{"title":"Minty","description":"\u003cp\u003eMinty was formed in 1993 by Leigh Bowery and Richard Torry. In the early 1990s Bowery had been involved in two musical outfits, The Quality Street Wrappers and Raw Sewage (both essentially the same band), but Minty was a much more serious attempt to be taken seriously. Soon the duo had become a group, including amongst others Matthew Glamorre and Nicola Bowery.\r\n\r\nMinty quickly gained notoriety for their abrasive theatrical performances, the highlight of which was Leigh \"giving birth\" to Nicola on stage - she would be concealed upside-down underneath his costume and would emerge when Leigh went \"into labour\". Such was their notoriety a Minty club residency in Soho was deemed indecent by Westminster Council and shut down.\r\n\r\nIn this initial incarnation, Minty recorded one single, Useless Man (a chart hit in the Netherlands), before Leigh's death on 31 December 1994. Minty formed a collective in tribute to Leigh Bowery, known as The Offset. Members included Kinky Roland, Aiden Shaw (pornographic film star), Donald Urquart (poet), Sexton Ming (transvestite recording artist) and Add N To X.\r\n\r\nThe remaining members of Minty chose to continue the group following Leigh's death and released three further singles (Plastic Bag, That's Nice, Nothing) and an album (Open Wide), the album containing material recorded with Leigh.\r\n\r\nMatthew Glamorre and Richard Torry still collaborate on a number of music and club projects in London, including The Soundstorm, Siren Suite and Kash Point.\n\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"open-wide","title":"Open Wide","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn 1992, infamous fashion designer, model, performance artist and Taboo club promoter Leigh Bowery formed the band Minty (named after the Polari word for ‘snooty’) with friend, designer Richard Torry, wife Nicola, and promotor and performer Matthew Glamorre. Bowery was a massively influential pop art icon and experimental performance artist; his very existence has left a huge legacy upon popular culture. Minty was his musical vehicle to bestow his unique brand of art performance onto the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo mark 25 years since Leigh’s passing Minty are re-releasing their renowned 1997 album \u003ci\u003eOpen Wide\u003c\/i\u003e on Record Store Day 2021. Preceded by the release of their cult club classic Useless Man in 2020, featuring new remixes by Boy George, \u003ci\u003eOpen Wide\u003c\/i\u003e is the next chapter in the Minty story. Inheritors of the Post Punk and New Romantic club scene, Bowery and crew led a vicious and uncompromising charge into challenging not only values and morality but celebrity culture itself. At a time before the internet, it was scandalous talk and sensational press articles that brought the band to the attention of the authorities. Their famously avant-garde and shocking onstage scatological, blood and gore performances prompted The Sun newspaper to describe them as the \"sickest band in the land\" – a statement of which Leigh was immensely proud. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSince then the band have taken the baton of Bowery’s legacy and kept the artistic flame alive as well as continuing as aesthetes in their own right: Nicola Bowery is currently a designer and a performance artist. Matthew Glamorre is an audio visual artist who has worked consistently on the boundaries of music, art and technology – and as the director of Gryphon Records he wrote and produced music, artwork and film for the artist Bishi. Richard Torry is a multimedia artist, and musician based in London whose current retrospective exhibition in Paris is gaining much attention. Meanwhile Useless Man has become part of the soundtrack to the underground music and art scene playing on indie\/ alt\/ queer dancefloors across the globe. The flame lives on.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBowery and Minty have undeniably influenced artists, musicians, comedians and designers across the decades and continue to do so: their music, now available in contemporary digital formats, further cements their place in the history of art and culture.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The state51 Conspiracy","offers":[{"title":"Clear | LP | x2","offer_id":50483345981771,"sku":"1119650","price":79.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/9abc76ed-ac48-40ab-ad67-afb0934695bc_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727565380"},{"product_id":"useless-man","title":"Useless Man","description":"\u003cp\u003e1992: Minty came together around Leigh to present ‘actions’ on the fringes of music, art, and politics and to explode (sometimes literally) in the face of the growing celebrity culture. The band represented those marginalised through sexuality and delighted to challenge all that which usurps the established order. Word of their live shows spread fast, Leigh was a mainstream figure back then and Minty were becoming notorious for what were considered outrageous and disgraceful performances. At a time just before the internet, scandalous talk and sensational press articles brought the band to the attention of the authorities. The UK’s draconian, indecency and public licensing laws soon led to bans, legal action and police raids. Every show opened with ‘Useless Man’ - an amazing unapologetic, foul mouthed, pro-femme, pro-sex, pro-queer club anthem with lyrics made to shock and a playful homage to a Pepsi Cola ad byline from the 70’s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUseless Man (The Grid Mix) 2. Useless man (Boy George \u0026amp; Kinky Roland Latex drips remix) 3. Useless Man (Starcluster Remix) 4. Useless Man (Original mix)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e","brand":"Candy Records","offers":[{"title":"Black | 12\"","offer_id":50507265835339,"sku":"1093963","price":23.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/dad702e0-4082-4666-8ef7-bf60336418bc_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727845019"},{"product_id":"this-is-like-a-dream-total-pleasure","title":"This Is Like A Dream \/ Total Pleasure","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMinty\u003c\/em\u003e (named after the Polari word for ‘snooty’) was formed in 1992 around legendary designer, performance artist, and muse for painter Lucien Freud, \u003cstrong\u003eLeigh Bowery\u003c\/strong\u003e. Alongside friend and designer Richard Torry and club promoter, musician, and filmmaker Matthew Glamorre, Minty was conceived to present ‘actions’ on the fringes of music, art, and fashion and to explode (sometimes literally) in the face of growing homogenization.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eInheritors of the Post Punk and New Romantic scene, Bowery and crew led a vicious and uncompromising charge, challenging values, morality, and mainstream culture itself. After his premature death in 1994, Leigh and his conceptual art lived on as the remaining band members continued his legacy, releasing the cult album \u003cem\u003eOpen Wide\u003c\/em\u003e and playing many live shows including supporting Pulp on their 1996 Common People Tour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBowery’s life and work are currently the focus of a major retrospective at the Tate Modern in London, the largest exhibition yet curated. It would certainly have been a dream come true for him, so it seemed pertinent to produce an artifact featuring two rare, unheard, and unreleased songs. This limited edition, quality, 7” vinyl pressing has been on sale exclusively in the Tate Modern shop for the first month of the exhibition, becoming an immediate collector's item.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe never before published cover shots, by legendary club photographer Dave Swindells, make this a unique piece for any follower of the alternative, underground, and avant-garde. \"\u003cem\u003eLike a Dream\u003c\/em\u003e\" Richard’s synth recording for the original 1993 ‘electro disco’ mix was inspired by dreaming of Leigh on the dance floor of the nightclub Heaven in 1983. With arrangement, production, and vocals from Glamorre, extra production and mix by Noko 440 (Apollo 440).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eTotal Pleasure\u003c\/em\u003e\" Richard Torry’s home cassette recordings of Leigh and Nicola’s vocals and his original music from 1994 form the basis of the A side of this special release. With arrangement and mix by Glamorre.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Candy Records","offers":[{"title":"7\" - Black","offer_id":51544843288907,"sku":"R1717-4150","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Screenshot2025-03-31at17.42.33.png?v=1743439373"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/test_06a34a52_thumbnail_4096_7474dfd0-4670-4854-80c0-b10787496897.jpg?v=1727565361","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/de\/collections\/minty.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}