Play Dead

One of the lesser-known names in the incipient goth rock scene of early-'80s England, 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 th...