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Big Black

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Musicians

The Resume

    (1981-1987)
    Born in Evanston, Illinois
    Steve Albini, vocals and guitar
    Santiago Durango, guitar
    Jeff Pezzati, bass (1981-85)
    Dave Riley, bass (1985-87)
    Recorded the EPs 'Lungs' (1982), 'Bulldozer' (1983), Racer X' (1984), and 'Headache' (1987), and the albums 'Atomize' (1986) and 'Songs About Fucking' (1987)

Why they might be annoying:

    Their name is also the nickname of skateboarder Rob Dyrdek's bodyguard, Christopher Boykin, so googling for them gets a lot of hits for the reality show 'Rob and Big Black.'
    They used a drum machine instead of having a drummer.
    Riley's drinking affected his onstage behavior, culminating in his smashing the drum machine during a showcase at CBGB (1987).
    They used words like 'darkie' and 'fag' in their lyrics, which was intended to satirize racism and homophobia, but instead often resulted in accusations of bigotry. (For example, Robert Christgau called them 'Hitler Youth rejects.')

Why they might not be annoying:

    They had a distinctive 'clanking' guitar sound that Albini created by playing using a metal pick notched with sheet metal clips.
    Their lyrics dealt frankly with taboo subjects, including murder, rape, and racism.
    They insisted on maintaining control over all aspects of their career, including booking their own concerts and paying for recording sessions out of their own pockets.
    Albini said, 'The members of Big Black have often been asked why we chose to break up just when we were becoming quite popular. The best answer then and now is: To prevent us from overstaying our welcome.'

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying