Killing Joke’s co-founder, drummer Paul Ferguson, has revived the prospect of Killing Joke playing live again in honour of their late guitarist Geordie Walker.
Walker died in 2023, months after Killing Joke’s final show featuring the original line-up at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Walker’s passing appeared to close the final chapter for Killing Joke whose self-titled debut album captured the tensions of the Cold War with booming punk anthems Requiem, Change, Wardance and The Wait.
And the hook-laden anthem Love Like Blood, arguably their most recognised work, remains one of the most fondly remembered rock songs of the 1980s.
“My wish would be is that we could at least do it (play live) for Geordie’s families’ sake and perform in his honour, the farewell tour or whatever you would want to call it,” said Ferguson, who brings his new band Light of Eternity to Darwen’s Sunbird Records next month.
“At this point in time I can’t speculate what will happen because there’s a rift between me and Jaz (Jaz Coleman, lead singer)
“I saw him at Geordie’s funeral, but I’ve heard nothing since.”
He adds: “I don’t know what Jaz’s motivations are, he lives in Argentina, but it is what it is.
“We started Killing Joke together and I’m sure the work isn’t finished.
“It is just a question of how. I hope Jaz reaches out. I wish him luck and I hope that we can shake hands at some point.
“I’d like to resolve it for Geordie, the Gatherers (Killing Joke’s worldwide network of fans) and release the recordings that are in the bag.”
Ferguson admits Walker’s death came as a profound shock, both personally and professionally and for a guitarist whose style was described by Coleman as like a ‘fire from heaven.’
“We were working together on new material, and we had a lot done, several new Killing Joke songs, and I’d recorded some drums on Geordie’s tracks.
“We’d been talking about another Royal Albert Hall gig featuring the albums Fire Dances and Brighter than a 1,000 Suns.
“Those LPs weren’t represented in the latter years of the band playing live and I was tremendously looking forward to that.
“But then Geordie died and it changed life’s plans, particularly for poor Geordie’s family.”
Ferguson is one of the most formidable drummers in modern music and the roaring engine room inside Killing Joke’s white heat haze of sonic sound.
But Killing Joke always lived life on the edge of life and subsequently Ferguson admits he finds it difficult to listen to their vast catalogue of music.
“The emotions are far too raw,” he says. “I do sometimes regret that journey with Killing Joke because it has been a very difficult, fraught and volatile relationship at times.
“Unfortunately, it is in a difficult place right now. In Killing Joke, you were always hanging on by the seat of your pants.
“When I met my wife, she didn’t even know I was in Killing Joke. I didn’t tell her. I didn’t want to bring that emotional baggage and pain into our lives.”
Ferguson says he is intensely proud of their legacy, but the experience and the tumult of life inside Killing Joke has clearly left a mark on him.
“Can I listen to Killing Joke now? No. Emotionally it is too hard on me,” he said. “There are so many powerful memories of recording the songs, the fights that we had and getting ill on tour.”
“There was a lot of madness.”
He adds: “The early days were very exciting, young men in a recording studio, and not having too much of a clue, inventing a sound and going with the fire.
“Then we were free from the weight of expectation, record company executives, debt and all that nonsense.
“At the beginning it was guerilla tactics, little gigs around London, and then packing our gear into a battered white van and driving up to Hull or somewhere for a gig.”
For a man who hits the drums so hard, Ferguson is a man of generous and kind spirit.
It is breakfast time in Baltimore on the east coast of America when we also chat about his new project Light of Eternity.
“With what’s going on in the world today you’ve got to try and express your dissatisfaction in some way and I’m fortunate to be able do that through this vehicle, Light of Eternity.
“I read a lot of history, from all sorts of perspectives and eras, and the push-pull between so-called freedom and so-called order, has always been mankind’s struggle, as has war.
“But what makes it different now is the technology.
“I believe the motivation behind artificial intelligence and some technological advances is existential, a threat to life itself.
“I find that terrifying and I’m sure others do.”
Ferguson remains full of creative power – he is also a talented sculptor – but seems ready to navigate a more direct path through music with Light of Eternity, a collaboration with Fred Schreck (The Ancients) and Pauly Williams (Chaos 8)
“I’m not hanging about for Killing Joke - this is my passion now,” he said.
“I was getting very frustrated with things not moving forward with Killing Joke so I said to myself ‘Why should I have to live without the primeval power that we created?’
“Light of Eternity is not trying to replace or be Killing Joke.
“It just happens to be a sound I love - and I think Killing Joke fans will love it too.
“Pauly Williams’ guitar sound is reminiscent of Geordie’s guitar style so I think they will enjoy what we do live.
“I want to be with people who are making a great sound and who are capable of performing live on stage without any grief.”
Light of Eternity play Sunbird Records in Darwen on Saturday, August 8, details from www. www.sunbirdrecords.com.
They also in action on the opening day of the Rebellion punk festival in Blackpool on Thursday. See www.rebellionfestivals.com for more information.
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