Play Dead interview: Artificial Life 'zine #12
Article submitted by d francis muir
The music of Play Dead has always been consistent with its combination of power, melody and excitement yet their career over the last five years has been one long struggle. The band have been through various record companies and have gigged constantly on their own and had major supports, but realized on the last tour that they were getting nowhere. Rumors started spreading that Play Dead were splitting up but subsequent rumors were that Conny Plank, the German producer (Killing Joke, DAF) was producing their new album. Sitting in a Warren Street pub, Rob (vocals), Pete (bass), Steve (guitar), and Wiff (drums) find it hard to be enthusiastic but instead come across as cynical and honest about their musical career.
Pete: "We're going to go in and do this next album and take a single off it and see what happens then. It was getting to the point where we couldn't make any progress. On the last tour we got a few dates that were disappointing so we started seriously thinking about it, but that we'd got all the stuff almost written for the next album, Conny Plank to produce it and money so we may as well do it. We know it's going to be good, but it gets where you feel you're making no progress and nobody is paying attention to what you're doing or even worse whatever you do people assume they know what it's like anyway and it gets to the point where they're not even listening."
It's evident that the new album will either mean a new lease on life or the end of Play Dead.
Pete: "you've got to be realistic, it's no good pissing up the wrong tree for five years really. Hopefully it will come out really serious and we're doing our own record label and everything. At least if things don't work out then we've only got ourselves to blame."
Trying to pinpoint where Play Dead have gone wrong is difficult as there seem to be so many contributing factors which have nothing to do with the actual music.
Wiff: "It might be! We don't know that…could be a number of things."
Having already been around for several years, Play Dead were linked to the likes of Sex Gang, UK Decay etc., who all rose and disappeared whilst the PD's who had always in their own minds been apart from those bands, remained. The band continued to go through their fare share of independent labels, who perhaps had more impact a few years ago.
Pete: "It's all down to money money. I've lost a lot of faith in the independents. If you've got the money behind you and the organization of an efficient record company who know what they're doing…if you haven't then you're going to stay a small independent…more so now than it has been for many years."
An additional factor is that people are far more selective in buying records and going to gigs due to a general lack of money. People will buy music they know and the reason they'll know the music will be as a result of major record companies pushing their product.
Rob: "Killing Joke had 80 grand put behind them for the first time in their careers to push a single. Why do you think "She Sells Sanctuary" did so well? The Cult had 40 or 50 grand behind them…nothing to do with them being any better. It's just fucking money. We won't get a big hit as we haven't got that sort of backing."
The frustration of Play Dead is evident as the lack of money restricts the expansion of their music which is beginning to find a bit more direction. The value of Play Dead's music if its combination of styles with the funky bass lines, the heavy drumming, the use of subtle guitar riffs and harmonics and a unique vocal style resulting in variety and flexibility.
Pete: "There isn't a songwriter." Steve: "With us you don't know what's coming next." Pete: "We do whatever we want to do at the time and not think of conformity."
Like "Conspiracy" was so different to anything we'd done before people had said it's like this or like that so we thought we'd do it and see if they'd call it gothic or heavy metal…the same with the "propaganda remix".
Over the years the music of Play Dead has grown in strength with each song being memorable and a classic in its own right…pick any song…"Break", "Return to the East", "The Tenant", "Sacrosanct" etc. Diversity was shown in Mankind's Audio Development, a project resulting in one single, "Sunfeast"/"Craving". The single was released on the ill fated Criminal Damage label and featured Mitch (ex Look Back in Anger) on vocals and sounding as if it should have been a dance floor hit.
Pete: "At the time it was the first in a series which I think we'll try and carry on now that we've got our own label. It was intended to be the first in a series of various combinations so that it could be different each time. I don't know if many people heard it as Criminal Damage were a bunch of wankers who didn't do any work or anything. We may re-release that and do it a lot better and then do some other projects with other people, but that's the future."
One thing that has always stood out with Play Dead has been the high quality of artwork which nevertheless continues to be labeled gothic.
Pete: "What is gothic about the Isabelle sleeve? I thought I'd go pre-Raphaelite romantic turn of the century English painting and I said 'call that gothic' and they did. On the "conspiracy" sleeve I did a Chinese dragon and I said 'call that gothic' and they did! On the "Propaganda" remix I didn't put anything apart from big lettering and they called it gothic. On "Sacrosanct" I put a stiff on it as I couldn't be bothered any more I put a picture of an Irish castle on the back and that was gothic. On the live album sleeve I thought I'd use Mexican Indian embroidery and they started going on about Aleister Crowley in the reviews and I though 'what the fuck!'"
As a result of such criticism Pete will no longer be responsible for the artwork. The new album sleeve will be done by Daniel Faoro, who was responsible for "The First Flower" label and the "Shine" cover.
Gigwise, Play Dead are limited as they seem to have problems getting gigs these days as promoters fail to provide for the right kind of money for the band to put on the standard of show they desire.
After the release of the new album, the future is uncertain but at present they're willing to give it all they've got so the battle is on…..Breakdown.
