Martin Atkins- English drummer, PIL, Brian Brain, Post Punk Museum #podcast, #music,#vlogger

Martin Atkins is an English drummer, best known for his work in post-punk and industrial groups including Public Image Ltd, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Pigface, and Killing Joke. He also works as a consultant, has written multiple books on the music industry, and is the music industry studies coordinator at Millikin University in Decatur, IL. Martin is also the owner and operator of the Museum of Post Punk and Industrial Music in Chicago, in addtion an honorary board member of the Chicago-based nonprofit organization "Rock For Kids", and a fellow of In Place of War. Martin first major exposure as a drummer was with John Lydon's post-Sex Pistols band, Public Image Ltd. He joined in 1979, just in time to contribute to the song "Bad Baby" on the album Metal Box. Atkins' first live show with PiL was recorded and released as a live album Paris au Printemps and his first year with the band included appearances on The John Peel Sessions for the BBC, American Bandstand and the BBC's live Old Grey Whistle Test. In 1980, he left Public Image Ltd to concentrate on his band Brian Brain with Pete Jones (who also played with Public Image Ltd in 1982 and 1983) on bass (in 1983 replaced by original Go-Gos' bassist Margot Olavarria) and Bobby Surgeoner on guitar (later replaced by Olavarria's husband, Geoff Smyth). Named after the Worcestershire and Gloucestershire seam bowler Brian Brain, the band released six singles and one LP (Unexpected Noises) on Secret Records, and continued to release singles and LPs on his own Plaid Records throughout the 1980s. The band had a minor indie chart hit in 1980 with "They've Got Me in the Bottle" (#39),[4] and club hits with the singles "Jive Jive" (1981) and "Funky Zoo" (1982). Atkins was hired in late 1980 by Public Image Ltd to perform on The Flowers of Romance, drumming on four tracks. In 1982 he re-joined as a full-time band member, co-producing and co-writing the album This Is What You Want... This Is What You Get. Atkins left PiL for the last time in 1985. After leaving Public Image Ltd, Martin revived his Brian Brain project and recorded an EP at Planet Sound Studios in New York for his own, short-lived label Plaid Records, which was released in July 1985. Throughout the late 1980s, the 1990s and early 2000s, Atkins performed with many bands, including Nine Inch Nails (appearing in the video for "Head Like A Hole"), as well as Ministry. The dual-drumming of Atkins and Bill Rieflin appears on the live Ministry album/video "In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up. Atkins later joined Killing Joke, performing on 1990s Extremities, Dirt, and Other Repressed Emotions. He also managed the band for that time, and designed their live show scenery and some merchandise. Atkins formed his industrial supergroup, Pigface, during a Ministry tour in 1989–1990. After joining Killing Joke for their 1990 recording, Extremities, Dirt and Various Repressed Emotions, he went on to form Murder, Inc., a new band featuring Geordie Walker and Paul Raven from Killing Joke, and Chris Connelly, in 1992.[8] During this time, he played with the Revolting C***s and is credited alongside Chris Vrenna in Nine Inch Nails for performing extra drums on "Wish" and "Gave Up," tracks two and six of the Broken EP (as well as the aforementioned "Head Like A Hole"). In between creating albums and touring with Pigface he also formed "The Damage Manual" with Jah Wobble, Walker, and Connelly. He later produced and released a collaborative album with Skinny Puppy's Nivek Ogre, the latter's first project outside of Skinny Puppy, under the moniker Rx. The resulting album was entitled Bedside Toxicology. Between 2000 and 2002 he released four albums as Opium Jukebox featuring instrumental cover tunes done in a Bhangra style. In October 2006, Martin visited Beijing to discover the emerging Chinese music scene. During his stay, he recorded and signed a handful of Chinese bands to Invisible Records and recorded material for a new Pigface album. Martin wrote what he calls "the first real book on touring". The book Tour:Smart, featured contributions from Henry Rollins, Cynthia Plastercaster, The Enigma, the Suicide Girls, Zim Zum (formerly of Marilyn Manson), Kevin Lyman, Curse Mackey, CPA Lisa Malina and various other managers, journalists, venues, agents, sponsors, and radio personalities. In 2018 Martin released Band:Smart, the follow-up to his Tour:Smart book. This book covers record labels, book agents, crafting a stage show, band names, social media and lots more. In 2021, Martin opened Chicago's "Museum of Post Punk and Industrial Music" documenting the history of the two movements with over 3000 items and ephemera. Displays include handwritten lyrics by Trent Reznor for Pigface, Martin's drum set, vintage rarities from Skinny Puppy, and a myriad of other rare items from the history of Industrial music. For further information about this legendary musician check out his website at www.martinatkins.com

Added 24 Jun 2026