DA was an early entry into Chicago’s punk scene. The mostly female group differed from their contemporaries, sporting a moody art-punk sound instead of the more formulaic hardcore style that other Chicago bands like The Effegies and Naked Raygun were converging on at the time. The original band consisted of Lorna Donkey, Evelyn Marquis and Dawn Fisher, later joined by Gaylene Goudreau. The band issued one 7″ single, one 12″ EP, but called it a day in 1982. In 2010 a compilation album of their material was released.
Summary: Da! Was a Chicago postpunk band active from 1977 – 1982, with Lorna Donkey, Evelyn Marquis and Dawn Fisher. Their single and video for ‘Dark Rooms’ established them as mainstays of the art punk movement.
Scottish band Cocteau Twins began in 1979 by Robin Guthrie (guitars, drum machine) and Will Heggie (bass). With the addition soon after of Elizabeth Fraser (vocals) they would be one of the bands that launched the success of iconic 4AD label, simultaneously crystallizing postpunk sound at the same time establishing roots for the dream-pop and shoegaze genres. In 1983 Simon Raymonde of Drowning Craze joined the band. They released eight albums until disbanding in 1997, spawning several solo careers and collaborations. They performed again in 2005.
Formed in 1980, Modern Industry was one of the countless punk bands to emerge from Southern California. Through the Pomona based Toxic Shock record store and label, they were on the bill with 45 Grave and Christian Death in 1981. The label released their 1983 ‘Man In Black’ EP with Marc Burgess replacing Chris Bowd on guitar. They split in 1984. Mark Duda went on to Flower Leperds, while Chris Bowd, Mark Duda and Reid Campbell formed the thrash band Abandoned. Their discography has since been reissued with never before published material, available on BandCamp.
Formed in Vannes and later Rennes, France in 1981. Less a band than a multimedia art collective, members included Patrick Chevalier, Arnaud Le Brusq, Claude Gorophal, Eric Trochu (End Of Data), François Possémé, Jacques Duval, Maurice Chesneau, Tristan Marke, Yves-André Lefeuvre. They maintain a diverse career in music and multimedia to the current day. Their debut album ‘Maïakowski’ and its track ‘Who Killed Maïakowski?’ is inspired by Russian futurist writer Vladimir Mayakovsky.
Related: End Of Data, Arnaud Le Brusq, Claude Gorophal, Eric Trochu, François Possémé, Jacques Duval, Maurice Chesneau, Patrick Chevalier, Tristan Marke, Yves-André Lefeuvre
Guitarist Jamie Stewart, vocalist Errol Blythe, Mark Bond on bass, saxophonist Steve Pankhurst and drummer Ray Mondo were Ritual, from Harrow, London. Previous incarnations roughly the same lineup went under names like General Confusion and Stigma. They released a demo tape ‘Songs For A Dead King’ in 1981, followed by ‘Mind Disease’ in 1982, with cover art by Simon Cohen, a violinist and artist from the band Sunglasses After Dark. They recorded for John Peel, and finished with the Kangaroo Court 12” in 1983, parting ways not to fizzle out – far from it. Read on, if you dare!
Ritual performed with many of the key bands of the early 80s Uk gothic scene like Blood And Roses, Sisters Of Mercy. They played at the legendary Klub Foot at Clarendon Hotel Ballroom along with Actifed on the night of UK Decays last 20th Century gig.
Jamie Stewart and Ray Mondo joined Death Cult, but Ray soon left that band to play as the last drummer for Sex Gang Children. Bond and Errol Blythe joined Spon after the split of UK Decay and started In Excelsis.
Specimen were at the heart of the Batcave club in London, where deathrock and gothic visual styles converged into what are some of the most recognizable elements still exercised today. Layer upon layer of torn fishnets, dramatic eye makeup and gravity-defying teased hair of all colors (but with a solid median foundation of black!). This was the over-the-top graveyard-glam look epitomized by Ollie Wisdom and Johnny Slut, both residents at the Batcave, where bands like Alien Sex Fiend, Ausgang and Sex Gang Children would throw outrageous performances, not to forget resident DJ Hamish’s own band Sexbeat. The original band was Wisdom, Kevin Mills and John Klein, formed in Bristol. Upon locating to London in 1982 they added Johnny Slut on keyboards.
Specimen toured the USA in 1983-1984, bringing with them the Batcave Club for engagements in Los Angeles with Christian Death, Einstürzende Neubauten, Nervous Gender, and also in San Francisco, where Ollie Wisdom ultimately moved to, unsuccessfully establishing the band there for a time.
They lasted until 1985 without having accomplished an actual full length album, despite a plethora of singles, among which one was a bat shaped die cut vinyl disc. They were also featured on the Batcave’s own compilation album, ‘Young Limbs Numb Hymns’. They have regrouped in various forms for reunion performances since 2005.
Summary: Specimen was a gothic glam band active from 1981 – 1985, with Batcave club founder Ollie Wisdom and Johnny Slut. Their iconic musical and visual style was instrumental in establishing the deathrock and batcave gothic style.
Formed in the early 80s by Larry Rainwater, Linda Patti and David Rhine. Additional members over the years include Dee Madden of Penal Colony, Vampire Rodents. They gigged around Los Angeles in the deathrock and goth clubs during that time alongside bands like Screams For Tina, Kommunity FK, Deathride 69, 45 Grave and Christian Death. They released the ‘In Wax’ cassette in 1986, their EP ‘Don’t Look Back’ in 1990, and appeared on Krypt Club’s ‘American Gothic’ compilation. A re-recording of early material appeared with the ‘Anno Domini’ CD, and several albums followed post 2000s. They have relocated to Texas by way of New Orleans where they spent several years before the devastating hurricane Katrina struck. Ex-Voto have returned to performing in the 2020s around the nucleus of original members Rainwater and Patti.
Alain Frappier (later Tales), Catherine ‘Weena’ Truscelli and Gilles Pradinas founded the group in 1981. The band name corresponds to a Stranglers song. Other members included Gilles Bourges, Michael Rushton, Pascale Meunier, and Pat Griffiths (23 Skidoo). The ‘Today’ singe was released in 1984, and their debut LP was produced by Lol Tolhurst of The Cure. In 1988 they changed their name to Baroque and signed to Polydor Records, but nothing much came of it. Weena (later worked with Charles De Goal)
Related: Alain Frappier, Gilles Bourges, Gilles Pradinas, Michael Rushton, Pascale Meunier, Pat Griffiths, Weena, Tales, 23 Skidoo, Charles De Goal, France
New York deathrock psychobilly from the mid-80s. Joe Truck and Andy Trash of Scarecrow, with Eddie Stern. They recorded one fantastic demo/album that was never officially released.
After Chop Shop, Joe Truck formed The Brain Eaters, joined by former Samhain guitarist Damien and later The Snake Charmers. Years later after relocating to Northern California Joe Truck is now in Drezden. Chop Shop’s recordings are available on BandCamp.
Known for their bizarre ‘Sex Machine’ single on Factory Records in 1980, with its Alien Sex Fiend synthesizer madness, cracked delivery and raunchy lyrics. Doomage Khult (Jeff Crowe) and Strangely Perfect (Martin Rees) met in school and bonded over a love of weird science and horror fiction. Other members were David Halton, Garry Clennell, Eddie Fenn, Dave Cook and Steve Smith. They were described as an avant-Garde musical collective.
