{{Redirect|Christian Hayes|the chef|Christian Hayes (chef)}} {{Short description|English rock guitarist (born 1964)}} {{EngvarB|date=October 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Bic Hayes | image = Cardiacs Electric Brixton 20260311 190427988.RAW-01.COVER (Bic Hayes crop).jpg | caption = Hayes in 2026 | image_size = | birth_name = Christian David Hayes | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1964|6|10}} | birth_place = Westminster, London, England | death_date = | origin = | genre = {{flatlist| *Alternative rock *indie rock *psychedelic rock }} | occupations = {{flatlist| *Musician *singer *songwriter }} | instruments = {{flatlist| *Guitar *vocals }} | years_active = 1983–present | current_member_of = {{hlist|Panixphere|Mikrokosmos|ZOFFF|MUMMY}} | past_member_of = {{hlist|Ring|The Dave Howard Singers|Cardiacs|Levitation|Mice|Dark Star}} | partner = Jo Spratley<ref name="Gittins"/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Evans |first=Matt |date=3 August 2011 |title=On A Knife Edge: An Interview With Kavus Torabi {{!}} The Quietus |url=https://thequietus.com/interviews/kavus-torabi-interview-knifeworld-cardiacs-the-monsoon-bassoon/ |access-date=9 November 2024 |website=The Quietus}}</ref> }}

'''Christian David''' "'''Bic'''" '''Hayes'''{{efn|Written "Heyes" in a 2020 ''Louder Than War'' article<ref name="Banjo">{{Cite web |author=Banjo . |date=17 August 2020 |title=Levitations' Meanwhile Gardens: The great lost album of the 90s |url=https://louderthanwar.com/levitations-meanwhile-gardens-the-great-lost-album-of-the-90s/ |access-date=19 August 2024 |website=Louder Than War}}</ref>}} (born 10 June 1964) is an English rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. Best known as the frontman of Dark Star and guitarist with Levitation. Hayes joined Cardiacs as the band's second guitarist from 1989 to 1991. The concert film ''All That Glitters Is a Mares Nest'' and the album ''Heaven Born and Ever Bright'' were recorded before Hayes left the band and released in 1992. Hayes has released solo material as '''Mikrokosmos'''.{{Efn|Styled as ''mikrokosmos'', in italics and all lowercase}}

Hayes explained that he was nicknamed Bic because he "just stopped eating for ages and people started saying I looked like a Bic biro. I had this phase when I thought eating was boring".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fastersound.co.uk/soundofawake/totptranscript.html |title=Top of the Pops Live Webchat – FULL TRANSCRIPT |date=17 January 2009 |accessdate=23 April 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090117020437/http://fastersound.co.uk/soundofawake/totptranscript.html |archivedate=17 January 2009 }}</ref>

==Career== Christian David Hayes<ref>{{cite web |title=Songwriter/Composer: HAYES CHRISTIAN DAVID |url=http://repertoire.bmi.com/writer.asp?page=1&blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&fromrow=1&torow=25&affiliation=PRS&cae=176853530&keyID=1247071&keyname=HAYES+CHRISTIAN+DAVID&querytype=WriterID |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130920190038/http://repertoire.bmi.com/writer.asp?page=1&blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&fromrow=1&torow=25&affiliation=PRS&cae=176853530&keyID=1247071&keyname=HAYES+CHRISTIAN+DAVID&querytype=WriterID |archive-date=20 September 2013 |accessdate=28 April 2016 |website=Repertoire.bmi.com}}</ref> was born on 10 June 1964 in London.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 March 1999 |title=The Cardiacs - FAQ |url=http://www.cardiacs.com/cardiacs-faq.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020803113819/http://www.cardiacs.com/cardiacs-faq.html |archive-date=3 August 2002 |access-date=18 November 2022 |website= |publisher=Cardiacs}}</ref> Hayes' first band, the live thrash band Panixphere (also written as ''Panixsphere''), formed in 1983.<ref name="OndaRock">{{Cite web |last=Sgrignoli |first=Marco |date=20 July 2022 |title=Cardiacs - biografia, recensioni, streaming, discografia, foto |url=https://www.ondarock.it/rockedintorni/cardiacs.htm |access-date=18 November 2022 |website=Ondarock |language=it}}</ref><ref name="Banjo"/>

By 1988, Hayes was playing guitar with psychedelic rock band Ring, moving on to become bass player with The Dave Howard Singers in 1989. In the same year he joined Cardiacs as second guitarist, replacing departing saxophonist Sarah Smith. Hayes appeared as part of the band on their 1992 concert film ''All That Glitters Is a Mares Nest'' (in which Tim Smith refers to him as a woman).<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 July 2011 |title=Cardiacs Official Website » Live Reviews - London Astoria 2002 |url=http://www.cardiacs.com/reviews/london-astoria-2002/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722084841/http://www.cardiacs.com/reviews/london-astoria-2002/ |archive-date=22 July 2011 |accessdate=20 February 2020}}</ref> ''Heaven Born and Ever Bright'', recorded before Hayes left the band, was released in 1992.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Simpson |first=Paul |title=Cardiacs Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/cardiacs-mn0000531346 |access-date=8 April 2026 |publisher=AllMusic}}</ref>

Hayes had come to know former House of Love guitarist Terry Bickers through musical friends in South London. During 1990, Bickers invited Hayes to join himself and drummer David Francolini in a new project which evolved into indie-psychedelic rock band Levitation (and into which Hayes recruited his former Ring bandmate, Robert White). Initially Hayes divided his time between Cardiacs and Levitation, but as the latter rapidly gained more and more attention from British audiences and the British music press, he found it difficult to accommodate both bands. He left Cardiacs (somewhat reluctantly) in May 1991, admitting "they were the band I left for Levitation. I loved Cardiacs and thought they were the best band in Britain at the time. That's how much I believed in Levitation. The chemistry was explosive".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thequietus.com/articles/08836-levitation-an-oral-history |title=Features &#124; Whirled Around: An Oral History Of Levitation |date=23 May 2012 |publisher=The Quietus |accessdate=23 April 2016}}</ref> Hayes subsequently reformed Panixphere with Francolini and Cardiacs members Tim Smith and Jon Poole.<ref name="OndaRock" />

Following the demise of Levitation in 1993, Hayes worked with Heather Nova and then with former All About Eve frontwoman Julianne Regan in a band called Mice.<ref>{{cite news|author=Fiona Sturges |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/pop-the-general-theory-of-relativity-1086027.html |title=Pop: The general theory of relativity &#124; Culture |work=The Independent |accessdate=23 April 2016}}</ref> In 1996, he reunited with former Levitation bandmates David Francolini and Laurence O'Keefe to form Dark Star. Having released their debut album ''Twenty Twenty Sound'' in 1999, the band recorded a second album but it was not released as a result of personnel changes at their record company. An unmastered seven track version of the album, omitting the tracks "Roman Road" and "Valentine", was leaked within a couple of years of the split. Titled ''Zurich'', it is unconfirmed whether this was an official title. The album remains unreleased, though Hayes has stated his hope to release the second album soon.

On the C86 Show Hayes discussed the circumstances around the demise of Dark Star, with a fully recorded second album (originally titled ''Zurich'', then ''…out flew reason'') archived following a change of A&R personnel at their label.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Eastaugh |first=David |date=2022-01-19 |title=Christian or Bic Hayes Special|url=https://open.spotify.com/episode/4WkKqImmiPfgGrUQAnswLg |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=C86 Show|language=en-GB}}</ref> Following the disbanding of Dark Star in 2001, Hayes toured with the Pet Shop Boys and worked as a guitar tech/tour/production manager for the likes of My Bloody Valentine, Kula Shaker and David Cassidy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lsionline.co.uk/lsi/features/crewcuts/crewcut.asp?ID=J15TFM |title=L&Si Online – Lighting&Sound International |date=18 July 2007 |accessdate=23 April 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070718123255/http://www.lsionline.co.uk/lsi/features/crewcuts/crewcut.asp?ID=J15TFM |archivedate=18 July 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fastersound.co.uk/soundofawake/news.html |title=Dark Star News |date=7 February 2006 |accessdate=23 April 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060207135813/http://www.fastersound.co.uk/soundofawake/news.html |archivedate=7 February 2006 }}</ref> In 2007, Hayes began releasing archive releases of previously unreleased solo material (recording during and shortly after his time with Levitation) under the name of Mikrokosmos via Ingatia Recordings. A trio of releases -''In The Heart of the Home'', ''The Seven Stars'' and ''Terra Familiar'' - have been issued.<ref>{{cite web |author=Ignatia Recordings |url=http://www.ignatiarecordings.com/ |title=Ignatia Recordings |publisher=Ignatia Recordings |accessdate=23 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160319064920/http://ignatiarecordings.com/ |archive-date=19 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2011, Hayes organised and compiled the tribute record ''Leader of the Starry Skies'' in aid of Cardiacs frontman Tim Smith (who had suffered two strokes in 2008 which left him paralysed down one side of his body and unable to speak).<ref name="Gittins">{{cite web|last=Gittins |first=Ian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/feb/03/cardiacs-tim-smith-stroke-tribute-album |title=Cardiacs tribute album to raise money for paralysed singer Tim Smith |work=The Guardian |date=3 February 2011 |accessdate=23 April 2016}}</ref> He also toured with a stage version of Macbeth in 2011 and 2012, produced by Platform 4 and described as "a taut psychodrama that crackles with a wild electricity, brought alive by the sonic experiments of composer and guitarist Bic Hayes and sound designer Jules Bushel".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.platform4.org/macbeth.htm |title=Platform 4 |publisher=Platform 4 |accessdate=23 April 2016 |archive-date=24 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624191535/http://www.platform4.org/macbeth.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> alt=Christian_Hayes|thumb|upright|Hayes with Cardiacs Family in 2024 More recently Hayes has been involved in the Brighton-based improvisational instrumental psychedelic band ZOFFF (previously known as Light Specific Data or LSD-25)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://zofff.bandcamp.com/releases |title=ZOFFF 1 &#124; ZOFFF |publisher=Zofff.bandcamp.com |accessdate=23 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brightonnoise.co.uk/listing/?p=49192 |title=Light Specific Data – 29 March 2013 @ Hotel Pelirocco |publisher=Brighton Noise |date=29 March 2013 |accessdate=23 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426193131/http://www.brightonnoise.co.uk/listing/?p=49192 |archive-date=26 April 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.therealmusicclub.com/2013shows.php |title=The Real Music Club Brighton |publisher=Therealmusicclub.com |accessdate=23 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180227074311/http://www.therealmusicclub.com/2013shows.php |archive-date=27 February 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and with MUMMY (a duo with his partner, the singer Jo Spratley). Panixphere reformed as a trio in 2019 featuring Hayes, Poole and Cardiacs drummer Bob Leith,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lifesigns - Jon Poole |url=https://lifesignsmusic.co.uk/jon-poole |access-date=18 November 2022 |publisher=Lifesigns}}</ref> releasing a live split single with Spratleys Japs via Hayes' label The Confinement Tapes in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |date=3 July 2020 |others=The Confinement Tapes |title=Confinement/release6 {{!}} Spratleys Japs/ Panixphere |url=https://theconfinementtapes.bandcamp.com/album/confinement-release6 |access-date=18 November 2022 |publisher=Bandcamp |archive-date=8 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108192202/https://theconfinementtapes.bandcamp.com/album/confinement-release6 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2024, Bic Hayes provided vocals and guitar for Cardiacs Family, featuring former members of Cardiacs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Turner |first=Luke |date=2024-05-30 |title=Four Gigs for Cardiacs' Tim Smith Announced |url=https://thequietus.com/news/cardiacs-friends-family-announce-further-sing-to-tim-events/ |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=The Quietus |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Discography== {{See also|Levitation discography|Dark Star (band)#Discography}}{{Incomplete list|date=June 2024}}

=== With Cardiacs ===

* "Day Is Gone" single (1991) * ''Heaven Born and Ever Bright'' (1992) * ''All That Glitters is a Mares Nest'' (1992)

'''As Mikrokosmos''' * ''In the Heart of the Home'' (2007) * ''The Seven Stars'' (2008) * ''Terra Familiar'' (2014)

=== Other credits === {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:left;" !Title !Year !Artist !Notes |- ! scope="row" |"Wheres Herne Bay?" |1994 |Pinhead Nation |Producer |- ! scope="row" |"Shock Giro" |1995 |Pinhead Nation |Producer |- ! scope="row" |''Disco 3'' |2003 |Pet Shop Boys |Guitars on "If Looks Could Kill" (with Mark Refoy) |- ! scope="row" |''Market Harbour'' |2008 |Ginger |Backing vocals (with Ginger, Denzel, Jase Edwards, Tim Smith, Chris Catalyst, Scott Sorry, CJ, Dick Decent, Lee Small, Joanne Spratley, Tracie Hunter and Phoebe White) |- ! scope="row" |''Leader of the Starry Skies: A Tribute to Tim Smith, Songbook 1'' |2010 |Various artists |Producer (with Jo Spratley) |- ! scope="row" |''Luck Had Nothing to Do with It'' |2012 |Pinhead Nation | Production, mixing, editing, backing vocals, keyboards (tracks 9 and 11) and hand claps |- ! scope="row" |''Release: Further Listening 2001–2004'' |2017 |Pet Shop Boys |Guitars on "A Powerful Friend", "If Looks Could Kill (John Peel version)" and "If Looks Could Kill" (with Mark Refoy) |- ! scope="row" |"Her" / "Hands" |2018 |Spratleys Japs |Mixing, sneaky additional guitar |- ! scope="row" |''Happy Endings'' |2018 |Crayola Lectern |Electric guitar on "Lingeron", "Lux", "(No More) Happy Endings", and "Finale" |- ! scope="row" |''Disastermoon'' |2025 |Crayola Lectern |Electric guitar solos on "Disastermoon" and "Coscoroba", additional mixing on "Disastermoon" with Damo Waters |- ! scope="row" |''Pyromancy'' |2026 |Furii |Backing vocals on "Wizle" (with Jesse Cutts, Adrien Rodes and Marie Rendina) |}

== Notes == {{Notelist}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [https://mikrokosmos.bandcamp.com Mikrokosmos Bandcamp] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070718123255/http://www.lsionline.co.uk/lsi/features/crewcuts/crewcut.asp?ID=J15TFM Crew Cuts Interview with Bic Hayes]

{{Cardiacs}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hayes, Christian}} Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:English rock guitarists Category:English male guitarists Category:English male singers Category:English male songwriters Category:Cardiacs members Category:Dark Star (band) members Category:Dragons (band) members