Skeleton Crew

There are at least five artists who have performed or recorded under the Skeleton Crew moniker, including: 1. A 1980s experimental rock and jazz act from the USA, 2. An alias for UK techno producer Paul Hazel, 3. A 1990s hard rock/metal act from the USA, and 4. A psychobilly band from Dublin, Ireland. 5. An English Folk Group playing Medieaval music. 1. Skeleton Crew was a United States experimental rock and jazz group from 1982 to 1986, comprising core members Fred Frith (guitar) and Tom Cora (cello), with Zeena Parkins (harp) joining later.

1. A 1980s experimental rock and jazz act from the USA,
2. An alias for UK techno producer Paul Hazel,
3. A 1990s hard rock/metal act from the USA, and
4. A psychobilly band from Dublin, Ireland.
5. An English Folk Group playing Medieaval music.

1. Skeleton Crew was a United States experimental rock and jazz group from 1982 to 1986, comprising core members Fred Frith (guitar) and Tom Cora (cello), with Zeena Parkins (harp) joining later. Best known for their live improvision performances where they played various instruments simultaneously, they also recorded two studio albums Learn to Talk (1984) and The Country of Blinds (1986).

The group originally began in 1982 as an unnamed quartet, but before their first performance, two of the band members suffered collapsed lungs within two weeks of each other, leaving ex-Henry Cow guitarist Fred Frith and improvisational cellist Tom Cora from Curlew with the choice of continuing or abandoning the project.

They chose to continue, agreeing to play all the instruments on stage themselves. Frith played guitar, violin, keyboards, bass drum and hi-hat while Cora played cello, bass guitar, homemade drums and other contraptions enabling him to play instruments with his feet.

Performing like this was a challenge for them and made the resulting music unpredictable, but as an improvising duo, this pleased them. It gave rise to a rhythmic tension not present in a group with just one drummer. Frith told Down Beat magazine in 1982:

"It's all just on the edge of breaking down all the time, which is a quality that I've always liked. I don't like things to be too easy."


2. Skeleton Crew is an alias for UK techno producer Paul Hazel, who, among other things, released a few records for Dave Angel's label Rotation in the early 90s.


3. Skeleton Crew was a hard rock / heavy metal band from USA. They released two albums, "Grind the Enamel" in 1993 and "Graveyard Shift" in 1994.


4. Skeleton Crew are a hardcore psychobilly band from Dublin, Ireland.

5. Skeleton Crew are a English Folk group playing medieaval period music on traditional instruments.
They played pubs mainly around the Oxford area. Produced at least one album called 'Bone Idols'.