Mad Pride, formed in 1999, is a radical campaigning group of former or current psychiatric patients. It is also an outlet for outre books, avant garde art and cutting edge music. Its practitioners - especially its sadly departed co-founder Pete Shaughnessy - are no strangers to puting a revolutionary case on mainstream TV and in the media. The issues may be (as currently) the fight against a brutal, illiberal and discriminatory Mental Health Bill which is being railroaded through by New Labour, to our rights to transcend normailty and embrace full-on hedonism based on the holy trinity of sex, drugs and art, including music. The main political focus is in opposing this bill and the biggest event that Mad Pride have staged since a wild open-air festival in Clissold Park (attracting 3000 revellers ranging from ne-er-do-wells to coked-out supermodels, all up for a riot) will be Mad Chicks - commencing at 1pm on Saturday 27th November 2004 at the Union Chapel, Islington, London N1 (nearest tube Highbury & Islington), involving high-end and grass-roots discussions on women's mental health issues. Watch this space - it's a "must-go" event for those interested in barbarian treatment of mad babes. It involves panel discussions and a series of pampering workshops to get those kundalini forces going. Top products will be available so get your plastic ready. Ya get me? At 7:30pm all are welcome and some big name chicks will be ready to rock. Acts include seminal avant-punk outfit The Raincoats and other class names.

Next up on December 1st Mad Pride are proud to release our fourth CD - the artist DJ Unfit For Work - the debut album - "still alive LAMF". Unfit For Work by name, unfit for work by nature, the DJ in previous incarnations has turned down lucrative EMI and Creation Records deals simply because he couldn't be bothered.

Described by the NME as a "musical genius starved of love and attention", it has taken the support of Mad Pride to coax him out of self-styled retirement and intermittent stays in psychiatric units. DJUFW has used his vast backlog of disability benefits to install a formidable project studio, stuffed with high-end and vintage audio equipment including gear culled from Abbey Road. All the while he has crafted songs and soundscapes of such skill and beauty that the corporates now want in...! He is committed, however, to tell each and every one of them to "fuck right off". Neither is he prepared to do interviews as yet. This debut covers a number of genres from American punk, Beatles-esque piano songs, prog, psychedelia and analogue synth-infested dance. He describes it as "right-wing music with left-wing lyrics" Fans have included such diverse individuals as Julian Cope, Steve Albini, Nikki Sudden and Laurie Anderson.

Product is available for £8 including postage and packing from December 1st, although some pre-release full copies are available from Mad Pride - details to follow.