Past The Slip

Past The Slip formed in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1976.   Consisting of two groups of siblings (Cynthia and Marsha Martin and Robert and Pete Brady) and drummer Oliver Tyler (an only child), the band developed an original and quirky approach to pop music, melding elements of existential philosophy with Kraut rock.  The band became known for unusual covers (notably The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby,” which in 4/4 time and at triple speed was essentially unrecognizable) as well as their own idiosyncratic songs about modern life and suburban ennui.  (One of their hits, 1980’s “Wash It,” simply addressed the mundane topic of what to do with a filthy Oldsmobile.)  The band reached its heyday with the advent of MTV; the video for “Early Warning Sign” off 1981’s Liberty of Voice featured an alarming, apocalyptic theme that seemed tailor-made for the new visual medium (although some questioned whether the band was actually championing a nuclear meltdown as part of some nihilistic fantasy).  In addition to their music, the band became known for their bizarre stage attire (including, from 1981 to 1983, appearing in fighter pilot helmets to obscure and de-personalize their identities—presaging Daft Punk 20 years later).

Past The Slip continued making albums through the ‘80s, but eventually ran out of steam and disbanded in 1989.  They only appeared for one reunion gig—remarkably, at the 2002 wedding of the Martins’ mother to the Bradys’ father, who had met at a senior retirement village in Yorba Linda, California.  (Weirdly, Tyler’s father gave the bride away.)