Passion Play

There are two bands that use the name, Passion Play.

1.) Passion Play first arrived on the scene in the summer of 1997, appearing at the Sacrosanct festival at London's LA2. With a line-up of Justin Stephens (lead vocals & guitar), Linda Lloyd (guitar & vocals) and Mike Watkins (bass), a new demo, 'Waiting In The Wings', was released. Two previous demos featuring founder member Mark Bosley on bass and sharing vocals during Passion Play's formative stages ('Act One:Scene One' in 1995 and 'Character Assassinations' in 1996)went out of print.

Slowly but surely, the band started to infiltrate the UK alternative/goth scene, with 1998 seeing appearances at the inaugural Infest event in Bradford, the Whitby Gothic Weekend and the arrival of their debut single - the Name No Names EP. Released on the band's own Perimeter label and distributed world-wide via Resurrection Records' export network, the EP helped put Passion Play on an increasingly wider stage, gaining a lot of interest in the UK and Europe.

The following year saw more shows in London and around the UK, before going back into the studio in the summer of 1999 to record their debut album, Stress Fractures. The album was launched in November '99 at the Whitby Gothic Weekend, where the band played the main event, before heading off for their first gig in Germany.

Passion Play toured the UK in the Spring of 2000 to support the release of Stress Fractures before heading back to Germany to play a prime slot at the Wave Gotik Treffen festival in Leipzig, one of Germany's premier annual festivals. After finishing the summer with shows in London and the Distopia all-day event in Bristol, the band returned to Germany again in October, supporting The Chameleons on the start of their German tour.

2001 saw Passion Play back in the studio to record their new album, taking time out at the end of April 2001 to play the Judgement Day Festival in Austria. The new album, 'Dreaming Spikes', was released in September, followed immediately with a tour of Germany in September / October.

Another new year, and January 2002 saw what was to be the last show with this line-up. With Lin and Mike leaving to start a new adventure of family life, a 'temporary' line-up was put together for the next show in April, at the Whitby Gothic Weekend. Featuring John Berry on guitar and Matthias Dopp on bass.

It was to be the last for a while - changing circumstances and a determined effort to build new foundations towards bigger things meant a lengthy absence, punctuated only by a return to Chicago in May 2004 to play the Convergence 10 festival (with Matthias unavailable, Ryan Swift filled in valiantly on bass).

The next chapter is still being written...

2.) The US Passion Play
Female freestyle trio (later duo) based out of Miami Florida formed by B.A. LaRed. Intial line-up consisted of Hilda (Jaydee), Maggie, and Julie. Just after the first release, "Baby Can't You See" on Cutting Records subsidiary, SandCastle Records, Passion Play reformed with Mirta Cruz and Alison Trance.
Contrary to popular belief, Passion Play only played shows in Southern Florida usually hooking up with Mic Mac's artists showcases. "Baby Can't You See" was only pressed in black vinyl.