Brendan Perry

Early life[edit]

Perry was born in Whitechapel, London, England, UK, in 1959 to a mother from Cavan, Ireland,^[2] and a father from London.^[1] He was raised and schooled in the East End of London until his family moved to Auckland, New Zealand in 1973. Having received no formal musical education, Perry began to play the guitar at St Paul's College,^[3] the Catholic school he attended in Ponsonby. After failing to become a primary school teacher and to join the civil service, Perry worked at a series of jobs until joining the Scavengers in 1977. At first Perry played bass guitar, later taking on the duties of lead vocalist when the original singer left the band. Apart from a handful of original songs, the band covered music from the Stooges, New York Dolls, and late-1960s psychedelia. After two years, having failed to secure a recording deal or live dates, the band moved to Melbourne, Australia, in November 1978^[4] and changed its name to Marching Girls. In 1980, Perry left the Marching Girls to pursue a solo career, experimenting with tape loops, synthesis, and alternative forms of rhythm. In 1981, Perry formed Dead Can Dance with Simon Monroe and Paul Erikson (both of whom were to leave soon after they had relocated to London), and Lisa Gerrard.^[1]