Talk:Killing Joke

slipknot???
youve got to be kidding me —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.208.232.201 (talk • contribs) October 14, 2005 at 08:25:15

Hey, say what you will but Slipknot was definitely influenced by them and it occasionally shows. I saw Slipknot live a while back and they even played the entire 1980 self-titled on the PA systems (side 1 before the show, side 2 after). I know this is an old-ass comment but still. It's funny what a violent knee-jerk response mentioning Slipknot anywhere gets from some people — Preceding unsigned comment added by 158.123.187.113 (talk) 13:36, 7 December 2016 (UTC)


 * It's because their fans are British based. They have an "elitist" attitude when it comes to "punk" music.  This attitude goes against the punk ideology anyway, it's ridiculous. 2600:1700:93B0:9F0:2582:E79D:EB6B:8F1A (talk) 02:01, 26 February 2024 (UTC)

Influences section
The influences section is just a list of covers of Killing Joke songs. The section should probably be renamed "Notable covers" unless there's new content on KJ's influence on later artists. | Klaw ¡digame! 15:10, 30 January 2006 (UTC)
 * I agree, too many are listed, including many irrelevant ones, and even the ones about famous bands like Nirvana seem to ramble on a bit.Dan Carkner 13:30, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

I heard that his mother went Egyptian. Is this true?

No, she's Indian. --Scarlet woman 21:52, 23 November 2006 (UTC)

I think the reference to the Monty Pythons sketch is untrue. I've never heard about that and I've read a LOT about Killing Joke. I think I'll delete it if I can't find any proof of that... Scarlet woman 01:00, 5 August 2006 (CET)

Brilliant (band)
Looks a bit dead round here, but anyway, tis worth a try -

I'm looking for material on Brilliant (band), a band featuring Youth (Glover). Have any of you got any books on Killing Joke or Youth which mention this band? Please come to Talk:Brilliant (band) if you have anything. --kingboyk 16:04, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Malicious Damage
i was just wondering, why does Malicious Damage redirect here? there's only one tiny mention of them on this page, and it concludes by saying "Malicious Damage switched to EG Records in 1980.". this may have been true but if i'm not mistaken, malicious damage records are very much still an existing label with that exact name, and maybe seeing as they've now signed The Orb as well as killing joke, they might merit a wikipedia article? in any case, something needs to be done about it redirecting here surely. Z.S.K. 02:43, 3 April 2007 (UTC)

Original Research
This page is rife with original research. Thomas1617 01:29, 31 May 2007 (UTC)


 * I removed the template Original research (date=September 2007). Please, use the in-line template Fact. —P Joe F. (talk • contribs) 13:35, 15 February 2008 (UTC)

Album Lists, Singles, Compilations and Live albums Lists
In about 3 or 4 months, i will make a table for the Studio Albums and now that i am making articles of Killing Joke's Singles and EPs and complete the Compilation list and articles and Live albums etc., Ill remove the other 3 lists on this MAIN article, because they are uncessary, since they will be in the template, and have their own seperate articles for each item. If anybody has a problem with this, please say so, or forever hold your peace, because the lack of information behind this band is ridiculous and it takes somebody like me who has almost no time to make these articles. --J miester25 (talk) 04:20, 5 December 2008 (UTC)

Nirvana!?
Just because the guitar riff to come as you are has vague similarities does not mean nirvana cites killing joke as an influence. Kurt Cobain hates metal. 69.136.97.61 (talk) 00:49, 4 October 2009 (UTC)


 * I don't think Kurt Cobain hates anything, these days. However, I believe the assertion of Killing Joke's influence comes from sources such as this. --Dominic Hardstaff (talk) 07:57, 4 October 2009 (UTC)


 * Actually Dave Grohl, who the was the drummer for Nirvana, was influenced by Killing Joke in a music sense. he was in Nirvana (at the time) and now with Foo Fighters, so Killing Joke has influenced both of those bands. --J miester25 (talk) 13:33, 16 October 2009 (UTC)

Kurt Cobain hates metal.

Okay, that statement is off in so many ways. First off, Killing Joke' 80s material was in no way shape or form, heavy metal, and later on recorded some stuff that only vaguely could resemble metal (I don't buy that they really did, personally, and I'm suspecting metal fans are behind that labeling). Killing Joke are most commonly referred to as a POST-PUNK band, or sometimes Industrial Rock or New Wave, NOT Metal. Next, Kurt Cobain was known for his admiration of bands such as Black Sabbath, Aerosmith, AC/DC and Metallica, so the notion that he hated metal is one which obviously carries shortcomings.

In addition, Killing Joke is indeed cited as one of his (and other band members') admired bands, they alongside many 70s-80s POST-PUNK bands (one of his favorite music eras). Theburning25 (talk) 03:58, 30 July 2010 (UTC)

Metallica?
Saying KJ influenced Metallica because the speedmetal band covered "The Wait" is stretching things quite a bit. If I recall the story, Metallica were screwing around in the studio, recording covers for what became Garage Days Re-revisited, came up with a riff, realized it was Killing Joke, and then after some discussion decided to record it *anyway*. The gist I got was that while Hetfield Hammett Ulrich and Newsted didn't hate KJ, they understood that there was very little in common there. Not sure what this new covers album is, but I'd be surprised if it included anything from Metallica but the same version of "The Wait." Rastro (talk) 01:44, 16 October 2009 (UTC)

James Hetfield named Jaz Coleman as one of his favourite singers in rolling stone magazine. It's even cited in this article. 188.222.41.105 (talk) 20:49, 2 September 2011 (UTC)

Infobox genres
Now I'm new to this band so I'm not proposing a genere change, what I wanted to say was that the sheer number of genres listed in the infobox looks messy. Can a more general genre such as "Rock, (see below)" or something like tht be put in the infobox with further explination of genre to be put into a styles section or something along those lines?? 220.245.131.186 (talk) 01:16, 7 June 2010 (UTC)

The reason why I put all those genres there was because its what they fall into. If i were to just list them into two genres, it would be ultimately Post-punk and Industrial. if someone is willing to explain all their other styles in a compeltely new section, go for it. --J miester25 (talk) 12:10, 8 June 2010 (UTC)

Heavy Metal?
Seriously?? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Theburning25 (talk • contribs) 20:35, 17 June 2010 (UTC)

Name of band a batman reference?
were they named after the Batman: The Killing Joke? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 134.193.112.62 (talk) 23:22, 3 December 2010 (UTC)
 * "The Universe is the Practical Joke of the General at the Expense of the Particular, quoth FRATER PERDURABO, and laughed." Here are some snippets from a 1981 interview:
 * TC: How did you get your name?
 * Jaz: You can apply the killing joke to everything. Imagine a soldier in the trenches in WW 1. He's just been told to run over and gain, say another 15ft of land and he knows he's going to die, and he suddenly thinks that there's some fat £$@# back in Westminster controlling his life, and he feels a bit of a mug. That feeling is the killing joke.
 * [...]
 * Jaz: [...] That is the killing joke, to know that established religion has all been clouded, the truth's not there.
 * [...]
 * Jaz: [...] The Killing Joke is a state of mind of being aware of what is going on about you.
 * K2709 (talk) 21:55, 4 December 2010 (UTC)
 * Cool, put it in the article. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 134.193.112.62 (talk) 21:59, 9 December 2010 (UTC)

Did they sue Nirvana or not?
In the middle (3rd paragraph) of the section History/1992-1996 it states, "Killing Joke also sued Nirvana during this phase, alleging that the riff for the latter's song "Come as You Are" was copied from the riff for their song "Eighties".[10][11] The lawsuit was dropped after the sudden death of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain.[23].

Under the section "Influence," it states: •	The main riff of Nirvana's song "Come as You Are" bears a striking resemblance to the riff of Killing Joke's single, "Eighties." The band did not file a copyright infringement lawsuit, which, according to Rolling Stone, was "due to personal and financial reasons."

The references are detailed enough to be directly contradictory:

Ref. # 10 --- http://web.archive.org/web/20071214052447/http://www.anirrationaldomain.net/articles/current/kerrang120403.html ("Somewhat ironically, though, they hadn't met before January, but Coleman and Grohl could have met one another a decade ago ... in court. That was when Killing Joke sued Nirvana, alleging the Seattle trio had stolen the riff from their song 'Eighties' for 'Come As You Are'. The case was eventually dismissed, and both now agree it's all water under the bridge.")

Ref. # 11 --- http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/nirvana-pay-back-killing-joke-20030410 ("'Come as You Are' (1991) is fueled by a slowed-down version of the guitar riff in 'Eighties' (1985). At the time, Killing Joke opted not to file a copyright infringement lawsuit for personal and financial reasons.")

Ref. #23 --- I have spent far too long searching for reference #23, which I cannot locate: "Interview with Killing Joke's Geordie". BBC Manchester. 2003. http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/music/2003/07/24/killing_interview.shtml. Retrieved 7 January 2008.

The link redirects to http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/england/manchester/ ... and try as I might -- searching within the BBC website, Google, etc. -- I cannot locate the interview.

This article claims a lawsuit was filed, with little corroborating detail: http://nirvanaclub.com/index.php?section=info/articles&file=08.15.92.html This book blurb claims Killing Joke lost the lawsuit: http://books.google.com/books?id=KxvaDqceOVYC&pg=PA41&lpg=PA41&dq=nirvana+%22killing+joke%22+%22melody+maker%22&source=bl&ots=kcUpZVs4jp&sig=IZtyVDM1xklneCxDcmUavOUjv7A&hl=en&ei=iHGgTfTKO6Xh0QGhu-CLBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CCQQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=nirvana%20%22killing%20joke%22%20%22melody%20maker%22&f=false

These sites acknowledge the conflicting reports:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Come_as_You_Are_(Nirvana_song) ("Although members of Killing Joke claimed the main guitar riff of 'Come As You Are' plagiarized the riff of 'Eighties', the band reportedly did not file a copyright infringement lawsuit, which Rolling Stone magazine attributes to 'personal and financial reasons'.[6] However, conflicting reports state that Killing Joke did file a lawsuit but that it was either thrown out of court,[13] or that it was dropped following Cobain's death.[14]")

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eighties_(song) ("If there was a lawsuit issued that Kerrang! claimed, it was either thrown out of court,[7] or it was dropped to take the burden off the remaining members of Nirvana and their management. However, the court that supposedly took the case was not named and many doubted that Killing Joke ever issued a lawsuit against Nirvana.[8]")

http://www.lostnirvana.info/nirvanaarticles/forum101/000162.html

At the very least, the Wiki article for Killing Joke should acknowledge the conflicting reports as do the articles for the individual songs at issue.

Mystery UNSOLVED!!!


 * Some say the riff in fact originated from The Damned's "Life goes on". 89.243.32.167 (talk) 09:17, 10 April 2011 (UTC)

Darkwave
I think this genre needs to be added Darkwave 149.254.235.145 (talk) 15:16, 5 September 2012 (UTC)


 * If you can find a reference then, Be BOLD. References would make the argument. Lighthead  þ 06:40, 8 September 2012 (UTC)

2009-present updates
The 2008–present section needs updating; Reza remains in the band (definitely in live lineup as of 2012-present, not sure about 2008-2011, and not sure about studio recording). Both Reza and Youth also DJ at select venues between gigs on the current KJ tour. E.g. they're both slated to spin at Strangelove, a goth/industrial club night at the Cat Club venue in San Francisco on May 3, after their gig that night at The Fillmore Auditorium.. 24.23.163.55 (talk) 11:59, 23 April 2013 (UTC)

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December 2020

 * Per wp:lead, there isn't any need to include any source at the top of the article when the facts are supported by reliable sources in one of the sections, in the body of the article.
 * Concerning their "legacy", it is well documented here with sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_Joke#Legacy
 * by citing wp:inline citation in this edit, do you consider that the same sources of the legacy section should also be added in the lead ? Woovee (talk) 23:30, 7 December 2020 (UTC)
 * Since there were so many sources needed to justify that claim, it would be redundant to post them again in the lead. I have undone my own edit. Kire1975 (talk) 21:05, 16 December 2020 (UTC)

LCD Soundsystem - Losing my edge?
Under the "Legacy" section it is claimed that "In 2002, James Murphy of dance-punk band LCD Soundsystem sampled the music of "Change" on his debut single, "Losing My Edge"." I don't hear any samples. The drum beat sounds like it might have been programmed to be similar, but the high-hats are completely different. What is the source for this claim?
 * Added. - Woovee (talk) 17:51, 8 December 2023 (UTC)