Steve Ignorant

Steve Ignorant (born Steven Williams in 1957) is a singer and artist. He co-founded the anarcho-punk band Crass with Penny Rimbaud in 1977. After Crass stopped performing in 1984, he has worked with other groups including Conflict, Schwartzeneggar, Stratford Mercenaries, Current 93 (under the name Stephen Intelligent), US punk band Thought Crime, as well as being an occasional solo performer.

He is also a sculptor, and has worked as a traditional Punch and Judy performer using the name Professor Ignorant. In recent years he has developed an interest in the history of traditional east London music hall performance.

On 24 and 25 November 2007 he performed Crass's entire Feeding of the 5000 live at the Shepherds Bush Empire, United Kingdom, backed by a band of selected guests. Other members of Crass were not involved in these concerts. "I acknowledge and respect Steve's right to do this", Penny Rimbaud said, "but I do regard it as a betrayal of the Crass ethos" Ignorant had a different view: "I don't have to justify what I do. (...) Plus, most of the lyrics are still relevant today. And remember that three-letter word, 'fun'?"

In 2010 Ignorant announced plans to do a tour called The Last Supper, performing Crass songs from the period 1977-1982 with largely the same band that performed with him at Shepherd's Bush, including Gizz Butt, Bob Butler and Spike Smith. In August 2010 Steve and Penny Rimbaud took to the stage together to be interviewed by John Robb on the literacy stage at the Rebellion Festival in Blackpool, England where they informed the large crowd that Penny has now given Steve his blessing to perform Crass material live. On Saturday November 19, 2011 Steve performed "The Last Supper" at The Shepherd's Bush Empire in London where he was joined on stage by Penny Rimbaud and Eve Libertine. This is the last time Crass songs will be performed live by him.

In 2010 Southern Records published "The Rest Is Propaganda", Ignorant's autobiography co-written with Steve Pottinger.