Contortions

Contortions was the New York no wave band formed in 1977 by saxophonist and singer James Chance, alongside Jody Harris, Pat Place, George Scott III, Don Christensen and Adele Bertei. Fusing free jazz skronk, James Brown funk and Iggy Pop confrontation, they became a defining act of downtown Manhattan's no wave scene, appearing on Brian Eno's 1978 compilation No New York. Chance's live shows were notoriously volatile, often erupting into physical clashes with audiences. The band splintered in 1979 as Chance pursued James White and the Blacks, but reconvened intermittently over the decades, with a 2001 reunion bringing back most of the original lineup for a run of shows.