Editing Chumbawamba (section)

===Early years (1982–84)===

[[File:Boff Whalley TFF.JPG|thumb|Founder member [[Boff Whalley]] performing in 2012]]

Chumbawamba formed in [[Burnley]] in 1982 with an initial line-up of [[Boff Whalley|Allan "Boff" Whalley]], Danbert Nobacon (born Nigel Hunter), and Midge, all three previously members of the band Chimp Eats Banana, shortly afterwards joined by Lou Watts.<ref name="Glasper">Glasper, Ian (2006) ''The Day the Country Died: a History of Anarcho-punk 1980–1984'', Cherry Red Books, {{ISBN|978-1-901447-70-5}}, pp. 375–384</ref>  The band made their live debut in January 1982. Their first vinyl release was a track ("Three Years Later") on the [[Crass Records]] compilation album ''[[Bullshit Detector]] 2''.<ref name="Glasper" />  They were initially inspired musically by bands as diverse as [[The Fall (band)|the Fall]], [[PiL]], [[Wire (band)|Wire]], and [[Adam and the Ants]] and politically by the anarchist stance of [[Crass]].<ref name="Glasper" />  Another of the band's early releases was under the name "Skin Disease", parodying the [[Oi!]] bands of the time so successfully that they were included on ''Back On The Streets'', an Oi! compilation EP put together by ''Sounds'' magazine journalist [[Garry Bushell]].<ref name="Glasper" />  

By the end of 1982, the band had expanded to include [[Alice Nutter (writer)|Alice Nutter]] (of Ow My Hair's on Fire), and [[Dunstan Bruce|Dunstan "Dunst" Bruce]] (of Men in a Suitcase) and were living in a [[Squatting|squat]] in [[Armley]], [[Leeds]], on Carr Crofts road.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/label/74128-Sky-Trees|title=Sky & Trees Label|website=[[Discogs]]|access-date=12 March 2021}}</ref> Harry "Daz" Hamer and Mavis "Mave" Dillon (aka David Mills, Man Afraid) - members, along with Whalley, of Barnsley punk band Passion Killers - joined soon after.<ref name="Glasper" /> Simon "Commonknowledge" Lanzon, who had been a member of [[Donovan]]'s band [[Open Road (band)|Open Road]] in the early 1970s, appeared on most of the band's early releases but was not usually listed as a band member.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://badcatrecords.com/LANZONhusband.htm|website=Bad Cat Records|title=Simon Lanzon}}</ref>

Stalwarts of the [[cassette culture]] scene, the band released a number of [[cassette tape|tapes]] on their own [[Sky and Trees Records]] including ''Be Happy Despite It All'' - a split compilation with Passion Killers - and ''Raising Heck With Chumbawamba'', and were featured on many compilations. Chumbawamba were at the forefront of the 1980s [[anarcho-punk]] movement, frequently playing benefit gigs in squats and small halls for causes such as [[animal rights]], the [[anti-war]] movement, and community groups. The band's collective political views are often described as [[anarchism]] or [[anarcho-communist]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vanderbilt |first=Mike |date=2022-01-24 |title=25 years ago, Chumbawamba smuggled anarchist ideals onto the U.S. pop charts |url=https://www.avclub.com/chumbawamba-tubthumping-anarchist-25th-anniversary-1848412497 |access-date=2022-09-25 |website=The A.V. Club |language=en-us}}</ref> They made several songs about the [[UK miners' strike (1984-1985)|UK miners' strike]], including the cassette ''Common Ground'' and a song dedicated to the [[pit village]] of [[Fitzwilliam, West Yorkshire|Fitzwilliam]], which was one of the worst cases of economic decline following the strike.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://musicdb.laadhari.com/Chumbawamba/Fitzwilliam/459081-lyrics.html |title=Fitzwilliam lyrics |website=Musicdb.laadhari.com |access-date=10 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110822192523/http://musicdb.laadhari.com/Chumbawamba/Fitzwilliam/459081-lyrics.html |archive-date=22 August 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>