Fad Gadget

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).
Fad Gadget
Background information
Birth name Frank Tovey
Born September 8, 1956
Origin Leeds, England
Died April 3, 2002
Genre(s) New Wave
Post-punk
Gothic rock
Industrial rock
Years active 1980 - 1993
2001 - 2003
Label(s) Mute

Frank Tovey (September 8, 1956 - April 3, 2002), better known as Fad Gadget, was an influential British avant-garde electronic musician who was a pioneer of the budding genres of New Wave and electronica.

Fad Gadget's music is characterized by a distinctive use of synthesizers in conjunction with sounds of machinery, including drills and electric razors. His bleak, sarcastic, and darkly humorous lyrics were often layered in meaning, and discussed subjects such as machinery, building construction, and physical violence. His singing style, a droning monotone, influenced later gothic and industrial rock movements.[citation needed] Fad Gadget was known for confrontational live performances which included Tovey covering himself in tar and feathers, leaping into the audience, and playing instruments with his head.

Contents

[edit] Personal Life

Tovey studied performance art at Leeds Metropolitan University. He signed as Fad Gadget to Mute Records, which was soon home to similar but more commercial synthpop acts Depeche Mode and Soft Cell. He was the first artist to sign to Daniel Miller's Mute label.

Tovey recorded several LP's of more experimental work under his real name.

His child can be heard on some songs, and "Love Parasite" is about a baby.[citation needed]

After touring in 1993, Tovey withdrew from the music business[citation needed] until 2001, when he resurrected his old pseudonym to support his former colleagues, Depeche Mode, on their Exciter tour. He continued to perform until his death.

Having suffered from heart problems for the duration of his life, Frank Tovey died of a heart attack on April 3, 2002, at the age of 45. Tovey left a wife and at least one child.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

As Fad Gadget:

As Frank Tovey

[edit] Singles

As Fad Gadget

  • "Back to Nature" (1979)
  • "Ricky's Hand" (1980)
  • "Fireside Favourite" (1980)
  • "Make Room" (1981)
  • "Saturday Night Special" (1982)
  • "King of the Flies" (1982)
  • "Life on the Line" (1982)
  • "For Whom the Bells Toll" (1982)
  • "I Discover Love" (1983)
  • "Collapsing New People" (1983)
  • "One Man's Meat" (1984)
  • "Fireside Favourite 2001" (2001)
  • "Collapsing New People 2003" (2003)

As Mkultra

  • "Immobilise" (1986)

As Frank Tovey

  • "Luxury" (1985)
  • "Luddite Joe" (1986)
  • "Bridge St. Shuffle" (1988)
  • "Sam Hall" (1989)
  • "The Liberty Tree" (1991)
  • "All That is Mine" (1992)

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../f/a/d/Fad_Gadget_d213.html"
In other languages