#gavin friday

Disco Pigs

The photograph of Gavin Friday, Dik Evans (brother of U2’s The Edge), and John Balance taken by Simon Hollins in 1982 is part of the Museum of Youth Culture collection.

Gavin Friday of the Virgin Prunes and John Balance (Geff Rushton of Coil) were photographed together in London in 1982, during the release of If I Die, I Die.

John Balance (born geoffrey laurence burton geoffrey nigel laurence rushton later Jhonn Balance ) adopted the pseudonym John Balance (later stylized as Jhonn Balance).

Co-founded Coil in 1982 with his partner Peter “Sleazy” Christopherson, a former member of throbbing gristle and Psychic TV

This moment captures the intersection of two avant-garde figures from the post-punk and industrial scenes.

The Virgin Prunes, formed in Dublin in 1977, were known for their experimental, theatrical approach to post-punk and gothic rock. Gavin Friday (born Fionan Hanvey) was one of the founding members, alongside Guggi and Dave-iD Busaras.

Their work was deeply tied to the Lypton Village collective, which also included Bono of U2. By 1982, the band had released If I Die, I Die, a landmark album that cemented their reputation for pushing boundaries.

John Balance (born Geoffrey Rushton, later Jhonn Balance) was best known as the co-founder of Coil, but before that he was deeply involved in the industrial and post-punk underground. He was a fan of the Virgin Prunes from their earliest singles and struck up a friendship with Gavin Friday.

Balance even contributed to Virgin Prunes-related projects, including video work for their track Rhetoric in 1985. His artistic sensibilities aligned with the Prunes’ ethos of transgression and experimentation.

It documents a rare meeting of Irish post-punk and English industrial pioneers

The book Virgin Prunes The Faculties of a Broken Heart (1986) includes contributions from John Balance, Gavin Friday, and other avant-garde figures like Genesis P-Orridge and Jim Thirlwell.

Virgin Prunes’ official discography and retrospectives highlight how Gavin Friday’s departure in 1986 marked the end of the band’s most radical phase.