Punishment of Luxury
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1976 in Newcastle, England |
| Defunct | 1984 (initially) |
| Fate | Reunited in late 1980s and again in 2007; active since then |
| Headquarters | Newcastle , England |
| Products | Post-punk music |
| Website | www |
Punishment of Luxury, often abbreviated as Punilux, is a post-punk ensemble from England that originated in Newcastle in 1976. The group ceased activities in 1984, briefly reunited during the late 1980s, and reassembled again in 2007, continuing to perform since then.
History
Emerging from the English fringe theatre scene, Punishment of Luxury came together in December 1976 in Newcastle. Their name was inspired by an 1891 artwork by Giovanni Segantini. The founding members were Brian Bond (vocals), Neville Luxury (guitar and vocals), Red Helmet (guitar and vocals), Jimi Giro (bass and vocals), and "Liquid" Les Denham on drums. Their first single, "Puppet Life," was released through Small Wonder Records in July 1978.
In 1979, the band signed with United Artists, issuing the singles "Engine Of Excess" and "Secrets," followed by their album Laughing Academy. During that summer, they appeared at the Reading Rock Festival, sharing the stage with acts like The Cure and Motörhead. The single "Laughing Academy" came out in 1980 before embarking on a broad European tour. While working on a concept album titled Gigantic Days, United Artists was acquired by EMI and subsequently dropped the band. After completing a final European tour, Brian Bond departed.
The remaining members—Neville Luxury, Steve Sekrit, and Jimi Giro—reformed under the name Punilux, joined by guitarist Tim Magenta. They released the album 7 on Red Rhino Records in 1983. Before Neville Luxury embarked on his solo career, Tim Magenta was replaced by Rab Aitch. Neville’s solo mini-album Feels Like Dancing Wartime was released in 1984. The previously unreleased Gigantic Days eventually saw release on CD by Overground Records in 1998.
Reunion
The band reunited in 2007 to celebrate bassist Jimi Giro’s 50th birthday with a performance. More than a year later, they played at The Three Tuns pub located in Gateshead, northeast England; this show received positive reviews including coverage by The Guardian. On 12 June 2009, they performed at the Luminaire in Kilburn, North London, and have continued to appear sporadically since that time.
In early 2012, they issued a new CD entitled 5.
On 8 November 2019, a comprehensive five-CD compilation called Puppet Life (The Complete Recordings) was released, encapsulating their entire career output.
Albums
- Laughing Academy (1979), United Artists
- 7 (1984), Red Rhino – as Punilux; reached UK Indie No. 12
- Gigantic Days (the shelved LP) (1998), Overground
- 5 (2012, EP/CD mini-album)
Compilation albums
- Revolution by Numbers (1997), Overground
- Puppet Life (The Complete Recordings) (2019)
Neville Luxury
- Feels Like Dancing Wartime (1984), Red Rhino
Singles
- "Puppet Life" (1978), Small Wonder
- "Engine of Excess" (1979), United Artists
- "Secrets" (1979), United Artists
- "Laughing Academy" (1980), Liberty
- "Hold Me (Never Mould Me)" (1983), Red Rhino – as Punilux; UK Indie No. 36
- "Alien Contact" (1989), P.U.K.