Play Dead
A nostalgic, homegrown deathrock artist.
One of the stalwarts in the incipient post-punk scene of early-'80s England that was later tagged 'goth', Play Dead combined both a relatively derivative combination of influences and some individual flashes of brilliance to make a low-key cult name for itself. A quartet, the band came together in late 1980 in Banbury near Oxford. After initially playing with another guitarist, one Re Vox, a lineup shuffle resulted in the final form of the group: guitarist Steve Green, singer Rob Hickson, bassist Pete Waddleston, and drummer Mark "Wiff" Smith. Early singles with Re Vox, including "TV Eye" (not the Stooges' proto-punk classic), were disdained by the band themselves, but after some label weirdness and semi-enforced withdrawal from recording, Play Dead put it all together with its classic single "Propaganda." Further singles and EPs followed, along with sessions for BBC radio and a notable tour with Sex Gang Children. Full releases continued up through 1985, but soon after a final live show late that year, Waddleston quit the band and moved to India. The rest of the band reformed as the Beastmaster Generals, but nothing surfaced outside of some demos, and Play Dead essentially ceased to be. ~ Ned Raggett, Rovi
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What kind of music does Play Dead play?+
Play Dead plays deathrock, gothic rock, post-punk - rooted in tradition rather than chasing trends.
What are Play Dead live shows like?+
Play Dead's live sets are loose and exploratory - consistent in quality but rarely identical night to night.
How can I find out when Play Dead is playing?+
Follow Play Dead on Mood to get notified when new shows are added. Mood tracks their upcoming events across all supported cities.
