000'' (LP, 1978,

Small Wonder Records Small Wonder Records was a British independent record label owned and managed by Pete and Mari Stennett, that specialised in releasing records by punk rock and post-punk bands. It operated out of a record shop of the same name at 162 Hoe Stree ...

) K Indie -#1*'' The Feeding of the 5000 - Second Sitting'' (LP, 1980, Reissue on Crass Records 621984, with the missing track "Asylum" reinstated) K Indie – #11/nowiki> *'' Stations Of The Crass'' (521984, LP, 1979) K Indie – #1/nowiki> *''

Penis Envy Penis envy () is a stage in Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud ( ; ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating psychop ...

'' (321984/1, LP, 1981) K Indie – #1/nowiki> *'' Christ - The Album'' (BOLLOX2U2, double LP, 1982) K Indie – #1/nowiki> *''

Yes Sir, I Will ''Yes Sir, I Will'' is the fifth album by anarcho-punk band Crass. Released in March 1983, the album is a virulent attack on then-Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Margaret Thatcher and her government in the aftermath of the Falklands War and ...

'' (121984/2, LP, 1983) K Indie – #1/nowiki> *'' Best Before 1984'' (CATNO5, LP compilation, 1986) K Indie – #7/nowiki>

Singles

*"Reality Asylum / Shaved Women" (CRASS1, 7", 1979) K Indie – #9/nowiki> *"You Can Be You" (521984/1, 7" single by

Honey Bane Honey Bane (born Donna Tracy Boylan, 1964) is an English singer and actress, possibly best known for her 1981 UK Top 40 single "Turn Me On Turn Me Off". Early life and career Honey Bane began her musical career at the age of 14 in 1978 when s ...

, backed by Crass under the name Donna and the Kebabs, 1979) K Indie – #3/nowiki> *"Bloody Revolutions / Persons Unknown" (421984/1, 7" single, joint released with the

Poison Girls The Poison Girls were an English anarcho-punk band from Brighton. The singer/guitarist, Vi Subversa, was a middle-aged mother of two at the band's inception, and wrote songs that explored sexuality and gender roles, often from an anarchist pers ...

, 1980) K Indie – #1/nowiki> *"Tribal Rival Rebel Revels" (421984/6F, flexi disc single given away with '' Toxic Grafity'' (sic)

fanzine A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) for the pleas ...

, 1980) *"Nagasaki Nightmare / Big A Little A" (421984/5, 7" single, 1981) K Indie – #1/nowiki> *"Sheep Farming In The Falklands / Gotcha" (121984/3, 7" single, 1982, originally released anonymously as a flexi-disc) K Indie – #1/nowiki> *"How Does It Feel To Be The Mother Of 1000 Dead? / The Immortal Death" (221984/6, 7" single, 1983) K Indie – #1/nowiki> *"Whodunnit?" (121984/4, 7" single, 1983), pressed in "shit coloured vinyl") K Indie – #2/nowiki> *"You're Already Dead / Nagasaki is Yesterday's Dog-End / Don't get caught" (1984, 7" single, 1984)

Live recordings

*'' Christ: The Bootleg'' (recorded live in Nottingham, 1984, released 1989 on Allied Records) *'' You'll Ruin It For Everyone'' (recorded live in

Perth, Scotland Perth (; ) is a centrally located Cities of Scotland, Scottish city, on the banks of the River Tay. It is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and is the historic county town of Perthshire. It had a population of about ...

, 1981, released 1993 on Pomona Records)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Palmer, N. A. 1956 births Living people Anarcho-punk musicians Crass members English anarchists English punk rock guitarists Rhythm guitarists English male guitarists British political music artists 21st-century anarchists