Fools Dance

ByLets Go Punk
Fools Dance was a short-lived English rock band linked to The Cure

Fools Dance was an English rock band active between 1983 and 1987. They earned recognition for their ties to The Cure, as bassist Simon Gallup and road crew member Gary Biddles both played major roles in the group’s formation. Though their time was short, Fools Dance managed to carve out a loyal following in Europe with their brooding sound and limited but memorable releases.

How The Band Got Started

The story of Fools Dance began in 1982, when Simon Gallup left The Cure following tensions during the Pornography tour. Gary Biddles, who had worked as part of The Cure’s crew and occasionally sang onstage, followed Gallup out of the band. The two soon started working together on a new project. Their first attempt came under the name The Cry, featuring singer Ian Fuller, guitarist Stuart Curran (formerly of The Magazine Spies), drummer Paul Thompson (ex-Roxy Music), and keyboardist Matthieu Hartley (another former Cure member). The Cry performed only once in April 1983 before most members quit, leaving Gallup and Curran to rebuild.

Career Highlights

Gallup and Curran reassembled the group later that year under a new name, Fools Dance. Gary Biddles stepped in as the lead vocalist, joined by saxophonist Ron Howe and drummer Pete Gardner. Although the band found little traction in the UK, they became surprisingly popular in Belgium and the Netherlands, where their dark, melodic rock connected with European audiences. The group even shared a bill with The Cult during one of their tours.

An EP was recorded in 1983 but didn’t see release until 1985, arriving through Universal Productions. It was reissued several times by different labels in subsequent years, each version slightly tweaking the tracklist. During this period, Biddles helped mend fences between Gallup and Robert Smith, leading to Gallup’s return to The Cure in late 1984. Without their bassist, Fools Dance dissolved, though Biddles held onto the name.

In 1987, Biddles brought Fools Dance back with a new lineup that included Jean-Jacques Burnel of The Stranglers on bass, Paul Thompson returning on drums, and Campbell McKellar on guitar. This version of the band released one final single, “They’ll Never Know,” before calling it quits once more. Ron Howe, meanwhile, made a guest appearance on The Cure’s The Head on the Door in 1985, linking the two bands once again. Sadly, Gary Biddles passed away in 2013, but his work continues to echo in The Cure’s extended musical family.

Band Members

  • Gary Biddles – vocals
  • Stuart Curran – guitar
  • Simon Gallup – bass
  • Pete Gardner – drums
  • Ron Howe – saxophone
  • Jean-Jacques Burnel – bass
  • Campbell McKellar – guitar
  • Paul Thompson – drums

Earlier Lineup: The Cry

  • Stuart Curran – guitar
  • Simon Gallup – bass
  • Paul Thompson – drums
  • Matthieu Hartley – keyboards
  • Ian Fuller – vocals

Discography

  • Fools Dance (EP, 1985) – first released by Universal Productions, later re-released by Top Hole Records, Contorsion, and Lambs to the Slaughter Records.
  • “They’ll Never Know” (single, 1987) – released by Lambs to the Slaughter Records.

Aftermath

Though Fools Dance never found mainstream success, their legacy lives on through their connection to The Cure and the musicians who came and went through their lineup. Their brief run captured the sound of post-punk’s more shadowed corners, carried by artists who never stopped experimenting, even when the spotlight had moved elsewhere.

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