LimeWire Music Blog

As the first act signed to Daniel Miller’s Mute Records, Fad Gadget was one of electronic pop’s first cult heroes.  Primarily the brainchild of the late Frank Tovey, Fad Gadget recorded four groundbreaking records with Mute, combining pop sensibilities with both industrial rhythms with pulsing electronic synth lines.

In the early 1980s, Tovey and Fad Gadget were a true force to be reckoned with, both as as pioneering  musician and a performance artist.  On stage, Tovey would often cover himself in cream, shaving his body to the tune of “Lady Shave,” or appear in tarred and feathered for a variety of numbers.

Fad Gadget is also given credit with the cultivation of labelmates Depeche Mode, who opened for many of Fad Gadget’s more prominent gigs, giving the then boy band-esque outfit important exposure. (Depeche Mode would return the favor in 2001, inviting Tovey to perform with a reactivated Fad Gadget as opening act for their Exciter tour. It would be the last time Tovey performed on stage, as he passed away of a heart attack just a few months later.)

As for Fad Gadget’s legacy, many are unaware of the band’s pioneering work to date, as most of the material has fallen into unfortunate obscurity.  However, for those unaware, here’s one of Fad Gadget’s best “commercial” moments, “Collapsing New People.” which was released as a single in 1984.  Plucked from Gag, Fad Gadget’s final album, “Collapsing New People” also features German industrial pioneers Einsturzende Neubauten, who contribute percussion to the track.