Alien Sex Fiend

Alien Sex Fiend

Alien Sex Fiend in 2007
Background information
Origin London, England
Genres Deathrock, industrial rock, gothic rock
Years active 1982–present
Labels Anagram, 13th Moon, Flicknife
Associated acts The Earwigs, Mr. & Mrs. Demeanour, Demon Preacher, The Demons, The Turnpike Cruisers, United States of Mind, Dog Food, UFX
Members Nik Fiend
Mrs. Fiend
Past members Yaxi Highrizer
Johnny Ha-Ha
Rat Fink Jr.
Doc Milton

Alien Sex Fiend are an English deathrock band, formed in London in 1982. The current lineup of the band consists of Nik Fiend and Mrs. Fiend.

History

Alien Sex Fiend were formed by Nik Wade (Nik Fiend), Christine Wade (Mrs. Fiend), David James (Yaxi Highrizer) and Johnny Freshwater (Johnny Ha-Ha) in late 1982 at the Batcave club in London (where Nik worked). The band became known in the gothic scene for its dark, electronic industrial-leaning sound, heavy samples, loops, dub remixes[1] and manic vocals. Wade had previously been a member of the Alice Cooper-influenced bands The Earwigs and Mr. & Mrs. Demeanour, and later the punk band Demon Preacher (later known as The Demons).[2][3]

Alien Sex Fiend recorded a cassette (The Lewd, the Mad, the Ugly and Old Nick) with Youth of Killing Joke, which brought them to the attention of the UK music press,[4] along with the appearance of their track "R.I.P." on the Batcave club compilation, The Batcave: Young Limbs and Numb Hymns 1983, released by London Records in 1983.

They signed to the Cherry Red sub-label Anagram Records, releasing their first single, "Ignore the Machine", in August 1983.[2] The single was immediately successful on the UK Independent Chart, reaching No. 6, with a further 11 singles and five albums reaching top 20 positions in the chart in the period up to 1987.[5]

The band released the world's first 11" single, "E.S.T. (Trip to the Moon)",[6] in October 1984.

The band recorded two BBC Peel Sessions in 1984. At the May session, they recorded "Attack!!!", "Dead and Buried", "Ignore the Machine" and "Hee Haw"; at the August session, "In God We Trust", "E.S.T. (Trip to the Moon)" and "Boneshaker Baby".[7]

In October 1985, their third studio album Maximum Security reached No. 100 on the UK Albums Chart and remained there for the week of 12 October.[8] They also had two top 100 singles with "Dead and Buried" in August 1984 (No. 91) and a reissued "Ignore the Machine" in March 1985 (No. 99).[8] Throughout the early 1980s, their work was frequently in the UK Indie Chart[9] and remained a fixture on American college radio.

The band also became popular in Japan, and in 1985, they released a live album recorded there, Liquid Head in Tokyo.[2][3] Freshwater left later in 1985, and the band continued as a trio, supporting Alice Cooper on his "The Nightmare Returns" tour in 1986 and releasing "It" the Album that year.[2][3] The band was reduced to a duo of the Wades when James left following the release of 1987's Here Cum Germs.[2]

In early 1988, the band, as The Dynamic Duo, recorded a one-off 12" single "Batman Theme" with recording and live engineer Len Davies, before continuing as Alien Sex Fiend, incorporating electronics and sampling even more into their sound on the album Another Planet.[2][3] They reverted to a four-piece with the 1989 addition of two prior guest collaborators, drummer/guitarist Andrew Wilson (a.k.a Rat Fink Jr., formerly of The Turnpike Cruisers) and keyboardist/guitarist Simon "Doc" Milton,[3] who made their official debut on that year's Too Much Acid? double-live album.

Fink and Milton departed in 1992, following that year's Open Head Surgery album and its subsequent tour (documented on The Altered States of America live album).

Fink published a book in 2000, Once Upon a Fiend,[10] recalling his experiences in the band. He later drummed for Blackpool bands United States of Mind and Dog Food before joining Uncle Fester in 1999, who changed their name to UFX in 2006.

Following the departures of Fink and Milton, the Wades became a duo once again and provided the soundtrack for the Digital Image Design game Inferno in 1994.[2]

In 1996, the Wades launched their own 13th Moon label,[2] issuing three further albums: Nocturnal Emissions (1997), Information Overload (2004) and Death Trip (2010).

Discography

Studio albums
Alien Sex Fiend live in Paris, 2007

References

  1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPXXBUY89vE
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Strong, Martin C. (2003). The Great Indie Discography. Canongate. pp. 196–7. ISBN 1-84195-335-0.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Thompson, Dave (2000). Alternative Rock. Miller Freeman. pp. 151–2. ISBN 0-87930-607-6.
  4. ↑ Igymeth, Daz (April 1988). "Loving the Alien: Making Up with Alien Sex Fiend". Underground (13): 35.
  5. ↑ Lazell, Barry (1998). Indie Hits 1980–1989. Cherry Red Books. p. 5. ISBN 0-9517206-9-4.
  6. ↑ http://www.discogs.com/Alien-Sex-Fiend-EST-Trip-To-The-Moon/release/390361
  7. ↑ "BBC – Radio 1 – Keeping It Peel – Alien Sex Fiend". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  8. 1 2 "Alien Sex Fiend | Artist | Official Charts". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  9. ↑ Guinness Book of British Hit Singles and Albums (2006 ed.).
  10. ↑ http://books.google.com/books?id=QQULAAAACAAJ

External links

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