(From the NME, UK Music weekly, 27 March 1982)

Jaz's New Band - In Iceland

Jaz, Killing Joke's missing singer, is alive and well and living in Iceland.  In fact, he's left Killing Joke and is now working with Icelandic band Peyr -- or, at least, that's the story which has appeared in the local Reykjavik papers.

Killing Joke manager Brian Taylor confirmed that the band have given up hope of Jaz returning and are looking for a replacement singer. "We haven't heard from Jaz himself," Taylor said, "but someone who's with him called to say he's not interested in coming back."

Taylor had only "a vague idea" that Jaz might be in Iceland. But Falkinn -- Peyr's Reykjavik record label -- told NME of local news reports that Jaz had joined the band.

Peyr - their name means 'Thaw' - are one of the bands who appear on 'Northern Lights Playhouse', a compilation LP of Icelandic bands distributed in England by Rough Trade. The LP's accompanying blurb suggests Peyr are a band who would appeal to Jaz's keen interest in black magic and the occult. Not only are they working on 'diabolical devices' to control the audience, they've even invented a special instrument to operate outside the normal range of human hearing which is supposed to establish 'psychic links' with the audience.

Meanwhile, Killing Joke are determined to continue, though the fate of their upcoming tour is uncertain at press time.

"We're not looking for Jaz clones," stressed Taylor, "though we've already had one application from someone claiming to be Jaz in a different form."

A mysterious ad appears on page 60 of this week's NME. It reads: "CAN YOU FURTHER THE KILLING JOKE? Chortle Chortle' -- and that's all.  Obviously a job ad for extremely subtle applicants.

Clones and victims of psychic possession apart, Killing Joke are open to offers and can be contacted at 01-450 2694.

--Graham Lock