By John Joseph


LONDON (Reuters) - Artist Bill Drummond wants the public to hold a day-long "Silent Protest" against any attack on Iraq -- and has produced a pack of playing cards to help people get through 24 hours without talking.


Rather than comprising the usual four suits, each "Silent Protest" pack is made up of 52 individual cards, which have short statements or questions on them such as "Coffee", "Tea", "Please", "Thank you" and "Why?".


The former KLF (Kopyright Liberation Front) musician, who once burnt 1 million pounds on the Scottish island of Jura, has produced the cards because he is concerned the world is "edging towards a huge mess".


He estimates he needs to sell 3,000 of the six-pound packs to break even, but has so far manufactured only 1,000.


Drummond is holding a presentation to explain the idea at a central London library and will later take part in another event with artist Tracey Sanders-Wood to mark the start of the protest on Tuesday evening.


"I am of an age where every conflict since the Vietnam War has got to me," Drummond told Reuters in an interview. "This idea initially came as a response to the Afghanistan war, but it is has taken a long time for the cards to be produced.


"Other than becoming a member of the CND in the 1980s I never did anything about what was happening in the world so I suppose this could be seen as the first time I have taken a political stance."


After going to art school in Liverpool, Drummond played in the punk band Big in Japan, which featured Holly Johnson, who went on to success with Frankie Goes to Hollywood.


Drummond's Zoo record label released singles with Echo and the Bunnymen and The Teardrop Explodes, whom he also managed.


Together with Jimmy Cauty he then formed The Justified Ancients of Mu-Mu. The group recorded under several names, most notably the KLF, and had a number of hits, including "What Time is Love?", "3am Eternal" and "It's Grim Up North".


As well as burning the money -- "my kids have never forgiven me," says Drummond -- the popstar duo also left a dead sheep outside a music awards ceremony.


"I can understand why people would see that what I have done in the past as being a prank or scam. But all my work has had a incredible seriousness about it -- be that a three-minute pop record or producing these cards," the artist said.



 http://uk.news.yahoo.com/021029/80/ddayk.html