This article is about the band Southern Death Cult. For the band Death Cult, see The Cult. For the Native American culture, see Southeastern Ceremonial Complex.
Southern Death Cult were a British post-punk/gothic rock band that formed in Bradford during the early 1980s.[1] They are now primarily known for having given their lead vocalist and parts of the name to the multi-platinum hard rock band the Cult. Despite the similarities in the names, "Southern Death Cult" were distinct from "Death Cult"/"the Cult".
History
The musical history of Southern Death Cult can be charted as far back as early 1979 in Bradford, Yorkshire with the band Violation.[2] Bassist Barry Jepson and drummer Haq Nawaz "Aky" Qureshi had formed the band with a guitarist now only known as Mick. The band rehearsed for about 7 months before playing their first show. The band played about 20 shows in total over the 18 months that they were together and recorded a set of thirteen demos on a 4 track on 3 and 4 January 1981 at Bradford Community Studio.
Southern Death Cult formed in 1981, with a lineup of vocalist Ian Astbury, guitarist David "Buzz" Burrows, Jepson, and Aky.
The first Southern Death Cult show took place on 29 October 1981 at the Queen's Hall in Bradford.[5]
Southern Death Cult toured heavily in the UK to promote the single, including slots opening for Theatre of Hate and Bauhaus at the end of 1982, but Astbury disbanded the group after a show in Manchester on 26 February 1983.
The band's sole album, The Southern Death Cult, was posthumously issued by Beggars Banquet in 1983, compiling all three tracks from the single, live performances and BBC Radio 1 sessions.
Later projects
Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy (of the Nosebleeds and Theatre of Hate) came together in April 1983 to form an act with a similar name, first called Death Cult and then, after releasing an eponymous four-song EP and a single later in 1983, renamed the Cult.
The other three ex-members of Southern Death Cult, augmented by vocalist Paul "Bee" Hampshire, formed Getting the Fear, who released one single, "Last Salute", on RCA Records before splitting up in 1985.