Formed Leicester, England, 1986; disbanded early 90's.

From great beginnings, when they provided a world of hip-hop beats married to psychedelic guitars and rockist lyrics, Gaye Bykers On Acid lapsed into chaos, uncertain which trend to pursue. Still, theirs was a four-year career of wit and craziness worth a place in any contemporary rock book.

The band was fronted by flamboyant vocalist Mary Mary (aka Ian Garfield Hoxley), aided and abetted by Robber (Ian Reynolds; bass), Tony (Anthony Horsfall; guitar), Kevin Hyde (drums) and DJ Rocket Ronnie. Like Crazyhead and Pop Will Eat Itself, they became key players in the so-called 'grebo' scene, which mixed traditional rock structures with psychedelia and dance. The Bykers pioneered the 'crusty' style favoured by many British alternative bands in the early 90s, and fraternized with members of similar subcultures, such as The Mutoid Waste Organisation, who built a special vehicle for them out of recovered scrap metal. There were also their alter egos to contend with, namely the Lesbian Dopeheads On Mopeds (allegedly from New Zealand), and Rektum, the 'Eastern European Thrash Metal Band'.

The Bykers received music press support for a few months after the release of the EP Nosedive Karma (1987), the main selling point of which was its driving hip-hop beat, then unheard of in the world of indie rock. As a result of the publicity they were signed to Virgin, at a time when the major labels could do no right in the eyes of the indie community.

Their first LP, Drill Your Own Hole (1987) - a vinyl release which encouraged you to do just that - was eagerly awaited, but proved to be a letdown. The basic sound of the EP proved incapable of sustaining itself throughout the course of an album, although a few tracks stood out. It was also clear that the Bykers were unhappy in the role of a major label band, and soon they returned to making records on their 'own' independent label, PFX. PFX also became an alternative moniker for the band, releasing dubby, dancey records such as Space and Pernicious Nonsense.

This direction had been indicated by the style of their later releases as Gaye Bykers On Acid, which sampled dub bands like Tackhead, and featured extended dance remixes. Singer Mary Mary also did a stint as vocalist in Pigface, and concentrated more on dance music, until he eventually became a club DJ. Subsequent releases were increasingly desperate until the Bykers eventually disintegrated, and the various members assimilated into the clubland culture they had once skirted.