Artist description An iconic, influential, and tragic early post-punk band

Music Style goth rock/punk

Musical Influences The March Violets, Skeletal Family, Joy Division, Sisters of Mercy, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure, Christian Death, Shadow Project, Southern Death Cult, Lydia Lunch, Bauhaus, early Dead Can Dance

Similar Artists Joy Division, The March Violets, Skeletal Family, Christian Death, Shadow Project, Sisters of Mercy, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Cure

Artist History Slow Drip Lizard formed in Manchester, England, in 1982 out of the remaining threads of the punk-movement and in rebellion against the emerging electronic dance music trend. Featuring songwriter/vocalist/instrumentalist Joshua Heinrich and bassist Eric Loftis, Slow Drip Lizard soon set out on the road with a drum machine rounding out the lineup. SDL quickly became known for their volatile stage presence, opening for such prolific early goth and death rock acts as The Bride Of Christ-enstein, 666 1/3, Macabre Pudding, and Veil of the Hellhound before setting out on a European tour of their own, culminating in a headlining spot at the infamous Zevensteinlich Festival in Germany in 1983. Later that year, the band went into the studio to record their debut 12" single, "shimmer". After recording the title track, Eric Loftis disappeared from the studio without explanation, leaving Heinrich on his own to finish the single's b-sides, "shimmer (reprise)", and "soulless solace". While "shimmer" received very little recognition by the press, it was welcomed with open arms by the punk and post-punk community, and its b-side "soulless solace" enjoyed moderate success in underground European clubs. Eric's absence was later explained by one of his infamous binges of drugs and alcohol, fueled by a minor argument over Josh's use of synthesizers in "shimmer", an element that had not been part of the band's music until that point. Eric's anger subsided, and Josh agreed to use more organic elements, such as organ and violin, in place of keyboards on later recordings. In February 1984, as Eric slipped further into depression and drug abuse, Slow Drip Lizard left for their first American tour. Deciding against taking the multi-instrumental arrangements of their newer material on the road, the band kept its 2-piece lineup and unleashed the new tracks with an unexpected full-on punk ferocity. Meanwhile, tension between Josh and Eric (over Eric's problematic drug use and Josh's desire to move in a more musically diverse and eclectic direction) became more and more evident, and eventually erupted onto the stage in the form of violence on March 23rd, 1984. The rest of the tour was cancelled and both members returned home to Manchester to re-evaluate the band and their music. After reconciling, the band went into the studio to record a 12" EP titled Bang Baby Bang. Eric was distant, and on July 13th, 1984, he was found unconscious on the floor of the studio's bathroom after a near fatal drug overdose. With the studio already booked and Eric hospitalized, Josh had no choice but to record the EP alone. The resulting 8-song release, while showcasing strong songwriting and evolving arrangements and instrumentation, was the sound of a songwriter struggling to hold both himself and his band together amidst tragedy. Torn between dark dirges like "the massacre masquerade" and "edit cut etiquette", violent goth rock tracks, and new-wave rockers, all with brilliantly riddled metaphoric lyrics expressing Heinrich's ever-growing dissatisfaction with society, politics, and religion, the EP was a historic marker and influential statement from an increasingly disturbed and disgruntled songwriter. Released September 19th, Bang Baby Bang was greeted with rave reviews and became a highly influential release among newly emerging goth rock bands. "skin deep" was released as a 7" single and quickly became the band's most popular track. Just out of rehab and seemingly revitalized, Eric joined Josh on stage for a few promo shows around Europe. One show at the legendary Gatos Y Perros club in Barcelona was recorded for a live album. Much to the dismay of Josh and Eric, the master recordings were lost by the band's management, and the live album was never released. Following the successful promo shows, Slow Drip Lizard set out in October on a full-scale European and US tour in support of Bang Baby Bang. Relations in the band went more smoothly, and the tour ended up being a very positive experience. Upon returning home to Manchester in December for holiday break after two months of straight touring, Josh immediately went into the studio to begin work on arranging demoing some of the material he had written on the road as well as write some new material. Meanwhile, Eric once again grew distant as his drug problem re-emerged. On February 27th, 1985, Josh and Eric left for the second leg of their tour. The night before the first show, February 29th, Eric died of asphyxiation while trying to fit his entire fist inside his mouth. The tour was cancelled. With a new album in progress, Josh officially announced the end of Slow Drip Lizard. In fall 2001, Autumnal Release will release a compilation of all known Slow Drip Lizard recordings, including the "shimmer" single, Bang Baby Bang, and Josh's home and studio recordings for the unfinished final album, which will see the light for the first time.

Group Members Joshua Heinrich-voice, guitars, bass, keyboards, percussion, drum programming, organ, violin, bells Eric Loftis-bass

Instruments guitar, bass, drums/drum sequencers, keyboards, voice, violin, organ, bells

Albums SDL1

Location Boston, NY - USA

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