Feature of the month. August 2001: FAD GADGET I almost went numb when I heard that Fad Gadget was announced as the support act to Depeche Mode´s upcoming European leg of the Exciter tour. A not too wild guess is that I wasn´t alone reacting really, really surprised... Fad Gadget is consisting of Frank Tovey, sometimes backed up by Mr. Mute records, Daniel Miller and other collaborators such as Eric Radcliffe and Gareth Jones. Fad Gadget -the band that Depeche Mode supported at a gig in London 1980 and got discovered by the very same Daniel Miller right there. The band that Tovey split in the mid-eighties. Fad Gadget. They havn´t made a single tune in apx 16-17 years! Depeche Mode is probably paying their debt back. So let´s talk about Tovey´s music. *"Back to nature". The second single ever on Mute records: The first track I covered when I´d bought my first keyboard. *"Ricky´s hand" Truly a great electro-pop anthem. *"Life on the line" The first track Jimmy covered..I think. What a beautiful song. *"Love Parasite" if this doesn´t funk you up you can´t ever enjoy great electro-pop. *"Collapsing New People" We´re talking really classy stuff. The song Depeche Mode never recorded. The best mix of industrial electronic rock ever made. Frank Tovey/Fad Gadget is one of the most underrated artists, I think. Is there a chance that he finally will get the success he´s always been worth by this support-tour? I certainly hope so. God damn the ignorant kids if they "boo-boo". Respect! /Andreas ALBUM DISCOGRAPHY Fireside Favourites STUMM 3 (1981) Incontinent STUMM 6 (1982) Under the Flag STUMM 8 (1982) Gag STUMM 15(1984) The Fad Gadget Singles STUMM 37 (1986) Frank Tovey has also released several albums under his real name. "Tyranny and the hired hand" STUMM 73 (1989) and "Grand Union" (1991) are the ones that are the best from a more folk-music oriented Tovey. Back