Die Laughing

Die Laughing were a British gothic rock band active between 1992-1999. They formed in late 1992 by guitarist John Berry. He soon linked up with vocalist Rachel (Bohemian Butterfly) who had at the time been attempting to encourage a local alternative club DJ that Goth music was about to experience a return to favour, and that they should think about organising a Goth night.

The duo began writing songs together on a portastudio in John's bedroom. Keyboard player Ruth Tyson joined shortly afterwards and the line-up was completed with the recruitment of bassist Dave Shiner. Shorty after this the band entered Cage Studios in Sheffield to record their first demo called "Poems of your life". They were signed by Grave News in 1994 and recorded a seven track cd called "Glamour And Suicide". A prestigious tour followed in support of Los Angeles` Goth Band London After Midnight.

In January 1996 the band returned to Purple Rain Studios to record the 13 tracks that comprise their second album "Heaven in Decline" shortly before playing a storming act in their first Headline Gig at the Marquee, drawing a good crowd of 300 people. In May the band toured Germany with Vendemmian, before returning to England for the release of "Heaven In Decline".

In 1996 Die Laughing played all the main summer festivals on Britain's Goth Scene, They also released a Japanese version of the album contains lyrics in both English and Japanese, together with new artwork and a bonus track recorded specifically for the Japanese release.

Die Laughing continued to tour and write over the following three years, and in 1998 signed a deal with Cleopatra Records in the US to produce a compilation CD of their work. The following cd "Incarnations" was a mixture of old material and four new demo songs that were planned to be released on a future album. Rachel added vocals to a track for label mates Complicity, and John played bass live for This Burning Effigy.

Iin the summer of 1999 Die Laughing went their separate ways bringing their sven year musical relationship to an end.