Dead!

Dead! comprised Alex Mountford, Sam Chappell, Sam Matlock, and Louis Matlock.{{Cite web |last=Moody |first=Melissa |date=30 January 2018 |title=Dead!'s Sam Matlock on being a DIY band and The Golden Age of Not Even Trying - |url=https://riveronline.co.uk/deads-sam-matlock-on-being-a-diy-band-and-the-golden-age-of-not-even-trying/ |access-date=9 January 2025 |language=en-GB}} The Matlocks are the sons of Glen Matlock, the bassist for the Sex Pistols.{{Cite web |title=Classic Rock – issue 01/2025 |url=https://www.yumpu.com/news/en/issue/175709-classic-rock-issue-012025/read?page=61 |access-date=9 January 2025 |website=yumpu.com |language=en}} Matlock told CM Kavanagh of The Edge that the band took its name from a folder he had compiled of songs he had made in case he was hit by a bus and the ! was added as the band were fans of Dangerous!.{{Cite web |date=21 June 2016 |title="We'd rather split up than charge for a meet and greet": An interview with Sam Matlock from DEAD! |url=https://theedgesusu.co.uk/features/2016/06/21/wed-rather-split-up-than-charge-for-a-meet-and-greet-an-interview-with-sam-matlock-from-dead/ |access-date=9 January 2025 |website=The Edge |language=en-GB}} The band's members are from the Isle of Wight but formed a band in 2012 while at Southampton Solent University,{{Cite web |last=Perry |first=Sally |date=11 May 2016 |title=Isle of Wight band Dead! sign to Infectious Music |url=https://onthewight.com/isle-of-wight-band-dead-sign-to-infectious-music/ |access-date=9 January 2025 |website=Isle of Wight News from OnTheWight |language=en-GB}} and played their first gig that year. They were Zane Lowe's "Next Big Hype" the year after.{{Cite web |date=18 July 2017 |title="Cats and tortoises are very relatable; don't you think?" – An interview with Sam Matlock from Dead! |url=https://theedgesusu.co.uk/features/2017/07/18/cats-and-tortoises-are-very-relatable-dont-you-think-an-interview-with-sam-matlock-from-dead/ |access-date=9 January 2025 |website=The Edge |language=en-GB}} In 2014, the band released the EP "Tu Me Manques",{{Cite web |date=5 October 2014 |title=10 exclusive photos of Dead! at London Garage |url=https://www.gigwise.com/photos/94903/10-exclusive-photos-of-dead-at-london-garage/ |access-date=9 January 2025 |website=GIGWISE.com}} which they crowdfunded.

The band were signed to Infectious Music in May 2016; by the following month, they had moved to London and released "You're so Cheap", a track about teenage angst.{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Jasmin |date=1 June 2016 |title=Track Review: You're So Cheap // Dead! |url=https://www.indiependent.co.uk/track-review-youre-cheap-dead/ |access-date=11 January 2025 |website=The Indiependent |language=en-GB}} By September, they were performing in unusual places and manufacturing their own zines and clothes as part of a movement they called The Damned Restless Future after a lyric from an early demo of theirs.{{Cite web |last=Pearlman |first=Mischa |date=5 September 2016 |title=New Band Of The Week: Dead! |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/new-band-monday-dead-interview |access-date=11 January 2025 |website=louder |language=en}} That month, they released "Something More Original", a track about the apathy of their childhood, alongside a video.{{Cite web |date=9 September 2016 |title=DEAD! Reveal Something More Original Video |url=https://www.kerrang.com/dead-reveal-something-more-original-video |access-date=11 January 2025 |website=Kerrang! |language=en}} In March 2017, they released "Enough, Enough, Enough", a track about Mountford's personality defects,{{Cite web |date=20 March 2017 |title=DEAD! Reveal New Single, Enough, Enough, Enough |url=https://www.kerrang.com/dead-reveal-new-single-enough-enough-enough |access-date=11 January 2025 |website=Kerrang! |language=en}} followed by a video the month after;{{Cite web |date=6 April 2017 |title=Watch The New Dead! Video, Enough Enough Enough |url=https://www.kerrang.com/watch-the-new-dead-video-enough-enough-enough |access-date=11 January 2025 |website=Kerrang! |language=en}} by August, they had released a further single, "Up for Ran$om".{{Cite web |date=8 August 2017 |title=Alternative, prog-folk and doom rock at the Craufurd Arms |url=https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/alternative-prog-folk-and-doom-rock-at-the-craufurd-arms-843317 |access-date=11 January 2025 |website=Northampton Chronicle and Echo |language=en}}

A further single release, October's "The Golden Age of Not Even Trying", was accompanied by a video and an announcement of an album of the same name; both took their title from the fact that the band felt society was living in it.{{Cite web |date=6 October 2017 |title=Dead! Announce New Album And Video |url=https://www.kerrang.com/dead-announce-new-album-and-video |access-date=11 January 2025 |website=Kerrang! |language=en}} The band released that album in January 2018; consisting entirely of songs recorded live,{{Cite web |last=Moody |first=Melissa |date=2 February 2018 |title=Dead! shows why The Golden Age of Not Even Trying is now - |url=https://riveronline.co.uk/dead-shows-why-the-golden-age-of-not-even-trying-is-now/ |access-date=11 January 2025 |language=en-GB}} the album charted at No. 11 on the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart{{Cite web |date=4 February 2018 |title=DEAD |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/52940/dead/ |access-date=9 January 2025 |website=Official Charts |language=en}} and was described as a combination of rock music, punk music, and indie by Melissa Moody of River Online. Not Even Trying was reviewed positively by her and reviewers from The Music,{{Cite web |author=Staff Writer |title=Album Review: Dead! - 'The Golden Age Of Not Even Trying' |url=https://themusic.com.au/reviews/dead-the-golden-age-of-not-even-trying/cTdpZWRnZmk/04-02-18 |access-date=11 January 2025 |website=The Music |language=en}} All Things Loud,{{Cite news |last=Parker |first=Jack |date=28 January 2018 |title=Dead! Try Their Hardest And Succeed on The Golden Age of Not Even Trying – All Things Loud |url=https://www.allthingsloud.com/dead-try-hardest-succeed-golden-age-not-even-trying/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241130224307/https://www.allthingsloud.com/dead-try-hardest-succeed-golden-age-not-even-trying/ |archive-date=30 November 2024 |access-date=11 January 2025 |work=All Things Loud |language=en-US |url-status=live }} Narc,{{Cite web |title=ALBUM REVIEW: DEAD! – The Golden Age of Not Even Trying |url=https://narcmagazine.com/album-review-dead-the-golden-age-of-not-even-trying/ |access-date=11 January 2025}} The Student Playlist,{{Cite web |date=4 February 2018 |title=REVIEW: Dead! - 'The Golden Age Of Not Even Trying' (Infectious) |url=https://www.thestudentplaylist.com/review-dead-the-golden-age-of-not-even-trying/ |access-date=11 January 2025 |website=The Student Playlist |language=en-GB}} and Clash,{{Cite web |last=Cotton |first=Shannon |date=21 January 2018 |title=Dead! - The Golden Age Of Not Even Trying |url=https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/dead-the-golden-age-of-not-even-trying/ |access-date=9 January 2025 |website=Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews |language=en-GB}} although a very negative review came from The Soundboard Reviews.{{Cite web |last=thesoundboardreviews |date=30 January 2018 |title=ALBUM REVIEW: 'The Golden Age Of Not Even Trying' by Dead! |url=https://thesoundboardreviews.com/2018/01/30/album-review-the-golden-age-of-not-even-trying-by-dead/#google_vignette |access-date=11 January 2025 |website=The Soundboard |language=en-US}}

The band announced in June that they would split up after playing one final gig in October;{{Cite web |last=Murray |first=Robin |date=5 June 2018 |title=Dead! To Split |url=https://www.clashmusic.com/news/dead-to-split/ |access-date=11 January 2025 |website=Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews |language=en-GB}} Matlock later formed Wargasm with the band's photographer Milkie Way,{{Cite news |date=24 July 2022 |title=Meet the rising NI heavy metal star who caused 'topless' stir at awards ceremony |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sunday-life/news/meet-the-rising-ni-heavy-metal-star-who-caused-topless-stir-at-awards-ceremony/41862744.html |access-date=11 January 2025 |work=BelfastTelegraph.co.uk |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}} while Frank Carter, whom Dead! had supported in 2016, later became the lead vocalist of the Sex Pistols at Louis's suggestion. Rob Wacey of AllMusic described the band as a "hard rock outfit that flirt with elements of pop-punk and grunge";{{Cite web |title=Dead! Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More {{!}} All... |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/dead!-mn0003455848 |access-date=11 January 2025 |website=AllMusic |language=en}} writing in October 2020, Jo Lisney of The Edge concurred with this and wrote that their lyrics typically involved partying.{{Cite web |date=5 October 2020 |title=Iconic Southampton Musicians |url=https://theedgesusu.co.uk/records/2020/10/05/iconic-southampton-musicians/ |access-date=11 January 2025 |website=The Edge |language=en-GB}}

• The Golden Age of Not Even Trying (2018)

• "Tu Me Manques" (2014)

• "Beautiful Broken Bones" (2013)
• "Phantom" (2014)
• "Enemy" (2015)
• "Skin" (2015)
• "Something More Original" (2016)
• "Enough, Enough, Enough" (2017)
• "Up for Ran$om" (2017)
• "The Golden Age of Not Even Trying" (2017)
• "Any Port" (2017)
• "The Boys † The Boys" (2018)
• "You're so Cheap" (2018){{Cite web |title=Dead! - Discography |url=https://open.spotify.com/artist/2uQCQ4BmANn12eOlOfkwqF/discography/all |access-date=10 January 2025 |website=Spotify |language=en}}

Heavy Music Awards

{{awards table}}

!{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

|-

| 2017 || Dead! || Best Breakthrough Band || {{nom}} || {{Cite web |date=May 22, 2017 |title=The Heavy Music Awards reveals shortlist

|url=https://www.musicweek.com/media/read/the-heavy-music-awards-reveals-shortlist/068555 |access-date=February 21, 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240426163336/https://www.musicweek.com/media/read/the-heavy-music-awards-reveals-shortlist/068555 |archive-date=April 26, 2024 |website=Music Week}}

{{end}}

{{reflist}}

Category:2012 establishments in England

Category:2018 disestablishments in England

Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2018

Category:Musical groups established in 2012

Category:English musical quartets

Category:English alternative rock groups

Category:English punk rock groups

Category:Rock music groups from Hampshire

Category:Rock music groups from London