The P.O.X. is a German psychobilly band formed in 1982. P.O.X. stands for “Psychobilly Orchestra X”.
Band history
The P.O.X. was founded 1982 in Hanover by the singer and guitarist Beaker Pox and the drummer Slin Pox. It belongs to the first wave of psychobilly bands, and is the first band of the genre in Germany. In 1983 the guitarist and songwriter Carl Pox completed the final band formation, and in 1984 the band struck a record deal with Wahnsinn Records, releasing the mini LP It's So Dark. International concerts followed, and their next album Voodoo Power was released on the Dutch label KIX4U. In November 1986, the group disbanded after a European tour. In the following years, the P.O.X. still played at various international psychobilly festivals with the line up Beaker Pox, Carl Pox and Jake Pox, but in 1991 the band finally stopped playing live. In 2008, Beaker and Carl Pox revived the band to celebrate a comeback at the Psychomania Rumble Festival in Potsdam. After P.O.X., Nils Enghusen became a member of Celebrate the Nun. He also leads the music school "Fit in Music" in Garbsen.
Influences
The P.O.X. mostly played without the usual double bass and replaced the upright bass through electric bass or omitted the bass completely. With the introduction of a strongly distorted rhythm guitar, the P.O.X. brought in a further style element which was still uncommon in psychobilly in 1984. In connection with likewise atypically distorted singing resulted in the characteristic P.O.X. sound, which distinguished itself clearly from the traditional psychobilly sound of a slap bass dominated band. Starting from 1985, the P.O.X. used also MIDI and samples, which again represented an innovation in the scene. The P.O.X. produced the intro track for the Voodoo Power demo and studio production together with producer Yak Bondy. P.O.X's arrangements differ from the predominant blues pattern of early psychobilly; the song “It's So Dark” is composed and arranged more in the style of new wave or early gothic rock in the style of Bauhaus, rather than being classical "old school" psychobilly. While modern psychobilly shows playful aspects in the song lyrics and stage shows, P.O.X. consider psychobilly to be a style of expression for the dark sides of human nature. The shows include visual elements of music and text using morbid references of animal blood or skeletons, as well as transvestite elements echoing The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The P.O.X. were considered influential in introducing psychobilly to other music genres.
Concerts
1985 1. International Psychobilly Festival in Hamburg, Fabrik, 19.01.1985. Bands playing : Frenzy, Voodoo Dolls.
1985 2. Internationally festival of Psychobillies in Rotterdam, Arena, 02.10.1985. Bands playing : Archie, Batmobile, Rochee And The Sarnos, Les Wampas.
1990 international Psychobilly festival in Hamburg, Markthalle, 09.06.1990. Bands playing : The Polecats, Deltas.
