LUSH Unveils New Line-Up :: Meet Phil

Twenty years ago . . .

LUSH unveils the new line-up!

The word is out. See the first bloke to your left in the snap above? Introducing Phil King, formerly of Felt and CC Rider. He is the new member of LUSH, taking over the recently vacated bass position left by founding member, Steve Rippon.

How many bassists did the band audition to replace Rippon? One-- Phil King an editorial assistant at NME music magazine and former bassist for the bands Felt and C.C. Rider. Why did Lush hire him? Because some friends told them King was a really good guy, and a pretty good musician. There's nothing like sound judgment, and this is nothing like it.

"Well, we didn't want to go through the grief of auditioning loads of people. Auditions are such crap. They're just so embarrassing. We've had bad experiences with them in the past," says Berenyi."

We'd like to extend our own heart felt well-wishes to Phil on the twentieth anniversary of his inauguration. Yes indeed, Phil, you have proven yourself a really good guy, and a pretty good musician!

Can I have a bass intro please? And now . . . Meet Phil

'For The People' Reunion Tour! (or, 'It's a happy little dream, BUT...')

May you and your's experience the best in this Merry New Year! I want to thank each and every one of you for stopping by to have a look at the blog, and especially to those who have lent their support. I'm looking forward to celebrating some pretty big anniversaries that are coming up this year. Twenty years ago things were happening with Lush, BIG things, especially over here in the States... it should be fun!

And as my little bonus for the brand new year I'd like to unveil my latest poster creation, and possibly start some totally unsubstantiated rumours without basis in any fact whatsoever! "Why?" may you ask would I want to stir up the unmentionable r-word here? "Why?" when all former members of the band have repeatedly repeated that the chances of a reunion are about as likely as Avril Lavigne 'fessing up to her borrowing from the Lush cover of the Rubinoos song "I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend". "Why?" Because, this coming summer is the 20th anniversary of Lush's Lollapalooza tour, that's why! What better time is there for any Lush fan to daydream about a reunion tour??

Any big backers with the financial resources out there to make this dream a reality? Now's your big chance! :)

OLO, London :: December 19, 1991

Twenty years ago today . . .

Founding bassist Steve Rippon plays his final show with LUSH. The band performs for the last time in 1991 at London's ULU along with Ride.


So this is the year of 1991. Lush has put on 55 shows on three tours, playing all across London, Europe, and overseas to the U.S. and Japan. They've been back to the recording studio and have given us the Black Spring (Nothing Natural in the US) EP plus an LP of new material (their first full studio album) is well on the way. And with Steve bidding a fond farewell departure, there's changes a-foot with a new bass guitarist soon to be surfacing in the band.

And thus for a moment we can dot the last period at the end of this busy, hectic, crazy year for the band called Lush. The following New Year of 1992 promises to carry-over some of that and quite a bit more...

Three Shots as a Threesome

Three press kit promotional shots of a temporary threesome Lush, between bassists of course. The bottom photo is credited to Jurgen Osterhild, and all were commissioned by the band's label, 4AD. Though undated, it seems reasonable to guess that they were taken around this time when the band were preparing for the new LP release.

Slightly moody, vaguely shadowed, very contrasted, and definitely Lush.

Tie your shoestring Chris!

Dislike! - publicity shots where some of the members are pushed to the background and put out-of-focus.

Making Music/The Scenic Route to Success :: November 1991

Lush are the cover story on the November 1991 issue of Making Music, "The Scenic Route to Success" by Jon Lewin. The subhead teaser reads:

"[Lush have] been the big noise in the press for about a year now, though their particular bubbles beginning to show signs of deflating."

There goes another faction of the music press, building-up then writing off the band once again.

"They're widely acclaimed as both precursors to and leading lights of The Scene That Celebrates Itself, though their particular combination of intricate vocal harmonies, angry guitars, mobile bass, and adaptable time signatures transcends such a limiting categorisation."

The four Lushes settling down to eat their lunchtime bagels in their Camberwell rehearsal room while preparing for their early October London mini-tour.

Following are some very abbreviated excerpts from the Making Music story concerning the writing and recording for the upcoming LP.

The band currently (early October) are promoting their new Black Spring EP with a mini-tour of London and working on a forthcoming LP, which they've been recording and mixing this Autumn for release in the New year... all that's left now is for producer Robin Guthrie to come back from holiday to finish the mixing.

Although occasional parts may be added in the studio, Lush never write as a foursome, or simply work out new material by jamming. "We can't," says Miki.
"Because were such crap musicians," laughs Emma.

While working with Robin Guthrie on the new LP, Chris wasn't allowed to touch his new Yamaha drum kit. "I hated it, but I'm really pleased with the end results." says Chris. Instead of his own, Chris basically played on a Simmons kit wired up to change the fills, then re-done on Octopads. He says it divides his play into five different processes which for him doesn't seem natural, but the end result sounds like a really good drum kit.

With the new LP, Lush's repetoire is up to 21 songs, 17 of which are played for live shows. Admits Chris "That's the weird thing now, we've got so many songs." Chris also lays claim to be the boss on stage, since he controls the tempos of the songs... and he's prone to speeding up those tempos. "And there's us lot giving him dirty looks, telling him to slow down." Miki says.
"That's because," adds Emma, "we can't bloody play the songs any faster..."

"Up The Junction" :: November 3, 1991

Twenty very short years ago...

On Sunday the 3rd, at 7:30pm Up The Junction TV filmed LUSH performing at the Junction on Clifton Road in Cambridge, England to be broadcast in February the next year. Recording the same night as the band were Banderas, Bassomatic and Yes No People and hosted by Rowland Rivron. Tickets to get in are only £1!

Video of Lush performing "For Love" and "Sweetness and Light" recently put up on YouTube:

These video captures are taken from the show (look for more come next February). And since one is not enough, here is another, older YouTube video from the same Up The Junction programme.

Happy Lushoween!

Lush was reborn in October 1988, with Miki taking the vacated lead vocal spot. And according to at least one source, Lush was originally formed on Halloween night of 1988, in London, England (*please see note below!). For today I'm referencing this alternate view to give full play to the whole Lush 'mythology' and for adding a bit fun for the holiday occasion ;)

Later on the band would eventually play a gig on an October 31st date. In 1990 they performed at Birmingham's Institute of Art and Design. Never again would Lush do another Halloween gig after this performance - coincidence? We may never know!

On several occasions the band members dressed up in costume (even at one time raiding a Hollywood costume shop in 1991)... which just so happens to be a very popular custom typically observed only for Halloween!

In 1992 Lush's first full length "proper" album was titled "Spooky".... though the whole wasn't entirely spooky in nature!

While staying in Normandy for the mixing of the album Split in 1994, some band members reported strange goings-on while holed-up at their secluded - and haunted - chateau. Chris felt his bed abruptly moved back one night. Phil too had a strange experience here. "[I dreamt that] I was in a red cathedral, and there was this red room in this huge church..." It wasn't until after relating the dream to their producer that Phil learned that "there used to be a church on the grounds where the chateau was, and one day there was a massacre in a big red room there." The band's mysterious connection to the nether realms deepens!

So what more is there to add but Lush's own music itself, last but not least. Hauntingly beautiful, for the Halloween holiday I offer you:

Lush's Most Haunted Mix!

• I Have the Moon - Amazon Preview
  
• When I Die - Amazon Preview
  
• Invisible Man - Amazon Preview
  
• Ocean - Amazon Preview
• Undertow [Spooky remix] - Amazon Preview (Spooky remix version n/a)
  

MP3 versions of these tracks may be purchased for download at Lush - Amazon.com


* There is no record of a Halloween gig in '88 on Miki's own exhaustive show listing, though she admits she may have missed one or few. It's near certain that the band had their very first gig in March 1988, having just filled the bass spot with Steve in the nick of time. Chris was on drums, Emma and Miki both backing vocals/guitar and Merial Barham on lead vocals. Personally I think a bit of confusion is responsible for the Halloween '88 date, even an '87 date when the very beginnings of the band were forming in the Fall of that year would make more sense. Also see one of my older post, Lush v.2.0.

Portsmouth, UK :: October 29, 1991

Twenty very short years ago...


The 29th of October. The Pyramids Centre. 100's of screaming kids. LUSH is there to play. With the opening acts of Passing Clouds and Gallon Drunk.

# # #

And what was one gig-goer's overall impressions of this show? Have a read:
1988-1993: School Days Revisited Part 2 @ I Found This Voice In My Record Collection

To be fair, the writer is a follower of Gallon Drunk and not so much a part of the shoegaze scene. But I did have a laff at the observation he made concerning the growing LUSH phenomenon:

"Around this time, it's not unusual to see members of Obituary or Napalm Death wearing Lush shirts, and I genuinely think this is less an attempt to show how musically open-minded they are and more a way of publicly declaring their love for Ms Berenyi."

That's rock and roll for you.

# # #

And so the Black Spring tour begins to wrap up and draw to a close. One more show to put on to be broadcast on the telly. Then the pedals are packed, the drum kit stowed and the guitars put in their cases. The "live" band has matured. The fans and critics are taking notice. The outlook is looking upbeat. Yet things are changing. Founding bassist Steve will be leaving and a replacement must be found, soon. There's a full album to complete and a world tour coming in the new year.

Wolverhampton, UK :: October 28, 1991

Twenty short years ago...

Tonight's LUSH show is happening at Fox's in Wolverhampton. And Gallon Drunk is the opening act.

Lush has just a few more live gigs left on the Black Spring tour. Then its a brief break before facing the heavy schedule ahead to promote a new full-length album. Stay tuned!

Bristol, UK :: October 27, 1991

Twenty short years ago...

It's Sunday, the 27th of the month. For the price of a £6.00 ticket you could attend tonight's LUSH gig at Bierkeller in Bristol. Doors open at 8:00pm so no excuse for being late. The opening act is none other than Gallon Drunk.

Light From A Dead Star has shared a small advert for this show - have a look:
Bierkeller Addy

NME "Tubular Belles" :: October 26, 1991

The noteworthy musical mag NME devotes yet another article (Oct. 26, '91) to the very lurvely LUSH for the second time in as many weeks. This time its an in-depth, behind-the-scenes, one-on-four think-piece searching for what makes the band tick, titled "Tubular Belles."

And it goes something like this:

NME: ". . .Why do you like yourselves?"(as in Lush's music)
Chris : ". . .Personally I like it because I'm involved in it but if I wasn't in Lush I wonder if I'd be into it!"
NME: "If you weren't in Lush, would you play your records to do the washing up to?"
Chris: "Uh. . ."
Emma: "Yeah!"
Chris: "Well you get up in the morning and you play records that lift you up and on an evening you play something that is. . . moody. . ."
Emma: "SHAT AP, CHRIS! JUST SHAT AP!"
Chris: "Well, you do. . ."

Cambridge, UK :: October 26, 1991

Twenty short years ago...

LUSH performs at the Junction in Cambridge. The opening act is Gallon Drunk.

Colchester, UK :: October 25, 1991

Twenty short years ago...

It's October 25th and Colchester is the place to see LUSH perform live - at Essex University to be more precise. Gallon Drunk is the opening act.

Sheffield, UK :: October 24, 1991

Twenty short years ago...

The Black Spring tour relentlessly hammers on without let up! Throngs of the devoted rush to see Miki, Emma, Chris and Steve performing live at venues all across the United Kingdom. And now it's the town of Sheffield's turn.

Tonight LUSH plays Sheffield University. The opening act is Gallon Drunk.

Incidentally, you may or not be wondering who exactly are the London primal-swamp-rock-retro band Gallon Drunk anyways? To answer that very question, I give you this link to their official website: Gallon Drunk - Biography