Sex Gang Children

Sex Gang Children
Sex Gang Children (2006)
Background information
Origin	Brixton, London, England
Genres	Gothic rock, post-punk
Years active	1981–1984, 1992–present
Labels	Cleopatra, Cherry Red, Illuminated, ROIR, Liberation London
Associated acts	Andi Sex Gang, Marc Almond, Aemoti Crii, Theatre of Hate, Death Cult, Carcrash International, Crisis, New Model Army
Website	www;sexgangchildren.com
Members	Andi Sex Gang Terry MacLeay Rob Stroud Kevin Matthews Matthew Saw
Past members	Dave Roberts Steve Harle Nigel Preston Ray Mondo Bob Thompson Cam Campbell Lester Jones Gerrard Santana Adrian Portas Karl Magnussen
Notable instruments
xylophone, violin

Sex Gang Children are an early gothic rock and post-punk band that formed in the early 1980s in Brixton in London, England. Although the original group only released one official studio album, their singles and various other tracks have been packaged into numerous collections, and they remain one of the more well-known bands of the early Batcave scene and have reformed for new albums and touring at various times since the early 1990s.

The original lineup was Andi Sex Gang (vocals, guitar), Dave Roberts (bass), Terry McLeay (guitar) and Rob Stroud (drums). They were a very dramatic band, relying on heavy bass, tribal drumming, sudden mood shifts, dramatic vocals and a cabaret sound (influencing the rise of the later dark cabaret scene). The band's first release was a cassette-only live album, Naked, in 1982. The Beasts EP, their first vinyl release, followed the same year after they signed to the Illuminated label. The band's only studio album from their original period together, Song and Legend, was released in 1983, reaching the top of the UK Indie Chart and spawning the single "Sebastiane". Stroud departed to form Aemoti Crii, to be replaced by former Theatre of Hate drummer Nigel Preston, who played on the band's next single, "Mauritia Mayer", before himself being replaced by former Death Cult drummer Ray Mondo. Roberts left in late 1983 to form Carcrash International, and the lineup settled to Andi, McLeay, Cam Campbell (bass) and Kevin Matthews (drums), a change forced by Ray Mondo's deportation to his native Sierra Leone.

Following McLeay's departure in 1984, the band was renamed Andi Sex Gang & the Quick Gas Gang for the 1985 Blind! album and tour (McLeay did not leave until after that album's recording, however; guitarist Lester Jones from Crisis performed the live shows). The band split afterwards.