Frank Tovey
Directing
Biography
Francis John Tovey (8 September 1956 – 3 April 2002), known also by his stage name Fad Gadget, was a British avant-garde electronic musician and vocalist. He was a proponent of both new wave and early industrial music, fusing pop-structured songs with mechanised experimentation. As Fad Gadget, his music was characterised by the use of synthesizers in conjunction with sounds of found objects, including drills and electric razors. His bleak, sarcastic and darkly humorous lyrics were filled with biting social commentary toward subjects such as machinery, industrialisation, consumerism, human sexuality, mass media, religion, domestic violence and dehumanization, often sung in a deadpan voice.
Known For
Riverside was a TV series broadcast on BBC2 in the United Kingdom featuring musicians, bands, actors, fashion designers, artists and comedians. It consisted of sketches, interviews and live performances. Guests included Alice Cooper, Steve Strange, Martin Rushent, Alan Adler, Clare Grogan, Paul Weller, Martin Fry, The Cure, The Smiths, New Order and Pauline Black.
Riverside
Documentary covering Tovey's life and career up to his untimely death in 2002. It includes rare and unreleased tracks and live footage of legendary performances, as well as classic songs recorded both under his own name and his alter ego, Fad Gadget. Put together by Frank's family in conjunction with Mute, utilising the Mute and family archives, this collection features the very first Fad Gadget demos and footage of the reborn Fad Gadget supporting Depeche Mode in 2001.