What is "auto da fe"

n. 1 The public announcement of the sentences imposed by the Inquisition on supposed heretics. 2 The public execution of those sentences, often by burning at the stake.

n. (alternative spelling of auto da fe English)

Auto Da Fé were an Irish new wave musical group formed in the Netherlands in 1980 (but mainly active in Ireland) by former Steeleye Span singer Gay Woods and Trevor Knight. The band's sound incorporated keyboards and electronics. Woods stated "It was the happiest musical time I ever had so far. I learned so much. I was ridding myself of a lot of things that stifled me. It was so liberating for me to stand up and not be a "folky" anymore. It was the easiest thing in the world because I had yearned for so long to do that music. I still love the songs I wrote at the time".

The band released a string of singles between 1982 and 1985, including "November November", "Bad Experience", and "Man of Mine" (the latter featuring Midge Ure on guitar), and one studio album, Tatitum (based around " Jacques Tati and the art of humming"). They also released a compilation of singles tracks, and had a CD of live performances recorded by the BBC in 1983 for their In Concert programme, Songs For Echo, released in 2001, the second performance featuring Phil Lynott on bass and backing vocals. Lynott also produced some of Auto Da Fé's early recordings.

The band split up in 1986. Woods later rejoined Steeleye Span. Knight went on to work as a theatre sound designer.