Play Dead
| Play Dead | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| origin | Oxford , England |
| Genre (s) | Gothic rock |
| founding | 1980 |
| resolution | 1986 |
| Founding members | |
singing |
Rob Hickson |
bass |
Pete Waddleton |
Drums |
Mark Smith |
guitar |
Re-Vox |
Play Dead was a gothic rock band from England. The name Play Dead, which means "to play dead", was founded in November 1980 by a quartet from Banbury near Oxford.
history
The first demo was recorded in December 1980 within six weeks. Play Dead signed to Fresh Records, a descendant of the indie label 4AD . In the spring of 1981 the band toured as the opening act for the gothic punk band UK Decay . Shortly after the tour, the debut single Poison Takes a Hold / Introduction appeared with which the band was able to record first successes.
Early on, a certain antipathy for the first two releases in the band spread. Especially with the piece TV Eye you couldn't identify yourself.
"That record is nothing to do with us-we just blot it out of our minds completely!"
"This piece has absolutely nothing to do with us - we just played it out of our heads."
1982 was another rather negative year that forced the band into a brief retirement by breaking up Fresh Records. Some time later, in April 1982, Play Dead signed with Jungle Records and released their third single Prophaganda there . At this point in time, the band caught the attention of various print media and music journalists for the first time. The sounds and the Melody Maker crowned the new release as a single of the week . Shortly afterwards the band's first peel session took place .
The long-awaited LP was released the following May and, like Prophaganda, also received good reviews , while The First Flower reached number 4 in the independent charts. At the same time, Play Dead toured as supporting act for Sex Gang Children . After this tour, the second peel session was started in July . This resulted in a song that has not yet been published. Further concerts with Killing Joke and an appearance at the fifth Futurama Festival followed over the summer and into autumn.
Despite their enormous live potential, which was attributed to them by critics, the group always saw themselves more as "passive" and less as "mad sort of band". Another move to Situation 2, a descendant of the Beggars Banquet label, followed by the end of the year . There the band released their 12 " Shine EP .
The album Resurrection should appear in 1984 as From the Promised Land . Play Dead were dissatisfied with the result of the production and had the album remixed and released under the name Resurrection in 1992. Only the vinyl versions of the first pressing exist of the original variant. After another bankruptcy of the record company and dissatisfaction with Clay Records, the band decided to found their own label Tanz Records, on which they produced their last studio album, Company of Justice in 1985.
Bass player Waddleton left the band in the spring of 1986 and emigrated to India . The remaining members of Play Dead - Hickson, Green and Smith - re-formed together with Bob Brimson and Julian Silvester under the name The Beastmaster Generals. Only a few songs that never got out of the demo status were composed. Since there was never an official way to publish the music, the members quickly lost interest in the group, and so this project was short-lived.
style
In the beginning they were clearly influenced by big names in the scene like Bauhaus and Sex Gang Children , but Play Dead played a typical Gothic Rock with bright guitars, saturated with flanger , chorus and delay effects throughout their short career . The bass is also covered with effects and usually plays an equal role in the songs alongside the guitar.
Play Dead was with their last studio album Company of Justice , like many Gothic bands of that time in the development, to play Gothic increasingly as rock music and so the rock elements were placed a little more in the foreground on this album.
The guitar, although it still leaves gaps, moves more forward in the consistently bright sound image and creates significantly more area. The deep, heavy bass usually accompanies this. In addition, the use of the cymbals has been reinforced and the tribial drumming has been set back a little. It should be mentioned here that Play Dead never identified with the term “Gothic”, like most of the protagonists from this genre.
Discography
Singles, albums and peel sessions
- 1981: Poison Takes a Hold / Introduction
- 1981: TV Eye / Final Epitaph
- 1982: Metallic Smile / Pray to Mecca / Propaganda / Effigy (Peel Session)
- 1983: The First Flower
- 1983: Shine / Gaze
- 1983: Total Decline / The Tenant / Gaze (Peel Session)
- 1983: Peel Sessions
- 1983: The Whip Compilation
- 1984: Break / Return to the East / No Motive (Peel Session)
- 1984: From the Promised Land
- 1985: Company of Justice
- 1985: Into the Fire Live
- 1985: The Final Epitaph Live
- 1985: The Singles 1982 ~ 85
- 1986: In the Beginning - The 1981 Singles
- 1986: Caught from Behind: Live in England, France, Germany, and Switzerland
- 1992: Resurrection
Sampler contributions
- 1992: Gothic Rock Volume 1
- 1995: Gothic Rock Volume 2: 80's Into 90's
Bootlegs
- 1983: May 12, 1983 Leeds Warehouse
- 1983: Live in Norwich, Ska Ballroom - May 13, 1983
- 1983: Live - July 28, 1983 Hull, Dingwalls / Live October 13, 1983 Hammersmith , Klub Foot
- 1984: Live in France at Forum Des Halles - July 1, 1984
- 1984: Oct 7th, Kolingsborg, Stockholm, Sweden
- 1984: Live in Norrkoping Sweden - October 10, 1984
- 1985: Dec 18th 1985, Tufnel Park, Penthouse, London
- 2003: The Final Pieces (Bootleg)
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Goth: Undead Subculture - page 240
- ↑ a b c d e f g Archived copy ( memento of the original dated February 2, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
