Poisoned Electrick Head
| Poisoned Electrick Head | |
|---|---|
| Origin | St Helens, Merseyside |
| Genres | Psychedelic rock, space rock, new wave, post-punk, indie rock |
| Years active | 1986 - 1998 2009 - present |
| Labels | Dead Fly Records, Probe Plus, Abstract Sounds, Voiceprint Records |
| Associated acts | Hawkwind, Cardiacs, Gong, Senser, Back to the Planet, Arthur Brown |
| Website | http://www.poisonedelectrickhead.com |
| Members | Emerald Greenshade Jefferson Jesu Devil Vik Vibe Moose Mother Captain O’Ship |
| Past members | Katmandu Tjunca B Low Professor Bubblekeys Phil ZaPeep |
Poisoned Electrick Head (PEH) is an English psychedelic indie rock/punk band formed in 1986 in St Helens, Merseyside, England. The band is best known for the 1994 independent chart hit "Out of Order" and for its fantasy-costumed stage act. Poisoned Electrick Head split up in 1998 and formally reformed in 2009. The band's name is taken from the final words sung by Vivian Stanshall in the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band track, "My Pink Half of the Drainpipe".
The Poisoned Electrick Head sound could be described as a combination of space rock and angular post-punk, with heavy, distorted guitars and analog synthesizers providing an idiosyncratic backing to the two lead vocalists' unconventional scattergun delivery. An early review in the popular music magazine NME described them as sounding like "UK Subs playing early Genesis". and the band drew frequent comparisons to Hawkwind, Devo and Cardiacs. Many Poisoned Electrick Head tracks also experimented with ambient electronic passages, dropped-in samples and dub techniques.
Poisoned Electrick Head formed when seven musicians in the St Helens area opted to join forces. From the start, the band displayed a theatrical flair, with each member operating under a pseudonym - singers "Emerald Greenshade" and "Katmandu", rhythm guitarist "Jefferson Jesu(s) Devil", lead guitarist "Philippe ZaPeep", keyboard player "Professor Bubblekeys", bass guitarist "Tjunca B Low" and drummer "Vik Vibeskin".
The band members had previously played together in different permutations since the late 1970s. Emerald,Vik and Zapeep had been in a punk band called Subversion in 1979, and both Emerald (keys)had been part of The Aristocrats releasing a track on the Elegance Charm & Deadly Danger LP (along with Jesu Vik and Katmandu) in 1982. Bubblekeys & Tjunca - along with another pseudonymous musician, "Flimb" (drums) and Doug Eglin (vocal/guitar) - had worked together as the Academy Of Unrest (who released the Sheol Hex/Rise of Doubt/Hope 12" EP in 1986 and the track 'Sensitive' on compilation album 'Elegance, Charm and Deadly Danger'). By 1985, Jesu, Emerald & Vik were in a band called Moon, to which they recruited Tjunca, initially as keyboard player - he would subsequently move to bass guitar on the arrival of Bubblekeys. Zapeep was the next addition to the band, in early 1986: later in the same year Katmandu was recruited (initially as a proposed replacement for Greenshade, but subsequently as his singing partner). An unofficial eighth member, Bubblekeys brother known as "Burt Sliders", served as sound man and sound designer.
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