To say that
Mick Farren was a "jack of all trades" is putting it mildly. Starting out as a member of British psych rockers
the Deviants,
Farren traversed a long and winding career that included such occupational descriptors as singer, journalist, novelist, nonfiction author, and -- some might say -- philosopher and social critic. The singer and founding member of
the Deviants, he left that band in 1969 to pursue other musical goals in one of the bigger names in proto-punk,
the Pink Fairies. He took a break from the musical side of things, beginning his journalistic career as a writer for the British musical weekly New Musical Express. In 1970,
Farren organized the Phun City Festival and, in the process, got on the good side of the Hells Angels. In 1977, he returned to music on the Stiff Records solo release
Vampires Stole My Lunch Money. Considered by some to be his "solo masterwork,"
Vampires featured the musical talents of
Chrissie Hynde and
Dr. Feelgood guitarist
Wilko Johnson.
Farren's writing endeavors -- including what many call his classic work, the DNA Cowboys "sequence" -- continued unabated, but his musical offerings were less frequent, but featured collaborations with some of the bigger names in the rock underground.
Farren resurrected the
Deviants moniker in 1984, when -- after moving shop to New York City -- he grouped up with former
MC5 guitarist
Wayne Kramer and former
Pink Fairies Larry Wallis and
Duncan Sanderson to record and release a London show as the album Human Garbage.
Farren continued to work with
Kramer, and the two released the
Don Was-produced Who Shot You, Dutch? EP in 1987, and 1991's Death Tongue. The next collaborator in the
Farren universe would be New York's John Collins, who worked with
Farren and
Kramer on the pair's Death Tongue. The subsequent project
Mick Farren's Tijuana Bible would release Gringo Madness in 1993.
After relocating to California,
Farren got together with
Jack Lancaster and the two released
The Deathray Tapes, a live set that featured guest appearances from actor Brad Dourif and
Wayne Kramer.
Farren continued to work on his musical ideals, albeit from time to time, and as the century turned,
Kramer and the -- at least in name -- resurrected
Deviants released Dr. Crow in 2002, and -- working with a number of different Japanese musicians -- released To the Masterlock Live in Japan 2004 in 2005. Who's Watching You?, released in 2007, was (approximately) his 23rd.
Farren died in July 2013 after collapsing on-stage at a
Deviants show in London; he was 69 years old. ~ Christopher True