Kev Mills
| Specimen | |
|---|---|
Specimen
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Bristol, South West England, United Kingdom |
| Genres | Gothic rock, deathrock, new wave, post-punk, glam rock |
| Years active | 1980–1985, 2006–present |
| Labels | Sire, Metropolis |
| Members |
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| Past members | See below |
Specimen are a British band formed in the 1980s. Their music has been described as spanning many different genres of music, including glam, goth, punk and post-punk, and the band is widely credited as one of the pioneers of the goth subculture, both musically and stylistically.
The band formed in Bristol, England by vocalist Olli Wisdom with guitarists John Klein (from Europeans) and Kevin Mills during 1980. Their first show was at a street party celebrating the wedding of The Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer. In 1982, the band relocated to Soho, London, where Wisdom founded the infamous Batcave nightclub. Ian Astbury described Specimen's unique hybrid of punk and glam as being "like a Death Bowie."
When approached by Wisdom and asked to join Specimen, original keyboardist Jonny Slut initially declined because he could not play any instruments. Wisdom insisted and Slut eventually learned to play the keyboard by utilizing guiding stickers. Unusual for a keyboardist, Jonny Slut became the face of the band and its most famous member, due largely to his striking image and fashion sense.
While the band were together, they never released a full album, only singles and a mini album. However, in 1997 two full-length compilations were released featuring various Specimen songs. In 1985, the original Specimen lineup broke up after the release of the "Sharp Teeth Pretty Teeth" single. Olli Wisdom moved to San Francisco, California, USA and formed a short lived American version of Specimen.
After the band went its separate ways, guitarist Jon Klein worked with Siouxsie and the Banshees for seven years, before working with Sinéad O'Connor. He was also in the British 1998 film Married 2 Malcolm in a non-speaking role.
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