P.O.X.

P.O.X.

P.O.X., also known as Psychobilly Orchestra X, is a German psychobilly group from Hanover. It forms in 1982, with singer and guitarist Beaker Pox and drummer Slin Pox at the core of the original line-up. In 1983, guitarist and songwriter Carl Pox joins and completes the band’s early formation. P.O.X. is one of the first wave of psychobilly acts and is described as the first German psychobilly band.

Early releases and style

The band signs to Wahnsinn Records in Hamburg in 1984 and releases It's so dark, described as the first vinyl release by a German psychobilly band. It later releases Voodoo Power on the Dutch KIX4U label. P.O.X. often plays without a standard double bass, using electric bass instead or leaving bass out entirely. It also brings in a heavily distorted rhythm guitar, which is noted as an additional element at a time when that sound is still unusual in psychobilly.

Its arrangements differ from the blues-based structures common in early psychobilly. The song “It’s so dark” is given as an example of a more composed approach, with a sound compared to new wave or early gothic rock rather than classic old-school psychobilly. The band’s lyrics and presentation focus on darker themes rather than the fun-oriented style that later becomes common in the genre.

Stage presentation and reputation

P.O.X. uses theatrical visual elements in performance, including morbid props such as animal blood and genuine skeletons, as well as transvestite elements associated with The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It becomes known as a cult band that strongly polarises audiences and is credited with helping open psychobilly to influences from other genres.

Breakup, live activity and revival

The band officially dissolves in November 1986 after a European tour. After that, it still appears at major international psychobilly festivals with Beaker Pox, Carl Pox and Jake Pox, before stopping live performances in 1991. P.O.X. later returns in 2008, with Beaker and Carl Pox reviving the project as a five-piece with slap bass and electric bass, and with Beaker Pox handling vocals only.

In its revived period, the band appears at festivals including Psychomania 2 and 3, Rock’n’Roll Hell-Festival, the Oldschool Psychobilly Festival in Antwerpen, and the international psychobilly meeting in Pineda, Spain, where it co-headlines.

Later material

In 2009, P.O.X. puts pre-production tracks into circulation for free ahead of the comeback album INSANITY IS NO DISGRACE. The album follows a concept created by Beaker and Carl Pox, based on the narrow line between normality and insanity. The record is presented as a work about a serious subject rather than a monster-and-hell theme.