The Danse Society - Fascinating Facts

They originally had a different name

The group began under the name Y? before becoming Danse Crazy. They eventually changed that name to The Danse Society because the Two Tone ska revival was becoming prominent and they did not want to be confused with bands associated with that scene. Guitarist Paul Nash later explained that the change coincided with a line-up alteration, including bassist Tim Wright joining.

Their first single was a do-it-yourself release

"Clock", released in 1980, appeared on Society Records, the band's own label. The group financed the single themselves because they realised they could not simply wait for a record company to discover them. Nash and keyboard player Lyndon Scarfe handled much of the practical work, while singer Steve Rawlings helped with promotion. Establishing their own label gave them a way to get the music out on their own terms.

They came from Barnsley rather than London's gothic scene

The Danse Society developed in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, far from the London clubs most commonly associated with the emerging gothic-rock movement. In a 1984 interview, the band joked about outsiders interpreting their music as having a mysterious "tribal" influence. Their response was characteristically down-to-earth: they came from Barnsley, and their sound had grown out of their own musical interests rather than a carefully constructed image.

The band played Futurama 2 in 1980

The Danse Society appeared at the Futurama 2 festival in Leeds on 13 September 1980. The event brought together established alternative acts and emerging groups, placing them in a wider post-punk context. It was an early opportunity to perform before an audience interested in new, experimental music rather than the mainstream chart scene.

Their own label released a six-track album before the major-label deal

The Seduction appeared in 1982 on Society Records. Rather than a conventional full-length debut, it was a six-track album featuring "Godsend", "Ambition", "Danse Move" and "In Heaven Everything Is Fine". It reached number three on the UK Independent Albums Chart, a significant achievement for a self-financed band from South Yorkshire.

"In Heaven Everything Is Fine" has a cinematic connection

The title recalls the unsettling refrain associated with David Lynch's 1977 film Eraserhead, where the phrase appears in the film's dreamlike musical sequence. The Danse Society's track fits the atmosphere of their early work: eerie, repetitive and more concerned with building a mood than following a conventional pop-song structure. It became one of the better-known pieces from The Seduction.

Their John Peel session preserved a less familiar side of the band

The Danse Society recorded sessions for BBC Radio 1, including a John Peel session associated with tracks such as "Woman's Own" and "We're So Happy". These recordings offered a different way to hear the group outside the carefully controlled environment of a studio album. Peel's support was particularly valuable to independent bands whose music sat outside the mainstream pop format.

"Somewhere" topped the independent chart

The single "Somewhere" became one of the band's most important early successes on the independent circuit. It helped establish their reputation before the release of Heaven Is Waiting on Arista. The track's atmosphere and insistent rhythm showed how they could make music that was dark and introspective while still being accessible to alternative-club audiences.

They resisted being labelled a gothic band

In contemporary interviews, members of The Danse Society pushed back against the idea that they were simply making gloomy music. They described their approach as atmospheric and rhythmic, but not necessarily dance music in the conventional sense. Rawlings also argued that whether the music felt depressing depended on the listener. Their sound could be dark, but the band did not believe darkness automatically meant pessimism.

Heaven Is Waiting was their major-label breakthrough

Released by Arista in December 1983, Heaven Is Waiting became the band's best-known album. It reached number 39 on the UK Albums Chart and brought their music to a larger audience. The album retained the atmospheric quality of their earlier work while presenting it with the resources of a major label.

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The title track first appeared on a separate EP

"Heaven Is Waiting" was issued as a single ahead of the album, with a 12-inch version and a shorter 7-inch edit. The accompanying track "Lizard Man" also appeared in different versions across the formats. The 12-inch release narrowly missed the charts, but the song went on to become one of the band's defining recordings.

Their Rolling Stones cover was an unusual choice

In 1984, The Danse Society released a version of the Rolling Stones' "2000 Light Years from Home". The original, from the Stones' 1967 album Their Satanic Majesties Request, already had a space-age, psychedelic atmosphere. The Danse Society recast it through their own darker electronic and guitar-based sound, making it a natural fit for their musical interests.

Arista brought in Stock, Aitken and Waterman

The band's 1985 single "Say It Again" was produced by the hit-making team Stock, Aitken and Waterman. It was a striking change of direction for a group known for atmospheric post-punk. Drummer Paul Gilmartin later explained that the band hoped a more commercial single would persuade Arista to support them more strongly. Some existing fans regarded the move as a sell-out, but the musicians saw it as an attempt to keep their career alive.

"Say It Again" found an audience in America

Although the single did not become the major British hit the band had hoped for, it sold well in the United States. The contrast was frustrating: the group had tried to make a record that might open doors at home, only to find that its strongest response came elsewhere. The episode highlighted the difficulty of balancing an established alternative identity with a record company's desire for a chart success.

The band briefly became The Danse Society International

Their 1986 album Looking Through was released under the name The Danse Society International. The name change reflected a period of transition in the band's career and preceded the end of the original line-up. After this release, the musicians apart from Rawlings moved on to form Johnny in the Clouds, while Rawlings pursued music separately.

Steve Rawlings continued under the name Society

After the original group split, Rawlings released the single "Saturn Girl" in 1987 under the name Society. He later continued his musical activities in the United States with Meridian Dream. His path differed from that of the other original members, who went on to other projects and eventually became involved in a separate reformation of The Danse Society.

The original members attempted a reunion in 2009

Former members Paul Nash, Paul Gilmartin and David Whitaker met again at the end of 2009 and began working on new instrumental recordings. Steve Rawlings initially agreed to take part and travelled to Britain in 2010, recording vocals for one track. The reunion did not proceed as planned after contact with him was lost, leaving the musicians to decide how to continue.

A new singer helped the band make Change of Skin

In January 2011, vocalist Maethelyiah joined the reformed group and recorded vocals for the album Change of Skin, released that July. The change was controversial for some long-time fans who associated the band strongly with Rawlings, but it gave the musicians a way to continue creating new music. The group presented the record as a new chapter rather than an attempt to reproduce the original line-up exactly.

They returned to the stage after a 25-year gap

The reformed band played its first live show in 25 years at Germany's Wave-Gotik-Treffen festival in May 2012. The festival's audience was a natural fit for their post-punk and gothic-rock history. The performance marked a return to live activity for the group, now with a different vocalist and a renewed interest in developing its sound.

Their later albums continued the story into the 2020s

The reformed Danse Society continued releasing new material, including Scarey Tales, VI, Sailing Mirrors and The Loop, released in 2024. The band's official website has continued to document its music and performances. The later work demonstrates that the name has remained active well beyond the original 1980s period, even as its personnel and musical direction have changed.

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