Ned's Atomic Dustbin are an English rock band formed in Stourbridge in West Midlands in November 1987. The band took their name from an episode of The Goon Show. The band are unusual for using two bass players in their lineup: Alex Griffin plays melody lines high up on one bass, and Mat Cheslin plays the regular bass lines on the other. This gives the band a tense and highly driven sub-hardcore sound featuring distorted effects-laden guitar and energetic drums.
The band was formed while at sixth form college and they recorded their first album while some of the members were still teenagers. This led to a strong teenaged fanbase with a reputation for enjoying crowd surfing and moshing at their gigs. The band was also noted (and occasionally ridiculed) for their early image, which consisted of uniformly crimped hair and a predilection for sporting shorts and band or skateboard T-shirts. "The Neds" (as their fans referred to them) were well known for their own distinctive T-shirts, reportedly producing over 86 different designs within three years (1987–1990). (In 2009, Jonn Penney stated, "We're still adding designs - old habits die hard".