Who We Are: Nik Fiend, Mrs Fiend and the Batcave
White faces, black eyes, dripping letters and a sound like a horror film played at a party. If you've ever heard "Ignore the Machine" in a dark club, you've met us. Here's a short guide for new listeners and old ones.
Where did we start?
London, 1982. We formed at the Batcave, the Soho club night that became a home for the early gothic scene. Nik Fiend worked at the club, and we played our first show there on 1 December 1982.
Who is in the band?
- Nik Fiend (vocals): the white-faced frontman and a founder.
- Mrs Fiend (keyboards): a founder, and Nik's partner in the band ever since.
- Yaxi Highrizer (guitar) and Johnnie Ha Ha (drums) completed the first line-up. Johnnie left in 1985 and Yaxi after Here Cum Germs in 1987.
Since 1988, we've been the duo of Nik and Mrs Fiend.
What do we sound like?
Dark, electronic and a little unhinged. Our music is filed under gothic rock, deathrock, industrial and post-punk, built on heavy samples, loops, dub remixes and manic vocals.
Were we a hit?
On the indie charts, yes. Our debut single "Ignore the Machine" (1983) reached No. 6 on the UK Indie Chart, and up to 1987 five of our albums and 12 of their singles made the indie top 20.
Are we still going?
We are. Possessed came out in 2018 on Cherry Red, our 13th studio album and our first in eight years.
Wear the Fiend
Our designs bring the dripping logo, the white faces and our comic-book horror to tees, hoodies and sweatshirts.