Melissa Rigby Biography

Melissa Rigby (born 1989, Southeast London, England) is an English drummer and vocalist, currently serving as lead vocalist with the dream pop band Astral Pattern. She is best known for her membership in the now defunct post-punk revival/art rock band S.C.U.M. Rigby joined S.C.U.M. in 2010 replacing original drummer Ruaridh Connellan and played with them until they announced a split in January 2013. Her drumming style has been compared to that of The Velvet Underground's Mo Tucker by The Beat Juice.

Career

Rigby is the daughter of a school headmaster and began playing drums at age 13, inspired by the drumbeat from the Can song "Tango Whiskeyman" and learning from her brothers. She completed a course in drumming at college and started her gigging career with the all-girl London-based indie rock band Novella. In her audition for the all-male band S.C.U.M, her drumming talents so impressed the other members that they insisted she join.

Rigby joining S.C.U.M is notable as the band's name was taken from Valerie Solanas' radical feminist manifesto SCUM Manifesto, and meant as an ironic reference to the all-male line-up. Yet the dismissal of Connellan and his replacement with Rigby removed this allusion.

Rigby states psychedelic folk musician Susan Christie's Paint a Lady as one of her favourite records of all time.

Whilst still a member of S.C.U.M Rigby also worked as a session musician and special guest for several bands, including drumming for American garage rock band The Kills on tour, and appearing on drums on 'The Deserters'; the debut solo album of Rachel Zeffira.

In June 2013 it was announced that Rigby, along with her boyfriend Huw Webb, and other former S.C.U.M. member Bradley Baker had formed a new band Astral Pattern - and a video for the single Sitting in the Sun was uploaded to YouTube with Rigby contributing drumming and lead vocals.