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The Adicts
Photo: Robman94 · CC BY 3.0

Band · United Kingdom

The Adicts

Ipswich clockwork punk band

Formed in 1975

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The Adicts are a British punk rock band from Ipswich, Suffolk, England. A popular English punk rock band of the 1980s, they were often in the punk charts during that decade.

The Adicts originated as The Afterbirth in late 1975 but never had any music or played any shows. They later became The Pinz. They soon changed their name to the Adicts and became known for their distinctive Clockwork Orange "droog" image. "Droog" is a noun derived from the fictional Nadsat language, (a combination of Russian and English) meaning "friend". This image, along with their urgent, uptempo music and light-hearted lyrics, helped set them apart from other punk bands. In the 1980s, they temporarily changed their name to Fun Adicts (for a children's TV appearance) and then ADX (after signing to a major label).

Their music has catchy melodies and lyrics, often featuring extra instruments and sound clips - such as carousel music in "How Sad", violin played by Derick Cook in "Joker in the Pack", as well as gongs and keyboard percussion by Anthony Boyd in "Chinese Takeaway".

The musicians wear all-white clothing with black boots and black bowler hats. The singer, Keith "Monkey" Warren, wears joker makeup, wildly patterned suits (such as checkerboard or polka dot), flared trousers, colourful dress shirts, a bowler hat, gloves, and more recent years large wings. The band's visual look is complemented by their stage shows, involving items such as streamers, confetti, playing cards, beach balls, joker hats, toy instruments, bubbles, and glitter.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Also in Français

The Adicts est un groupe de punk rock britannique, originaire d'Ipswich, dans le comté du Suffolk, en Angleterre, formés en 1975. La formation se distingue radicalement par son esthétique inspirée du film Orange mécanique de Stanley Kubrick, arborant des chapeaux melons, des costumes blancs et le maquillage de "droog" porté par son fantasque chanteur, Keith « Monkey » Warren.

Musicalement, le groupe privilégie un punk mélodique, rapide et festif, souvent qualifié de « punk de fête », qui s'éloigne du nihilisme sombre de leurs contemporains. Leur premier album, Songs of Praise (1981), reste un classique du genre, porté par des hymnes aux refrains accrocheurs. Populaire dans les années 1980, le groupe atteint les classements indépendants pendant la décennie.

Toujours en activité avec une grande partie de ses membres d'origine, The Adicts est réputé pour ses performances scéniques théâtrales impliquant confettis, jeux de cartes et paillettes, consolidant leur statut de groupe culte et intemporel.

Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

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