Active until 1989 | Active from 1989 | |
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Associated acts Thom Yorke, Simon Shackleton Members Thom Yorke, Simon Shackleton, John Matthias, Martin Brooks, Laura Forrest‑Hay Similar Andy Yorke, Colin Greenwood, Philip Selway, Lunatic Calm, The Venus in Furs | ||
Headless Chickens were a melodic punk band from Exeter, England whose members included Thom Yorke (guitar and vocals), Simon Shackleton (bass and vocals), John Matthias (violin), Laura Forrest-Hay (violin), Martin Brooks (drums), Andy Hills (bass) and Lindsey Moore (drums). In June 1989 they released their first single, "I Don't Want To Go To Woodstock", on the Hometown Atrocities EP, along with tracks from three other bands (Beaver Patrol, Jackson Penis and Mad At The Sun). This is believed to be Thom Yorke's first ever released recording, on which he played lead guitar and sang backing vocals; Yorke later became famous as the singer of Radiohead.
Headless Chickens supported acts including Eat and De La Soul.
While he was in Headless Chickens, Yorke's earlier band, On A Friday, was mostly in a state of suspended animation; after he left Exeter, On A Friday restarted, eventually becoming Radiohead. Headless Chickens mutated into the techno-influenced Flickernoise (led by Shackleton) who later changed their name to Lunatic Calm in 1996.