I can't believe we've come this far without mentioning Mandrake Paddlesteamer, but frankly, I don't remember much about them. I think it was Albertos e los Trios Paranoias who were booed offstage at Sheffield City Hall for using a pneumatic road drill that some considered un-musical, but of course not everyone understands art.

My favourite group to challenge all musical convention (or perhaps they were just seriously disturbed) was Faust. Their debut album was a thing of beauty in clear vinyl with a ghostly hand wafting through it. Truly weird and largely incomprehensible, it still lurks in some dark corner of my mind and brings a smile when I recall it, though I don't think it was meant to be humorous. We did take it all rather seriously at the time! RB