Dead Can Dance is a band formed in Melbourne, Australia in 1981 by Brendan Perry (baritone) together with Simon Monroe and Paul Erikson later to be joined by Lisa Gerrard (contralto). They disbanded in 1998, and temporarily reunited to do a highly successful world tour in 2005 with a view to recording another studio album together. In order to concentrate on their solo careers and due to ongoing personal differences between Perry and Gerrard, the project was, however, put on hiatus. In 2011 Perry announced work on a new album, which is expected for release in 2012 and will be followed by a world tour. ...show more

Dead Can Dance is a band formed in Melbourne, Australia in 1981 by Brendan Perry (baritone) together with Simon Monroe and Paul Erikson later to be joined by Lisa Gerrard (contralto). They disbanded in 1998, and temporarily reunited to do a highly successful world tour in 2005 with a view to recording another studio album together. In order to concentrate on their solo careers and due to ongoing personal differences between Perry and Gerrard, the project was, however, put on hiatus. In 2011 Perry announced work on a new album, which is expected for release in 2012 and will be followed by a world tour.

After a somewhat muted response to their music in Australia, Dead Can Dance moved to London in 1982, where they signed up to alternative rock label 4AD, a legendary label on the alternative music scene, where it became one of the most important bands on the label alongside the Cocteau Twins. They continued to work closely together, until later in the 1990s when they started to grow apart following the breakup of their personal relationship. Gerrard returned to Australia, while Perry moved to Ireland, where he had renovated an old church at Quivvy, where he lives and works. It is speculated that the distance between the members was an influence in the band's eventual break-up, with an argument following the recording sessions for an unreleased album being the final straw, although Perry himself said that distance helped in maintaining a certain individual freedom in creativity.

The name "Dead Can Dance" is often misleading. Although this group is quite popular among the goth sub-culture with the name appearing to be inspired by the Danse macabre allegory, it should instead be interpreted as 'giving life to something that was previously inanimate' as Perry said: "The album artwork [of our self titled first album], a ritual mask from New Guinea, attempted to provide a visual reintrepretation of the meaning of the name "Dead Can Dance." The mask, though once a living part of a tree is dead; nevertheless it has, through the artistry of its maker, been imbued with a life force of its own. To understand why we chose the name, think of the transformation of inanimacy to animacy... Think of the processes concerning life from death and death into life. ...show less