Fad Gadget is the
stage nameA stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
of
Francis John (Frank) Tovey (8 September 1956 – 3 April 2002). An influential
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
avant-gardeAvant-garde music is a term used to characterize music which is thought to be ahead of its time, i.e. containing innovative elements or fusing different genres....
electronicElectronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
musician and vocalist, he was an exponent of both
New WaveNew Wave is a genre of rock and pop music that emerged in in the middle to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, and...
and early
industrial musicIndustrial music is an experimental music style, often including electronic music, that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s to describe Industrial Records artists...
.
Tovey studied
performance artPerformance art is art in which the actions of an individual or a group at a particular place and in a particular time constitute the work. It can happen anywhere, at any time, or for any length of time. Performance art can be any situation that involves four basic elements: time, space, the...
at
Leeds Metropolitan UniversityLeeds Metropolitan University is a British university with two campuses in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It gained official university status in 1992; prior to this date it was known as Leeds Polytechnic. The number of students is listed by the HESA 2007/08 data as the largest in Britain,...
. He signed as Fad Gadget to
Daniel MillerThe Normal is the recording artist name used by English music producer Daniel Miller, a film editor at the time, who is best known as the founder of the record label Mute Records....
's
Mute RecordsMute Records was an independent record label based in the UK, founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller. In 2002 the label was sold to EMI.-Background:...
, which was soon home to similar but more commercial synthpop act
Depeche ModeDepeche Mode are an English electronic band who formed in 1980, in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andrew Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
. He was the first artist to sign to Mute
, and was managed in the early 1980s by
Alan PrideAlan Pride, former manager of Fad Gadget .Fad Gadget, who alongside The Human League, Cabaret Voltaire and The Normal, was at the forefront of the Electronic Movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s....
.
As Fad Gadget, his music was characterized by a distinctive use of synthesizers in conjunction with sounds of
found objectA found object, in an artistic sense, indicates the use of an object which has not been designed for an artistic purpose, but which exists for another purpose already. Found objects may exist either as utilitarian, manufactured items, or things which occur in nature...
s, including drills and electric
razorA razor is a bladed tool primarily used in the shaving off of unwanted body hair.- Early razors :Razors have been identified from many Bronze Age cultures. These were made of bronze or obsidian and were generally oval in shape, with a small tang protruding from one of the short ends...
s.
Fad Gadget is the
stage nameA stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
of
Francis John (Frank) Tovey (8 September 1956 – 3 April 2002). An influential
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
avant-gardeAvant-garde music is a term used to characterize music which is thought to be ahead of its time, i.e. containing innovative elements or fusing different genres....
electronicElectronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
musician and vocalist, he was an exponent of both
New WaveNew Wave is a genre of rock and pop music that emerged in in the middle to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, and...
and early
industrial musicIndustrial music is an experimental music style, often including electronic music, that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s to describe Industrial Records artists...
.
Biography
Tovey studied
performance artPerformance art is art in which the actions of an individual or a group at a particular place and in a particular time constitute the work. It can happen anywhere, at any time, or for any length of time. Performance art can be any situation that involves four basic elements: time, space, the...
at
Leeds Metropolitan UniversityLeeds Metropolitan University is a British university with two campuses in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It gained official university status in 1992; prior to this date it was known as Leeds Polytechnic. The number of students is listed by the HESA 2007/08 data as the largest in Britain,...
. He signed as Fad Gadget to
Daniel MillerThe Normal is the recording artist name used by English music producer Daniel Miller, a film editor at the time, who is best known as the founder of the record label Mute Records....
's
Mute RecordsMute Records was an independent record label based in the UK, founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller. In 2002 the label was sold to EMI.-Background:...
, which was soon home to similar but more commercial synthpop act
Depeche ModeDepeche Mode are an English electronic band who formed in 1980, in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andrew Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
. He was the first artist to sign to Mute
, and was managed in the early 1980s by
Alan PrideAlan Pride, former manager of Fad Gadget .Fad Gadget, who alongside The Human League, Cabaret Voltaire and The Normal, was at the forefront of the Electronic Movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s....
.
As Fad Gadget, his music was characterized by a distinctive use of synthesizers in conjunction with sounds of
found objectA found object, in an artistic sense, indicates the use of an object which has not been designed for an artistic purpose, but which exists for another purpose already. Found objects may exist either as utilitarian, manufactured items, or things which occur in nature...
s, including drills and electric
razorA razor is a bladed tool primarily used in the shaving off of unwanted body hair.- Early razors :Razors have been identified from many Bronze Age cultures. These were made of bronze or obsidian and were generally oval in shape, with a small tang protruding from one of the short ends...
s. His bleak, sarcastic, and darkly humorous lyrics, often layered in meaning and discussing subjects such as machinery, building construction, human sexuality, and physical violence, were sung in a droning
monotoneMonotone refers to a sound, for example speech or music, that has a single unvaried tone. Opposite = vibratoMonotone or monotonicity may also refer to:*Monotone , repetitive and tedious activities...
voice.
Fad Gadget was known for his confrontational live performances, which included Tovey
covering himself in tar and feathersTarring and feathering is a physical punishment, used to enforce formal justice in feudal Europe and informal justice in Europe and its colonies in the early modern period, as well as the early American frontier, mostly as a type of mob vengeance .-Description:In a typical tar-and-feathers attack,...
, leaping into the audience, and playing instruments with his head. Tovey was particularly infamous for spreading his naked body in
shaving creamShaving cream is a substance that is applied to the face or wherever else hair grows, to provide lubrication and avoid razor burn during shaving. Shaving cream is often bought in a spray can, but can also be purchased in tubs or tubes. Shaving cream in a can is commonly dispensed as a foam or a gel...
onstage, an image of which is depicted on the cover of
The Best of Fad Gadget.
Sounds magazine described him as "...the bumbling but talented
Dr WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a mysterious alien time-traveller known as "the Doctor" who travels in his space and time-ship, the TARDIS, which normally appears from the exterior to be a blue 1950s police box...
of electro-pop".
He recorded several
LPLong-playing record albums are 33⅓ rpm vinyl gramophone records , generally either 10 or 12 inches in diameter. They were first introduced in 1948, and served as a primary release format for recorded music until the compact disc began to significantly displace them by 1988...
s of more experimental work under the name Frank Tovey, beginning with
Easy Listening for the Hard of HearingEasy Listening for the Hard of Hearing is a collaboration album between Boyd Rice and Frank Tovey, released in 1984 on Mute Records, and is composed on 12 tracks labeled "extractions" 1-12. Each extraction is a minimalist noise song, none of which use any conventional musical instruments...
, a collaboration with
Boyd RiceBoyd Blake Rice is an American experimental sound artist under the moniker of NON since the mid-1970s, archivist, actor, photographer, author, member of the Partridge Family Temple religious group, co-founder of the UNPOP art movement and current staff writer for Modern Drunkard Magazine.
recorded in 1981. His child can be heard on some songs, and "Love Parasite" is about a baby.
In 1989, he changed musical tactics in his criticism of industrialization, recording a mostly acoustic album of protest and labor songs Tyranny and the Hired Hand including such standards as "Sixteen Tons." He then tried his hand at writing similar material, recorded two more albums with a backing band named The Pyros.
In 1992 he produced Sitting On A Cornflake album "Goodbye, good luck" on Atina Records AT CD 30-02
After touring in 1993, Tovey withdrew from the music business until 2001, when he resurrected his old pseudonym to support his former colleagues, Depeche Mode, on their ExciterExciter is Depeche Mode's tenth studio album, which was released on 14 May 2001 in the UK and May 15 in the US. It uses more digital music technology compared to their other albums. It was produced by Mark Bell of Björk and LFO fame. It also had several songs which became big hits in clubs, like "I...
tourThe Exciter Tour was Depeche Mode's 2001 world tour, featuring concerts spanning over 20 countries and featuring some of their greatest hits, usually the more recent tracks up to 2001. It promoted their 2001 album, Exciter....
. He continued to perform live, and was working on a new album at the time of his death.
Tovey suffered from heart problems since his childhood, and died of a heart attack on 3 April 2002 at the age of 45. He left a wife, a daughter (Morgan) and a son (Joseph).
As Fad Gadget
- Fireside Favourites
Fireside Favourites is an album released by Frank Tovey, better known as Fad Gadget, in September 1980. The music developed the primitive industrial sound of his first recordings, the singles "Back to Nature" and "Ricky's Hand"...
(1980)
- Incontinent
Incontinent is the second album by Frank Tovey, better known as Fad Gadget, released in 1981. While developing the industrial sound of his debut Fireside Favourites in 1980, the new album relied less on drum machines and found objects, introducing more traditional instruments such as accordion and...
(1981)
- Under the Flag
Under The Flag is an experimental electronic album released in 1982 by Fad Gadget.Written by Frank Tovey for the most part concerning his fear for the future of the world, in light of having just becoming a father. He was apparently afraid of the world his son was going to grow up in...
(1982)
- Gag
Gag is an album released in 1984 by British musician Fad Gadget. It is a combination of electronica and industrial styles, and features the German band Einstürzende Neubauten on the second track, "Collapsing New People", which was also released as a single...
(1984)
- The Best of Fad Gadget
The Best of Fad Gadget is a double compilation album of singles and 12" mixes released by Fad Gadget . The album is split between singles and B-sides on disc one, and 12" mixes and song reworkings on disc two...
(2001)
As Frank Tovey
- Easy Listening for the Hard of Hearing
Easy Listening for the Hard of Hearing is a collaboration album between Boyd Rice and Frank Tovey, released in 1984 on Mute Records, and is composed on 12 tracks labeled "extractions" 1-12. Each extraction is a minimalist noise song, none of which use any conventional musical instruments...
(1984) (with Boyd RiceBoyd Blake Rice is an American experimental sound artist under the moniker of NON since the mid-1970s, archivist, actor, photographer, author, member of the Partridge Family Temple religious group, co-founder of the UNPOP art movement and current staff writer for Modern Drunkard Magazine.
)
- Snakes and Ladders (1986)
- The Fad Gadget Singles
The Fad Gadget Singles is the 1986 collection of singles by British musician Fad Gadget . The album versions of these songs are not only of differing lengths, they were also often alternative mixes...
(1986)
- Civilian (1988)
- Tyranny & the Hired Hand (1989)
- Grand Union
Grand Union was released in 1991. The album was recorded at Sawmills Studio in Cornwall and at WW1, Harrow Road, London.-Background History:...
(1991)
- Worried Men in Second Hand Suits (1992)
- Fad Gadget by Frank Tovey (2006)
As Fad Gadget
- "Back to Nature" b/w "The Box" (1979)
- "Ricky's Hand
"Ricky's Hand" is a song by Fad Gadget, released as a single in 1980. It was the second Fad Gadget single, following "Back to Nature" the previous year. The track was not included on any studio album, predating a debut LP by several months, but does appear on several compilations...
" b/w "Handshake" (1980)
- "Fireside Favourite" b/w "Insectiside" (1980)
- "Make Room" b/w "Lady Shave" (1981)
- "Saturday Night Special" b/w "Swallow It Live" (1982)
- "King of the Flies" (1982) - red vinyl flexi b/w a Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic band who formed in 1980, in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andrew Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
song
- "King of the Flies" b/w "Plain Clothes" (1982)
- "Life on the Line
Life On the Line is the first studio album of Charlottetown-based band Loud Machine, under their original name of Loud Americans.-Track Listing:-Personnel:*John Hashem - Vocals*Harold Hutchinson - Guitar, Keyboards, Backing vocals...
" b/w "4M" (1982)
- "For Whom the Bells Toll" b/w "Love Parasite" (1982)
- "I Discover Love" b/w "Lemmings On Lovers Rock" (1983)
- "Collapsing New People" b/w "Spoil The Child" (1983) - with Einstürzende Neubauten
Einstürzende Neubauten is a German avant-garde music band, originally from West Berlin, formed in 1980. The group currently comprises Blixa Bargeld , Alexander Hacke , N. U...
- "One Man's Meat" b/w "Sleep, Ricky's Hand" (1984)
- "Fireside Favourite 2001" (2001)
- "Collapsing New People 2003" (2003)
As Frank Tovey
- "Luxury" (1985)
- "Luddite Joe" (1986)
- "Bridge St. Shuffle" (1988)
- "Sam Hall" (1989)
- "The Liberty Tree" (1991)
- "All That Is Mine" (1992)
External links