During their active years, Play Dead supported a number of acts, including the likes of Killing Joke, The Cult and The Sisters Of Mercy in the UK.
A string of singles were released (many through Stoke-based Clay Records) from late 1983, throughout 1984 and early 1985.
Play Dead toured frequently around the UK and Europe and by 1985, felt they had enough material to be able to put out their first ever live album, Into The Fire, which was released in May of that year.
However, against the backdrop of similar artists such as Spear Of Destiny, The Cult, The Sisters Of Mercy and Fields Of The Nephilim, whose success was evident through having higher profiles in the music press, Play Dead struggled to compete.
In 1984, Rob and Pete created the project Mankind's Audio Development (nicknamed M.A.D.).