Steve Ignorant (born Steven Williams in 1957) is a singer and artist best known for co-founding 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 London music hall performance.
On 24 and 25 November 2007 he performed Crass's entire The Feeding of the 5000 live at the Shepherds Bush Empire, backed by guest musicians. Other members of Crass were not involved in these concerts. "I acknowledge and respect Steve's right to do this", 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'?"
Steve and Penny soon made up their rift, and performed together on the last night of Steve's Last Supper Tour four years later, and all was well that ended well. In the meantime this extraordinary package remains a unique document of a wonderful night that most never dared believe would happen.
