For the New Zealand band of the same name, see Headless Chickens

The Headless Chickens were a five-piece melodic punk band from Exeter, England, comprising at various times Thom Yorke (guitar and vocals), Simon "sHack" Shackleton (bass and vocals), John Matthias (violin), Laura Forrest-Hay (violin), Martin Brooks (drums), Andy Hills (bass) and Lindsey Moore (drums), they were well known on the Exeter punk scene in 1989. 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. This is believed to be Thom Yorke's first ever released recording, but he sings backup, not lead vocals.

The Headless Chickens played a number of gigs with F*** House (or Hector's House), an Exeter guitar and sax based band led by James Hanley (later of Bod, a prog band featuring The Auteurs drummer Glenn Collins, Diana Death Crash, and more recently The Saddads www.myspace.com/thesaddads.) F*** House were famous for their 1988 indie pop smash hit 'Heaven' and played with The Headless Chickens (and Julian Zain of Hooked On Smarties fame) at the launch gig for the Hometown Atrocities EP at Matridge Farm, where Thom Yorke & co sang "I Don't Want To Go To Matridge" instead of the original lyrics.

The Headless Chickens performed to packed out houses, including highly acclaimed solo shows and supporting acts such as Eat and De La Soul.

Their "poly-sensual" shows often involved avant-garde visual experimentation, with the occasional bizarre act of total nudity.

Thom Yorke later reformed an earlier group named "On A Friday", who later changed their name to Radiohead. Headless Chickens eventually mutated into the techno-influenced Flickernoise; "sHack" later went on to form Lunatic Calm in 1996.

External links

• ne pas avaler: Hometown Atrocities