:: Lushapalooza! :: your ethereal superblast for all things LUSH

LUSH Unveils New Line-Up :: Meet Phil

2012-01-17T12:46:00.005-06:00

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...')

2012-01-01T00:36:00.001-06:00

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

2011-12-19T13:00:00.002-06:00

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

2011-11-19T12:33:00.007-06:00

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

2011-11-04T17:46:00.006-05:00

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

2011-11-03T14:30:00.000-05:00

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!

2011-10-31T00:00:00.000-05:00

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

2011-10-29T13:00:00.000-05:00

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

2011-10-28T18:27:00.002-05:00

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

2011-10-27T20:00:00.000-05:00

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

2011-10-26T19:21:00.005-05:00

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

2011-10-26T19:00:00.000-05:00

Twenty short years ago...

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

Colchester, UK :: October 25, 1991

2011-10-25T19:00:00.000-05:00

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

2011-10-24T18:00:00.003-05:00

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

Manchester, UK :: October 23, 1991

2011-10-23T18:00:00.007-05:00

Twenty short years ago...

Its LUSH at the UMIST in Manchester. And the opening act of Gallon Drunk repeats once again tonight.

Apologies are in order here for things becoming a rather bit monotonous for the moment - there are no gig photos, raving reviews, captivating and insightful articles or little-known backstage stories to discuss. Nor are there any shocking eyewitness accounts and no witty quotes that I'm aware of. No crowd-trampled poster, no crumpled ticket stub, no small vial of Chris's sweat collected at this time to liven our nightly gig anniversary post. Not even a claim from some lucky bloke who has never again washed their forearm after submitting it for autographing by both Miki and Emma some twenty years ago. How sad...

But if somehow I could obtain one or more such details referred to above, now would be the ideal time to share them! (hinthint)

Glasgow, UK :: October 22, 1991

2011-10-22T18:00:00.003-05:00

Twenty short years ago...

Tonight LUSH plays Mayfair in Glasgow. The opening act is Gallon Drunk. And there you have it.

Queensbury, UK :: October 21, 1991

2011-10-21T18:00:00.002-05:00

Twenty short years ago...

They're back in the UK and on tour for their newly released ep Black Spring. LUSH plays Bradford University of Queensbury, with Gallon Drunk as the opening act.

For the remainder of the month its Lush live every night!

Steve - A Time to Bow Out

2011-10-19T23:06:00.010-05:00

The October 19, 1991 NME is out (twenty years ago, that is)...

And at the top of the NME cover is this chilling teaser: "LUSH SPLIT"...

Inside the yellow pages the real reality is revealed to Lush followers - LUSH bassist Steve Rippon will be leaving the band.

So the band isn't breaking up. Relief! But Steve's departure is a sad announcement during these upbeat days. Fear not followers - plans are that a replacement will be found soon while Steve continues playing on the current British tour until Christmas before departing.

Steve is one of the founding members of the band, dating back to 1987-88 (there's some conflict as to the actual date). His decision came about due to personal reasons.

The new year will be a monumental one for all band members. Besides recording their first "proper" full-length album in 1992, there is a heavier tour schedule, which will again take Lush overseas to the US, Japan and first-time stops to Australia. These were the tipping factors in Steve's decision that now was an appropriate time to bow-out.

Steve is a decent bloke, a quiet individual who, when he first signed-up, had little reason for expectations that his life could be reshaped so drastically. It is also felt the tour would put a great strain on his relationship to his girlfriend. He made the right choice at the right time for all involved.

Steve's split comes amicably among all members as being the best choice.

Be prepared Lush fans... Lush 2.0 will be repackaged as a new version sometime around the '92 New Year.

One of my favorite quotes from Steve is of his recounting of how he came to be part of the band:

"I was sitting in the college canteen one day, and they sidled up to me, really embarrassed. They said can you play bass? I said, no. They said, great, can you learn in six weeks?

"I went down to an audition at this place behind the Holloway Road,' he continues. 'They were possibly the worst group I'd ever seen in my life. It was an absolute cacophony. The songs were really simple and had titles like 'Female Hybrid', 'See-Saw' and 'He's A Bastard'. I thought, yeah, I can play bass to this."

I've always appreciated the band mates' unpolished commentary about themselves. How I miss that today.

Paris, France :: October 19, 1991

2011-10-19T18:01:00.002-05:00

Twenty short years ago...

LUSH makes it two-for-two, playing Les Inrockuptibles this time in Paris, supporting the release of their Black Spring ep. The bands Blur and Pulp return as the openers for the show.

According to Bill's site, a direct live recording (as in 'not taped from within the audience') of this performance was made.

Lille, France :: October 18, 1991

2011-10-18T19:00:00.002-05:00

Twenty short years ago...

After a brief break, LUSH launch across the English Channel to play Les Inrockuptibles at Lilles for a double-nighter in France in support of their Black Spring tour. The bands Blur and Pulp are the two opening acts.

Thanks to Bill's site, we know that video exists of this performance, as well as the night's setlist:

LUSH : 10.18.91
SETLIST

Stray
Bitter
Breeze
Laura
Etheriel
Scarlet
Nothing Natural
For Love
Covert
De-Luxe
Downer
Sweetness And Light
Baby Talk
Monochrome
Leaves Me Cold

New Cross, London :: October 12, 1991

2011-10-12T18:00:00.005-05:00

Twenty short years ago...

LUSH takes to the stage at the New Cross Venue in London, the last stop of the four-nighter London gig during their Black Spring tour. The accompanying acts are Shelleyann Orphan an Heide Berry.

And now, for a limited time only (I always wanted to say that), I'm offering my personal commemorative tour poster for the Lush Over London blitz as a free download to you, the reader. I hope you'll enjoy it as you listen to your favorite band! Incidentally the background of photo used is by Joe Dilworth of Time Out magazine, and shows Lush outside Emma's old home, Trellick Tower.

Now, back to show in New Cross...

Thanks to some reader-submitted material at Light From A Dead Star we know that a bootleg tape recording of the show was issued. We have the set list (below) and we also know that various indie heads of state (Boris Williams - drummer for The Cure, Debbie Smith - guitarist for Curve) were in the audience.

LUSH - 12.10.91
SETLIST

Stray
Bitter
Breeze
Laura
God's Gift
Scarlet
Ocean
Nothing Natural
For Love
Covert
De-Luxe
Second Sight
Downer
Baby Talk
Monochrome
Sweetness & Light

Mile End, London :: October 11, 1991

2011-10-11T18:00:00.009-05:00

Twenty short years ago...

Lush at QMC, October 11, 1991, photos by Alastair Indge of Select

LUSH plays Mile End, London at Queens Mary College, the third and eastern leg in their North-South-East-West four-nighter tour of London, part of the Black Spring tour. They are joined by bands Spirea X and Rockinbirds.

A review in Select magazine declares that "Right from the first song the harmonies were dead centre and the guitars were in your bedroom making tracks for your pillow. Hey! They can play!" in reference to how far they had improved and tightened up as a live band.

On the new "exciting" songs (just released on the Black Spring ep and their up-coming first full-length album) the reviewer adds "...the excellence of those songs proves that The Year of Living Drunkenly was not entirely wasted." No explanation needed for that reference ;)

According to Neil of Neil's Lush Video Page, a video recording was made of the show. He has listed the night's set list as follows:

LUSH - 11.10.1991
SETLIST

Stray
Bitter
Breeze
Laura
God's Gift
Scarlet
Ocean
Nothing Natural
For Love
Covert
De-Luxe
Downer
Sweetness And Light
Monochrome
Leaves Me Cold

DURATION - 55 MINUTES

PS. I always especially love pics of Miki with her Gibson ES-335 Sunburst, like the shot above. Besides the obvious influence it imparted to Lush's sound - the instrument has a sweet, acoustic tone, and is one of the most versatile guitars you can find - it's perhaps the prettiest axe of the 12-string arsenal.

North London Polytechnic :: October 10, 1991

2011-10-10T17:00:00.005-05:00

Twenty short years ago...

Lush Rocks London!! Its the second of four nights for the Black Spring tour to hit London, North London Polytechnic to be more precise. Once again they are joined by fellow bands (is "fellow" the correct term?), this time its Soul Family and Sensation.

And, as promised, here's more live performance photography by the gifted Mr. Tom Poston...

Lush - London, October 1991, originally uploaded by Tom Poston.

Miki Berenyi - North London Polytechnic, October 10, 1991

Emma Anderson, originally uploaded by Tom Poston.

Emma Anderson - North London Polytechnic, October 10, 1991

Powys Square, London :: October 9, 1991

2011-10-09T17:00:00.007-05:00

Twenty years ago...

Lush takes on Powys Square Tabernacle in London along with Gallon Drunk and Stereo Lab. Originally the band were to play Kensington Imperial College before changing venues due to the fact that Imperial insisted that the show be open to students only... boooo!

Fortunately for us photographer Tom Poston is there to capture the moment! Tom has long shared many shots from his career through his own personal site on Flickr.com. But I've been holding back on this wonderful treasure trove of images especially for marking the Black Spring tour's anniversary, appropriately enough. I'm kind of sneaky that way :P

So what are you going to do? You'll be checking back here again tomorrow because there just might be the slightest possibility of some more of Tom's stunningly vivid Lush photos celebrated here, that's what.

Doesn't Miki and Emma look amazing, drenched in the colorful light beams swirling all around? ...just like their music that night must have been.

Emma Anderson, originally uploaded by Tom Poston.
Emma Anderson - Powis Square Tabernacle, October 9, 1991, by photographer Tom Poston

Lush - London, October 1991, originally uploaded by Tom Poston.
Miki Berenyi - The Tabernacle, Powis Square, London, October 9, 1991, by photographer Tom Poston

Northhampton :: October 8, 1991

2011-10-08T18:00:00.004-05:00

Twenty short years ago...

Tonight Lush play their second "warm up" performance of their Black Spring tour at Irish Centre in Northhampton, once again with the accompanying act Gallon Drunk.

Black Spring :: October 7, 1991

2011-10-07T22:00:00.003-05:00

Twenty years ago today...

If you've read the previous post (as I know you should have) you already know that todays the anniversary of the release of the Black Spring EP in the UK. By this time Lush was established as a "shoegaze" icon but more importantly they were established in the hearts and minds of their growing fan base.

Where were you when Black Spring came out? I was a music geek, constantly on the look out for new music, new bands and developing my tastes beyond punk, finding treasure troves in the offerings from the indie labels, especially 4AD. The Throwing Muses, the Shop Assistants and the Primitives were among my personal faves at the time I first heard the music of Lush. And I was eagerly looking for, no, scratch that... more like extemely intent without resting until finally laying my hands on a copy of the new Black Spring at my local import records shop as soon as the EP became available in my neck of the US.

LUSH : Black Spring

Label: 4AD – BAD 1016 CD
Format: CD, Single
Country: UK
Released: 07 October 1991

Tracklist
1 Nothing Natural 5:58 >Listen @ Amazon.com
2 Fallin' In Love written by: Dennis Wilson (2) 2:43 >Listen @ Amazon.com
3 God's Gift written by: Berenyi 4:12 >Listen @ Amazon.com
4 Monochrome 5:08 >Listen @ Amazon.com

Credits
Bass: Steve Rippon
Drums: Chris Acland
Guitar, Vocals: Emma Anderson, Miki Berenyi
Written By: Anderson (tracks: 1, 3, 4)
Producer, Engineer: Robin Guthrie
Engineer [Assistant]: Mitsuo Tate
Photography: Jim Friedman
Design: Vaughan Oliver

Notes
Recorded at September Sound, London, August 1991.

Purchase Black Spring (CD or Digital) at Amazon.com

Dawn of the Black Spring Tour :: Lancashire :: October 7, 1991

2011-10-07T06:00:00.006-05:00

Twenty years ago today something Wonderful happens...

Lush launch their Black Spring Tour! Why do they launch a tour, you may ask? Because, also twenty years ago on today's date, Lush release a new EP produced by Robin Guthrie, titled "Black Spring" with the tracks Nothing Natural and God's Gift and a cover of the Beach Boy's Dennis Wilson's "Fallin' in Love", and Monochrome. Until now none of the band's new original songs have been played live.

To get things rolling Lush warm up with their first show of the tour at Lancashire's Colne Municiple Hall, joined by bands Gallon Drunk (remember the line Miki used on the signed copy of a Black Spring ep, from my last post?) and Nature Things.

View the Black Spring tour dates poster from Light From A Dead Star.org

In addition to the warm up gigs: Colne (October 7), and Northhampton's Irish Centre (8) there will be four upcoming London shows: Powys Square (9), Holloway Rd. (10), Mike End (11), New Cross (12).

Next up, two French shows: Lille, France (18), Paris, France (19)

Following this there will be gigs in: Bradford University (October 21), Glasgow Mayfair (22), Manchester UMIST (23), Sheffield University (24), Colchester Essex University (25), Cambridge Junction (26), Bristol Bierkeller (27), Woverhampton Fox's (28) and Portsmouth Polytechnic (29).

Thank You...

2011-09-27T22:23:00.006-05:00

Thank you Miki, Emma and Phil - you are genuinely decent people and I'm honored to have each of you check out Lushapalooza and for sending some very nice words about the blog back my way. Many thanks goes out to Bill of Light From a Dead Star for your very generous support as well.

Once again, thank you Phil, thank you Emma, and thank you Miki. You are always going to rock-on in the hearts of your followers!

Cheers!

"The Changing Face of Gallon Drunk" >:P

2011-09-27T21:03:00.004-05:00

I enjoying reading all the various material that the band signed over the years (and wondering what references the gem may have been personalized after)!

Just a note - I have no connection to this auction at all and make no claims that you or any one else should rush to ebay.com and buy it... just sharing it here for the obvious reasons.

LUSH NOTHING NATURAL FULLY HAND SIGNED UK 7" INDIE 4AD
Vinyl 7-inch single, Fully hand signed by the entire band back in 1991 in Cardiff.

Offered as:
Buy It Now for GBP 55.00/US $85.51

Tea Time :: November 1990

2011-09-27T20:48:00.003-05:00

It's Tea Time back in November of 1990, a very limited French publication featuring our fave band Lush in super-saturated tones on the cover!

This particular issue was being offered up for auction on ebay.com recently.

Summer of Lush

2011-09-27T20:03:00.005-05:00

Another summer has wound down. With timely topics being a bit dry recently, now is a good time to share some excellent photography... which just so happens to tie-in with Lush's final American tour 15 years ago this summer.

The first example is a solo shot of a black-rooted, flamy red-haired Miki onstage! This nice catch was taken at Toad's Place, New Haven, Connecticut in August of 1996. Photographer John Anthony Wilcox, a Lush fan, witnessed the band live a number of times... lucky guy!

Miki Berenyi Of Lush - Wilcox660 on deviantART

Next in line is a fifteen photo set taken by Steve Latham during a June 6th 1996 performance. The shots feature the entire band, jamming it out at Waterplace Park, Providence, Rhode Island!

And after enjoying the rich imagery of Phil, Emma, Miki and Chris, do what I did and let Mr. Latham know what you think...

Steve Latham Photography:
Lush - Waterplace Park - 6-6-96

Tokyo, Japan :: September 18, 1996

2011-09-18T23:36:00.007-05:00

15 Years Ago Today...

September 18, 1996, Lush performs at the Shinjuku Liquid Room, Tokyo, Japan. This was to be the final live performance... yet for fifteen years onward now the band still lives on in the hearts and minds of a strong following!

Up on YouTube, you can view the videotaped performance of Single Girl (Live) from this very gig (which so happened to be shared here in a earlier post).

Be sure to pour over ALL the Tokyo show's vivid imagery by photographer Takamori Fukuda/Brownhat over on Bill's paramount Lush site lightfromadeadstar.org.

And as if that's not enough (because it isn't really, now, is it?!) there's this gem just in from lushlive.com's Lush and Miki Berenyi Facebook page:

Now available - The LAST Lush show, performed 15 years ago today in Tokyo is available for free download! Don't forget to also get the artwork at the site www.lushlive.com in the audio section. Enjoy!! http://www.lushlive.com/audio/tokyo/09_18_96.zip

Chris Would Be 45 Today

2011-09-07T19:00:00.000-05:00

If Chris were still with us, today would be his 45th birthday...

We miss your care-free attitude, your sense of humour, the fun times you shared with us, and your decency to your fellow human beings... Peace Chris.

Debut of The Lillies :: The Spur :: September 1991

2011-09-01T20:07:00.001-05:00

Twenty years ago...

In the September issue of the Tottenham Spurs fan magazine "The Spur" (Number 24) there's a special item attached - the Lilies flexi.

The Lilies are a one-time supergroup whose members include Miki and Chris, who just so happened to be rabid fans of the Spurs football team.

I've posted about the flexi before - if you'd like, you can view my original post right over here. But why redirect you when I can repost it the story in it's entirety below?

The Lillies
An indie rock band formed in 1991 as a one-time collaboration between members of the bands Cocteau Twins, Lush and Moose.

And here's what the the Lillies were about - a recording with the very memorable little title:

"And David Seaman Won't Be Very Happy About That"

Background
Although originally from the Lake District, Chris was a keen Tottenham Hotspurs football fan. Miki was a huge fan as well, and the Lillies' 3-1 trouncing of local rivals Arsenal in the 1991 FA Cup semi-finals was an occasioned to be celebrated. So how do musicians best express their praise of such a victory? They co-create a specially recorded track aptly and humorously entitled 'And David Seaman Will Be Very Disappointed About That', and have it pressed-up on a flexidisc to be glued to issue 24 of 'The Spur', a football fanzine. The sound bites used throughout the song deal with a goal Gary Lineker scored for the Spurs against Arsenal.

Joining forces with Kevin McKillop and Russell Yates of Moose and the Simon Raymonde of the Cocteau Twins they became the Lillies - effectively a super-indie rock band. And Simon wrote the song. The lyrics? "Three-one, three-one, three-one!" Miki's sole lyrics, vocalized all the way through.

The track was recorded at the suggestion of The Spur’s editor Stuart Mutler. After rejecting suggestions that they should record a cover version of an old football song, such as "Nice One Cyril", they decided to come up with an original song.

Yates said of the track: “…we’ve all been Spurs fans for years, and for myself making this flexi has probably made me more proud than making any Moose record”

The Lillies
"And David Seaman Will Be Very Disappointed About That..."
Release : September, 1991
Flexidisc insert, The Spur #24

Lushlive.com presents Lush at the Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA :: August 31, 1996

2011-08-31T21:46:00.002-05:00

Fifteen years ago Lush performed at the Trocadero in Philadelphia, PA on their fianl American tour.

Today Lushlive.com presents a recording of that appearance made on August 31, 1996 to mark the 15th anniversary of this amazing show (that Lushlive.com's veru own Eric was at).

Enjoy this gem!!
http://www.lushlive.com/audio/philly/lush_08_31_96.rar

Unreleased Recordings Coming to Lush Live

2011-08-29T07:31:00.006-05:00

Seen over on the Lush and Miki Berenyi page on Facebook...

"As you may know, this year is the 15th anniversary of Lush's final tour (can you believe it's been that long already?). It was the first and only time I had the honor of seeing them. I'm going to unleash two audio gems from that tour within a month's time. I surfaced these shows many years ago and to this day only myself and perhaps 4 or 5 other people have them. Soon you can all enjoy them! Stay tuned..."

We can look forward to seeing these two unreleased recordings being made available on Eric's LushLive.com.

Lush Return to September Sound

2011-08-18T16:48:00.014-05:00

What were Lush up to, say... twenty years ago today?

It's August 1991. The band is enjoying a break after touring overseas in the US with Ride and the two European festival gigs. It is well time to now return to the September Sound recording studio and begin laying down some fresh tracks. A new release is needed to support their growing popularity. And so, with the returning talents of producer/engineer Robin Guthrie and engineer Mitsuo Tate, Miki, Emma, Chris and Steve make it happen...

Lush's new song material for the upcoming EP are to be Nothing Natural, God’s Gift, Monochrome, and a cover of the Dennis Wilson song Fallin’ In Love, with a targeted release date for October.

And now, a bit of trivia...

September Sound Studios is located in Twickenham, England
It is most popularly associated with Robin Guthrie's band, the Cocteau Twins, set up for the purpose to record their own albums
It has since been closed down
The studio was formerly Pete Townsend's Eel Pie
And finally, as a rare bonus for you, the reader, I've included this link leading directly to the actual September Sounds loo! - The Seat (as seen on cocteautwins.org)

Excerpt of Nothing Natural
by Emma Anderson

Before I met you I was blind
Pills and liquid filled my mind
Beneath your outline I was new
Overflowing with your tune

And don't you know you're beautiful...

Sweetness & Light' / Live At The Dome :: May 1991

2011-08-18T15:09:00.006-05:00

There's something new to be seen on YouTube, thanks to JulosiMac who shared this video over at PVSG @ yahoogroups.com.

Finally we have the entire, full performance of 'Sweetness & Light' from Live At The Dome, May 1991 (the original broadcast came in 3/4 of the way through their song).

I'm just a bit shy of passing this along in time for a May anniversary date, but I'm sure you won't mind terribly ;)

Rockband Remix of De•Luxe

2011-07-25T12:46:00.006-05:00

Afternoon All! It's been a very busy summer here, so new updates are slow and sparse in coming (my apologies for that!).

There is something I would like to pass along now however, in the form of a very interesting mp3 link posted by Tom Aresto a few weeks ago on the PurpleVeinsScenicGreens group. It is a remix of Lush's 'De•Luxe' minus the drum track.

At first I had my doubts... I mean, NO Chris and NO drums?? After a listen though, I think I've converted over to the opinion that it's a great new alternate version of one of the band's best releases for ravenous fans always starved for fresh Lush recordings.

Here's a direct link to the file: Lush - DeLuxe (Rockband remix)

Tom explains that he came across the recording on a site called mp3skip, taken from the video game Rock Band 2.

Thank you again Tom for sharing your great find!

July '91 BNM On the Street

2011-07-18T18:28:00.000-05:00

Lush are interviewed by Karl the korrespondent at BNM and reveal their answer for the following pertinent question:

Q: If you were each on a desert island, and had only one album to bring with you,
which one would it be?

Emma: An inflatable one.

AND, have their music compared with a Tommy-era, Who influence...

Emma: What?!?
Chris: Hmmmmmm...

See it Here, Live, Now! - July 1991 BNM @ Lush Remembered

Giessen, Germany :: June 30

2011-06-30T20:00:00.002-05:00

Twenty years ago today, the band Lush put on another outdoor live performance for a festival, this time for the Bizarre Festival in Giessen, Germany.

Opening acts for the band are Iggy Pop and House of Love. Video exists of the performance (though I can't find out much more about this bootleg except that Neil has a brief review online: Neil's Lush Video Page).

Bizarre Festival
setlist
Thoughtforms
Breeze
Bitter
Leaves Me Cold
Covert
De-Luxe
Ocean
Sweetness and Light
Downer
Baby Talk

Kobenhaven, Denmark :: June 28

2011-06-28T20:30:00.004-05:00

Twenty years ago today Lush plays in Kobenhaven, Denmark for the Roskilde Festival.
The band are opened by Sisters of Mercy and followed by Stereo MC's. Both audio and video recording were recorded for this gig, as well as photographed. You can view these over at Bill's site: Roskilde Festival @ Light from a Dead Star.

Miki, Emma, Chris and Steve seem to be enjoying the media attention as they pose for photos.

Happy Birthday Emma!

2011-06-10T12:00:00.001-05:00

Today we would like to wish Miss Emma a splendid day celebrating her birth -
May it be the best ever!

Emma Anderson, originally uploaded by Tom Poston.
Emma plays at Powis Square Tabernacle, October 9, 1991

Lush :: Baby Machines Downloadable CD Sleeve

2011-05-10T19:30:00.003-05:00

I've been sitting on this one for a while, another CD sleeve I made up for you to download. Its one-of-a-kind. A sleeve for a live recording I have, from the original line-up of Lush back in April 1988. The recording is believed to be taped from their second ever gig.

Ah, the miracle of Photoshop. I may have earned scornful rebukes, but before you purists start hurling your shattered beer bottles and bits of rock at me for this, hear me out first. There are no photos in existence, so far as I know, of Lush as a five-piece, pre-Meriel Barham's exodus from the position as the original lead vocalist for another band.

To fix that slight yet glaring detail I picked a fitting publicity photo taken soon after Lush (Miki, Emma, Steve, Chris) was signed with label 4AD, and combined in a pub-shot from the Pale Saints (specifically Meriel) from the approximate same time. Overall it isn't too much of an atrocity, is it?

To add a little more pseudo-authenticity, I also decided to use a historic name for the title: the Baby Machines came from the original idea that the mates started with for a band name, before a friend suggested that they go with 'Lush' instead.

And there you have it... my hopefully semi-accurate imaginary portrayal of Lush as they might have appeared together on a record sleeve when they were still a five-piece.

A Lush and a Push and the Land is Our's

2011-05-04T16:52:00.011-05:00

Twenty years ago, this two-page center spread feature was published in New Musical Express (4th May, 1991).

I neglected to add closeups of the article photos in my post last month, so today probably would be an appropriate time to do that, eh?

Incidentally, for those of you who missed out the first time around (tsk-tsk), the title of the article is a takeoff from a popular release of the Smiths at the time. Actually, every word and breath uttered by Morrissey and Marr of the Smiths was popular.

But back to Lush, and the publicity photos shot while on tour in Los Angeles...

Lush's hard-core alter-ego: the band named 'Thrush'

A Phil Phest

2011-05-03T23:04:00.007-05:00

With it being his birthday (so what if it has been a few days ago!), its a fitting time to share a bit of a bonus centered on Phil. The male half of Lush had to take a distant backseat to Miki and Emma, though for Phil it seemed a comfortable role for him more or less.

If one just digs around, there's quite a bit of Phil to be had available on the web. So let us kick off a mini phun-philled Phil Phest!

Select Youtube Videos featuring Phil King, Past and almost Present :

Primal Scream - Gentle Tuesday (playing drums)
Felt - Primitive Painters
Apple Boutique - Love resistance (Phil's own band, pre-Lush)
J&MC - Happy When It Rains (August 2007 tour)

Warwick, RI :: May 1 1991

2011-05-01T19:30:00.002-05:00

Twenty years ago...

Lush plays the Rocky Point Palladium in Warwick, Rhode Island, with Jane's Addiction opening.

And then its time to go back home.

Thus comes to a close a two-month long whirlwind tour of the United States. There won't be much time for a break back home in the UK – another tour begins in July to promote the upcoming Black Spring release.

On an interesting note, Lush made a definite impression on Jane's Addiction frontman, Perry Farrell. The following year he would personally request Lush for his new tour program (he was the organizer) - the inaugural Lollapalooza roster in 1992.

Fitchburg, MA :: April 30 1991

2011-04-30T20:32:00.003-05:00

Twenty years ago...

Lush plays the Wallace Civic Centre in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, with Jane's Addiction opening.

New York :: April 29 1991

2011-04-29T23:34:00.003-05:00

Twenty years ago...

Lush plays the Marquee in New York, New York, opening for Smashing Orange.

'Lush: The Early Demos 88-89' Downloadable CD Sleeve

2011-04-29T12:35:00.007-05:00

There was some big to-do earlier today in London, wasn't there? To add to the celebritive festivities going on in the UK on this historic day, here's the new CD sleeve I made-up for Lush's earliest demo recordings... Actually, this post doesn't have a thing to do with royal weddings. But it does have everything to do with Lush's historic first 'official' recording (allow me enough words and I can make a Lush connection to just about anything - ha!).

If you're not already aware, there's a bit about the demo recordings I detailed here: The Early Lush Demos :: 1988, '89.

Incidentally, the photo of the band I chose for the sleeve originally appeared in the March 18, 1989 issue of Melody Maker, the first ever major write-up focused on Lush.

Happy Birthday to Phil!

2011-04-29T12:01:00.001-05:00

Philip King celebrates a Birthday today, April the 29th. We hope he has a splendid 51st with family and friends...

Happy Birthday Phil!

Lush/Melting Lemon Downloadable CD Sleeve

2011-04-29T00:33:00.005-05:00

Here's another idea using the lemon theme... told you I was having a creative fit today.

Portland, ME :: April 28 1991

2011-04-28T19:00:00.002-05:00

Twenty years ago...

Lush plays the Cumberland County Civic Centre in Portland, Maine, the opening act is Jane's Addiction.

Lush 'For the People' Pinback Downloadable CD Sleeve

2011-04-28T18:46:00.007-05:00

Today was a creatively inspired day, so inspired that I forgot all about having dinner. Today I designed some new sleeves for my various Cd's. It makes it so much easier to identify what you hold in your hands at a glance, plus making up original album art is always fun (for me anyways). Here's a new one that materialized out of thin air for one of my collections of various Lush recordings, maybe it'd be perfect for something of yours too.

'For the People' sounds like a good title for a live album, doesn't it? I've had it stuck in my head from a long-ago Lush piece in one of the music mags called 'Automobile for the People'. It'd be a great slogan for a long-dreamed of reunion tour too (yes, I've already had a fictionalized tour poster in the works, it's still being tweaked though). And the image of the heavily worn vintage pinback button with the lemon graphic?... it doesn't really exist, at least it hasn't until now ;)

The art has been sized to fit a standard CD jewel case. As always, you're free to d/l and print this out for your own personal use, as long as you do not claim it or sell it as your own work. That would be dishonest... and Lushheads should never be that :P

Troy, NY :: April 27 1991

2011-04-27T19:00:00.000-05:00

Twenty years ago...

Lush plays the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Fieldhouse in Troy, New York, the opening act is Jane's Addiction.

Philadelphia :: April 26 1991, and a little more...

2011-04-26T19:30:00.003-05:00

Twenty years ago...

Lush and Ride wrap-up their joint tour with the performances at the Theatre Of Living Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ride performs the honours of opening for Lush one more time before the two bands go their seperate ways. It won't be for the last time however as the two bands will be co-headlining again back in London come December.

Lush has just five dates left on the '91 US tour.

To celebrate the anniversary of their joint US tour, I've made up the 11x14 poster above based upon the design created for one the original promo banners used at the time (you can see an example of one on Bill's Lush Remembered site).

Also, since I've been rather silent about co-headliners Ride, I have yet more goodies to bring you...

Ride - a live recording at The Town and Country in London via the BBC, performed (March 7?) 1991.

And lastly, this video which I've posted on here before...

120 Minutes' Dave Kendall (MTV) interviews Mark Gardener of Ride together with Miki. Though undated, this had to have been recorded during the 1991 US tour.

Lush :: Words + Music

2011-04-25T13:21:00.007-05:00

I'm a little late adding this to the ongoing chronological-listed discography, but this one is a recent addition now up at Discogs.com

This was an official (though often overlooked) Lush promo release, not meant for sale purposes. http://www.discogs.com/Lush-Words-Music/release/2733375.

It's a promotional cassette distributed for the US market by Reprise Records to coinicide with Lush's American touring. Made in 1990 and almost a copy of the Gala LP, the material is compromised of thier ealier recordings which had as yet not been released overseas except as an import. It was Printed and hand written photocopied glossy sleeve. Gala album music and interviews. White cassette. 1 sleeve double sided.

TRACKLIST
1 De-Luxe

2
Baby Talk

3
Bitter

4
Etheriel

5
Thoughtforms

6
Downer

7
Hey Hey Helen

8
Scarlet

9
Sweetness And Light

10
Sunbathing

11
The Lush Interview

Washington, DC :: April 24 1991

2011-04-24T20:00:00.001-05:00

Twenty years ago . . .

Lush does a repeat performance at the 9:30 Club of Washington, DC, this time opening for Ride

Washington, DC :: April 23 1991

2011-04-23T20:00:00.000-05:00

Twenty years ago . . .

Lush plays the 9:30 Club of Washington, DC, opened by Ride

Chapel Hill, NC :: April 22, 1991

2011-04-22T19:00:00.000-05:00

Twenty years ago...
Lush plays Cats Cradle in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on April 22, 1991 opening for Ride.

Photographer Tom Poston has a wonderful set of images which he took of the band during this and other performances. He has posted these at Flickr.

Lush - Chapel Hill NC, April 1991, originally uploaded by Tom Poston.

Emma Anderson, originally uploaded by Tom Poston.

Atlanta :: April 20 1991

2011-04-20T20:00:00.000-05:00

Twenty years ago . . .

Lush plays the Cotton Club of Atlanta, Georgia, opened by Ride

Miki Berenyi of Lush at the Ritz, March 1992

2011-04-18T23:39:00.002-05:00

Miki Berenyi of Lush at the Ritz, March 1992 (1 of 2), originally uploaded by scottcrawford.

Houston :: April 18 1991

2011-04-18T20:00:00.001-05:00

Twenty years ago...

Lush plays at the Numbers venue in Houston, Texas, opening for Ride

Austin :: April 17 1991

2011-04-17T20:00:00.000-05:00

Twenty years ago...

Lush plays the Backroom at Austin, Texas, opened by Ride

Dallas :: April 16 1991

2011-04-16T20:00:00.001-05:00

Twenty years ago...

Lush heads south and plays the Deep Ellum at Dallas, Texas, opening for Ride

Irvine, CA :: April 14, 1991

2011-04-14T19:00:00.001-05:00

Twenty years ago...

Lush performs at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre, Irvine, California with Sisters of Mercy, Gene Loves Jezebel, and Danielle Dax

San Diego :: April 13 1991

2011-04-13T19:00:00.001-05:00

Twenty years ago...

Lush performs at San Diego State University together with Sisters of Mercy and Danielle Dax

"Show Us" - 1994 Reading Festival

2011-04-12T22:54:00.004-05:00

New stuff from a great Lush site!

Lush's complete live performance recorded 26th, August 1994 at the three-day Reading Festival is now available for download at lushlive.com. The recording is from the hard to find Italian import/bootleg disc – the memorably titled "Show Us Your Tits." And being a bootlegged live recording, free downloading should not present a copyright issue.

The files are located in the Audio section. They are in .FLAC format, this is a lossless format that preserves the original sound quality. When you "unflac" them they'll be .wav files. This is done to save space. You need a program called FLAC which is free, and can be downloaded here.

Thanks Eric!!

'Show Us Your Tits'
LABEL: Insect (Italy)
RECORDED: 26th, August 1994 - Reading Festival - England

TRACKLIST:
1 Introduction
2 Blackout
3 Stardust
4 For Love
5 Lit Up
6 Lit Up (Take 2)
7 Kiss Chase
8 Desire Lines
9 Lovelife
10 Hypocrite
11 Downer
12 Undertown
13 De-Luxe
14 Leaves Me Cold
15 Sweetness & Light

TIME: 60 minutes

Additional sleeve artwork:

back insert

inner sleeve fold-out

On a side note, I imagine that "Show Us Your Lemons" would have made a somewhat Lush-ier title for this famous bootleg ...

Sorry, I couldn't resist ;)

Hello Hollywood!

2011-04-12T21:08:00.002-05:00

Around the time Lush were enjoying the sunny California leg of their American tour back in 1991, the NME sent a journalist and photographer (Martyn Goodacre) to meet up with the band at their dressing room located at Sunset Boulevard. They're in the midst of meeting record execs and charming the local press. What follows is the article prepared from that occasion, published in the May 4th issue of NME.

The article is a large file, a 1-mb download. Inside you'll meet Lush's alter-ego - Thrush. They meet Sky Saxon of the Seeds (Miki shared a personal pic from this on Andy Von Pip's excellent interview). Miki reveals she used to visit California as a teen to see her mum. Also, of special noteworthiness (to me!), Miki recounts that their tour bus broke down somewhere in the deserted wilderness of Nebraska, only a couple 100 miles from my hometown. After repairs and the Lush caravan eventually leaves, its 3 hours later before its learned that someone was missing... what tour would be complete if your roadie doesn't get left behind?

Los Angeles :: April 11 1991

2011-04-11T19:00:00.001-05:00

Twenty years ago...

Lush does a repeat performance at the Roxy in Los Angeles, this time opened by Ride.

There are recordings made of this show, and possibly a radio broadcast.

Los Angeles :: April 10 1991

2011-04-10T19:26:00.001-05:00

Twenty years ago...

Lush plays the Roxy at Los Angeles, opening for Ride

San Francisco :: April 8 1991

2011-04-08T19:33:00.002-05:00

Twenty years ago . . .

Lush plays the I-Beam in San Francisco, California, opened by Ride

Palo Alto :: April 7 1991

2011-04-07T19:30:00.001-05:00

Twenty years ago...

Lush plays The Edge at Palo Alto, California on April 7, 1991, opening for Ride

Phil's Philm from the '94 'Split' Tour

2011-04-07T18:37:00.012-05:00

Lemons, a Fiat 'Topolino' 500, the swirly colors art photography of Jim Friedman — they're all vivid images that have come to be as symbolically associated with Lush as the three versions of the band logo, and the flamy red hair (well that's an icon that goes without saying). Even casters have been used... or perhaps that's taking it too far.

Funhouses also come into the mix though. Yes, with all the glitter of the carousel and ferris wheels and the funhouse mirrors, etc, etc. Which, in a very roundabout and very sneaky way brings me to the following...

If you're anything like me, you've visited Lush Remembered scores of times. Which means I should know the site like the back of my hand, right? Apparently I need glasses and get to know things better.

Today I was browsing for some inspiration for a poster I'd been designing, when I noticed this particular one. Bill has on his memorabilia page a flyer for Phil's tour film shown for Chris' Memorial (the direct link is here). The memorial event was held in honor of Chris, taking place on October 29, 2006, close to the 10th anniversary of his loss. Note a good date, but meant to remember the good times.

We're immensely indented for Phil's photographic hobbying. His viewfinder saw a backstage-life record of the band that so easily would have been lost forever (most all Lush imagery was strictly magazine shoots and promotional material). Some of Phil's film footage was also used in the Undertow Spooky Remix video. I love this Lush video just for that fact alone. The imagery strongly plays with the remix - unforgettable!

The photograph of the band (shown at top) used in the poster was published in a feature story for the June 4, 1994 edition of NME, "From Despair to Mayfair." The shot is of the band's reflection in a funhouse mirror, and I assume taken during the production of the Hypocrite music video. Notice Phil kneeled at the bottom aiming his famous Super 8 movie camera. Nice touch!

I'd always thought this funhouse mirror shot could have been made a memorable gig poster. It was a surprise to find this — I had to post about it as much for my own future reference as to share with others.

And now for a bit of fun. Or in this case, the Funhouse as seen in Hypocrite.

Get Your Tickets

2011-04-07T15:08:00.003-05:00

A ticket from Lush's first European venue on the second leg of their Split Tour back in 1994, the Zapp Club in Brighton, headlining for Echo Belly and These Animal Men, dated for the 5th of September.

As this was sponsored by Radio 1 FM, accordingly this concert was broadcast on Radio 1. Which means that there are bootleg recordings of the event, floating around out there.

The gig received the typical scathing review in Melody Maker, which was the fashionable journalism slant of the day. I think it can be safely argued that Lush's music did not fade away as some had thought. Can the same be said of an arrogant little music journalist? :)

Sacramento :: April 6, 1991

2011-04-06T19:30:00.002-05:00

Twenty years ago...

Lush plays the Cattle Club in Sacramento, California on April 6, 1991, with opening by Ride

Denver, Colorado :: April 3, 1991

2011-04-03T19:30:00.002-05:00

Twenty years ago . . .
Lush plays Gothic Theatre in Denver, Colorado, opening for Ride

There was also a recording made of this concert (though unfortunately I haven't heard a copy)

Minneapolis, Minnesota :: April 1 1991

2011-04-01T19:30:00.001-05:00

Twenty years ago . . .

Lush plays First Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota, opened by Ride

Chicago, Illinois :: March 30, 1991

2011-03-30T19:30:00.000-05:00

Twenty years ago . . .
Lush plays Cabaret Metro in Chicago, Illinois, opening Ride

Emma and Miki's Formative Five Now Archived

2011-03-29T23:23:00.002-05:00

The full RRR - Golden Age of Piracy program with Emma and Miki's Formative Five, aired last week is now up on their website archive for those who missed the original broadcast. Have a listen: http://www.rrr.org.au/programs/archive/

Cincinnati, Ohio :: March 29, 1991

2011-03-29T19:30:00.000-05:00

Twenty years ago . . .
Lush plays Bogart's in Cincinnati, Ohio, opened by Ride

Cleveland, Ohio :: March 28, 1991

2011-03-28T18:37:00.002-05:00

Twenty years ago . . .
Lush plays the Empire Club in Cleveland, Ohio, opening for Ride

Detroit, Michigan :: March 27, 1991

2011-03-27T19:30:00.000-05:00

Twenty years ago . . .

Lush plays at the Latin Quarter in Detroit, Michigan with Ride opening

Toronto, Ontario :: March 26, 1991

2011-03-26T13:00:00.000-05:00

Twenty years ago . . .
Lush heads north of the border to play the RPM venue of Toronto, Ontario on March 26, 1991.03, opening for Ride

Boston, MA :: 23 March 1991

2011-03-23T18:03:00.007-05:00

Twenty years ago...
23 March 1991, Lush plays the Paradise Club, Boston, MA joined by opening act Ride for the first time

Miki & Emma's Formative Five

2011-03-23T07:55:00.004-05:00

Interviewed together, and for Miki the first time an "official" on air one in fifteen years... Here we go with a first genuinely new Lush event in a very long time! Today's broadcast on "The Age of Piracy" on RRR brings them together to discuss the music that most influenced them, and ultimately their former musical careers, specifically with a list of their formative five.

First hour of the program deals with various musical influences with host Tristen Harris, so while waiting I pop in a bit of breakfast, and attempt to wake-up a bit – 10pm Melbourne time is 6am for myself.

The anticipation builds, and suddenly the program switches gears with a play of Monochrome by Lush. And then Emma begins...

Emma's Formative Picks
1. 'I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better' by the Byrds - this is the first song Emma was able to play on the guitar. She'd had a few guitar lessons, and this is the first song she caught on to.

The Byrds - I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better
3 min

Talking of their differing music tastes, Emma explains that Miki was quite into the garage punk scene of London, Emma was more into the Cocteau Twins. At age 15-16 they'd go together to the March Violets, but at 17-18 their musical tastes had branched, Emma got into Shambling and the Shop Assistants (a band I was heavily into, as well!) around the mid to late 80's.

They developed their sound by a lot of trial and error, not being able to play very well and not being very confident. Echo and the Bunnymen were one influence for the guitar playing.

It was incredibly flattering when they were signed up with 4AD joining the Cocteau Twins, Emma's heros. Here interviewer Tristen Harris talks of the strength of labels such as Creation and 4AD and the type of bands they signed were always good. Emma remembers finding a Japanese import comp release from 4AD, but she didn't have enough money and she'd really wanted it. So, she hid it in the soul section for safe keeping then went and begged her Mum for the money to buy it.

2. 'Destroy the Heart' by the House of Love - They had a brilliant period on Creation (label), the guitar player had a great influence on Emma's playing.

House Of Love | Destroy The Heart - SnubTV
7 min

Speaking of her own, the Telecaster was her main guitar, and she had a Strat which was her 2nd one she owned. There were others, but it was mainly just these two guitars she preferred.

And now Miki brings in her influences...

Miki's Formative Picks
We start of with Miki's first influence, the Delmonas which she describes as a girlband (Did I hear right? Something about Hedgehog scenes??). Miki was 16 when she'd go to a small pub in London which held only about 60 people, the Delmonas were one of the first bands she went to see, they did brilliant covers.

1. 'Heard About Him' by the Delmonas - Miki says she probably used some of this song when she was writing Lovelife or Runaway.

The Delmonas - Heard About Him
2 min

Next, Miki choses the Au Pairs. They were a bit heavy in the feminist, before her time a bit as she didn't get to see them play. She's not trying to start a feminist campaign, Miki says, but this band showed her that it was all right for girls in a band to speak rubbish about boys. There was some charm to speak rubbish. Postpunk was a heavy influence in those days.

2. 'Diet' by the Au Pairs

Au Pairs - Diet
4 min

Emma and Miki share Sisters of Mercy with Alice as their #3 influence. Once again it's mentioned that Emma was more into the singer-songwritery, and Miki was more for the dimensional(?) style songs.

Emma says they stalked away at the band (Sisters), not in an obsessive way, at about age 16. They saw them together all the time, saw them in Leeds and around London, seeing them live. The band were always theatrical and Miki and Emma made alot of friends at the gigs. They liked that the Sisters of Mercy didn't take themselves very seriously, though people thought they were. The two saw them play around 1984?

Miki adds that "we obsessed in our teenage fandom, taking a peek through the dressing room, spying on frontman Andrew Eldrich eating cake."

The joint pick by Emma and Miki
5. 'Alice' by Sister's of Mercy

Sisters of Mercy "Alice"
7 min

About the talk of a reformation, Miki says there's been a couple offers, a couple times. "I've got a baby, got 2 kids. I want to hold down a job and have a family."

Emma explains its never made sense, they've all got kids and day jobs... everything would have to come together for it to be right... She'd never say never, but its not foreseeable. "I havent played live for 6 years"... since Sing-Sing "We've all got day jobs and a baby — which is all great!"

Finally they closeout of the program with Lush's De-Luxe...

I apologize for any mistakes and some roughness (but I did fix the typos later!), all is typed while the broadcast is still in progress. If you'd like, you can visit the RRR/The Age of Piracy website: March 23rd - Guests: Miki Berenyi & Emma Anderson from Lush.

Of their influences, it was like hearing from some old friends there too. Several of these albums are still in my collection. I was listening to the same music at the same time – it's been forever since I've heard these old songs. Maybe that explains why I love Lush so!

As feared, the interviews with Miki and Emma were recorded seperately. I would have loved to hear them interact together on-air, they clearly had collaborated beforehand in the making of their list. But still, it is afterall the first on-air interview we've heard in a great long while. Let's hope that it isn't another 15 years for the next time.

And in the meantime, for now, I'm going back to bed ;)

UPDATE:
Just passing this along – Streaming audio of the broadcast is up temporarily at www.rishpublicity.com (to the right side, halfway down the page). I cannot verify this as the player does not load on my stoneage computer system ;P

Providence, RI :: 22 March 1991

2011-03-22T14:05:00.004-05:00

Twenty years ago...
22 March 1991, Lush plays the Campus Club, Providence, RI

Purchase, NY :: 21 March 1991

2011-03-21T13:56:00.002-05:00

Twenty years ago...
21 March 1991, Lush plays the SUNY Performing Arts Center, Purchase, NY

Lush - SUNY Purchase - March 1991

Lush - SUNY Purchase - March 1991, a set by Hearn Images Ltd. on Flickr.

An awesome set that had never before been published by photographer James Lance from this performance can be seen at Hearn Images, Ltd. @ flickr.

The imagary, all shot in black and white, together with Miki and Emma's wardrobe have a wonderful retro sixties-era documentary feel to them. And the behind-the-scenes photos are a bonus.

What a treasure trove!!

Lush soundchecking at the SUNY Purchase Performing Arts Center, March 1991, originally uploaded by Hearn Images Ltd..

Lush performing at the SUNY Purchase Performing Arts Center, March 1991, originally uploaded by Hearn Images Ltd..

Lush - SUNY Purchase - March 1991, originally uploaded by Hearn Images Ltd..

Lush / RRR 102.7FM Wednesday 23rd March

2011-03-21T11:17:00.004-05:00

from Scenic Veins Scenic Greens -
Posted by: "RiSH Publicity - Brian McDonald"

Miki and Emma's "Formative 5" feature on The Golden Age of Piracy on RRR 102.7FM (Melbourne) will go to air this coming Wednesday 23rd March. It's on from 10PM to 12AM AEST (OZ) which is 11AM to 1PM if you're in the UK.
(According to the online timezone converter, it places the show at Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at 6:00:00AM to 8:00AM CDT for my neck of the woods in the US.)

"As part of the 4AD roster, Lush captivated the entire world and have a sound that is one of the most recognisable of the 90's. Hinged around the twin guitar attack of Miki Berenyi & Emma Anderson and their intoxicating vocal harmonies, they became the poster girls of the UK indie scene, while at the same time releasing albums that have well and truly stood the test of time, such as 1992's Spooky. They broke up in 1998, and Miki has not given a single interview since 1996... that is until they spoke to Tristen from their respective homes in London to not only talk about their time in Lush but to take you through their Formative Five, the five songs that most inspired them. This will be a very special edition of the show, and certainly one not to miss." The Golden Age of Piracy

Stream it via the website:
http://www.rrr.org.au/programs/streaming/

Visit the World Clock to find out the time in other countries:
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/meeting.html

Lush's 2nd US Tour :: 20 March 1991

2011-03-20T02:00:00.001-05:00

Twenty years ago
Lush embarks for the U.S.
...

In March of 1991 Emma, Steve, Chris and Miki return to the United States and kickoff their second tour, ang in April to be joined with co-headliners Ride.

Their opening tour gig (solo) is on the 20th at the Fast Lane venue of Asbury Park, New Jersey.

...

The United States does not ignore them.

Miki: "That was the best tour for actually seeing America. We were enjoying it for what it was. Ride were much bigger than us back home, so it seemed odd going on after them."

Ciao! :: March 19, 2001 :: the Finality of it All

2011-03-19T12:06:00.004-05:00

Finality,
and beginning again.

On this date ten years ago, the Lush compilation album Ciao! Best of Lush was released, bringing to a neat and tidy close the last of the official releases.

It's also the end of our 10-year anniversaries. It doesn't seem possible, to quote an oft used phrase, that a decade has passed. The music still sounds as fresh and vibrant to me today as it always ever has.

But Ciao! isn't supposed to be viewed or rather listened to as a final summing-up anyway. With the tracklist opening with Ladykillers and ending with Etheriel it's really more of a rewind, bringing us back at the beginning to replay over and over again.

Happy Birthday Miki!

2011-03-18T00:00:00.000-05:00

On this date in 1967, Miki Berenyi is born.

The world didn't immediately take notice of this significant day 44 years ago... but eventually, in time, it would ;)

We hope she spends a splendid day with her family and friends.

Happy Birthday Miki!

Windsor :: March 16, 1991

2011-03-16T13:41:00.000-05:00

Twenty years ago...

Lush plays The Old Trout, Windsor on March 16, 1991, with The Cacti Tribe.

Support Reissues of LUSH

2011-03-15T14:45:00.003-05:00

http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/lush

"Lush's brilliant albums deserve to be digitally remastered and/or reissued. Lets get these obscure gems into the light and give them attention they deserve!"

You can easily sign-in using your Facebook profile like I did, or register through the petition site to show your support.

New Cross :: March 15, 1991

2011-03-15T13:24:00.003-05:00

Twenty years ago...

Lush plays at The Venue, New Cross, London, along with Blur and Moose.

There was a bootleg video recording made of this gig. And through the miracle of internet technology, you can witness a video download courtesy of Kevin over at The Sound of Indie:

Lush – Thoughtforms (Live Video)

The Venue
Newcross, London, UK
3.15.91

SETLIST:
1 Bitter
2 Breeze
3 Take
4 Scarlet
5 Ocean
6 Monochrome
7 Thoughtforms
8 Tiny Smiles
9 Downer
10 Covert
11 De-Luxe
12 Baby Talk
13 Etheriel
14 Sweetness And Light

And finally...
This review of the event by Andy Peart was published in the March 23 edition of an unknown publication:

Warwick :: March 14, 1991

2011-03-14T17:04:00.000-05:00

Twenty years ago...

Lush performs it's opening gig for a busy year of touring. They play at Warwick University, Warwick, along with the James Taylor Quartet.

The Early Lush Demos :: 1988, '89

2011-03-14T02:04:00.010-05:00

Pretend that you just happened to lay your hands on a copy of the original demo tapes from Lush. Actually you don't have to, because it's provided to you right here and now, free for the taking. You can d/l all of the demo tracks (found on another blog) here: The Early Lush Demos :: 1998, '99 - The dates as listed on the bootleg for the demos obviously are incorrect. This should be dated '1988,'89'.

Note! This bootleg includes a track attributed simply as "Emma Vocals" (demo II). Emma emphatically refutes that the vocals are her's in a comment made on the YouTube video, and states that this is not a Lush song. Listen to the track yourself, "Emma Vocals" sounds oddly out of place compared to the other tracks. I don't believe this is a demo by Lush at all.

Album: Early Demos
Release: Unreleased
Label: N/A

TRACKLIST
Demo I
(recorded between March-October 1988 w/ Meriel Barham, Emma, Miki, Steve and Chris)

1. Grotesque (band's title is "Female Hybrid" see the March 1 post )
2. Truth Or Fiction
3. Skin
4. Sunbathing

After they cut the above four-song demo, Meriel left the band to join the Pale Saints.

Demo II
(first two tracks likely recorded in early 1989, w/ Miki, Emma, Steve and Chris)

1. Etheriel
2. Second Site (Second Sight)
[3. Emma Vocals] (according to Emma herself, this is NOT Emma singing and should not be considered as a recording made by Lush!)

Lush sent this second demo tape off to 4AD, One Little Indian, Rough Trade and Mute, before heading off on a mini-tour with House Of Love in May 1989.

Lost Fansites Revisted

2011-03-13T23:23:00.006-05:00

Many great sites paying hommage to Lush have been googled over the past decade-plus, a few have matured in to sites befitting the band, others have persisted only as time capsules forgotten by their creators, and most have just come and gone. Web providers revise services, get bought out, and ultimately all those homepages often get erased.

A select few of these sites were top-notch in their day, but like the band, they have ceased to be... or maybe we've just forgotten them?

Lush Images from Fanclub gig, Dublin Castle, Camden, December 1994

These are a few images which I grabbed back in 2005, I've long forgotten where they originated from until I chanced upon them again quite accidentally tonight! They're a wonderful showcase of live images of the band, up close and personal, very beautifully and professionally displayed, somewhat reminiscent of 4AD album art. Thankfully they're still up, hosted on Lysa's Lush page.

If you're out there - Thanks to Brian, the photographer/artist, and Lisa for keeping these and her site up all these years!

update: After corresponding with Bill of Lush Remembered I learned that the full set of the original scans used for the 'collages' where also posted on his site. He would greatly like to get in touch with the photographer.

The Lush Archives back in 2003 was an early repository of band photos, many seen no where else on the web. For the first time a fans were creating professional looking sites, this one for sharing a wealth of what was then considered high-quality scans instead of those tiny little gifs in circulation since the '90s.

Miki, Chris and Phil jamming furiously in Cologne, May 12 1992.

These live gig photos were featured on another site... but who's? Sorry, but I can longer say. I made these grabs back in 2003.

Drinks on her Boss pedals? hmmm, maybe that's why Miki's smiling!

Emma, Miki and Steve from various gigs

Yet another fan site with more great live shots, and another time capsule that's fading. Check out Sweetfoolthemouth site and SAVE those live gig photos -- before the last of the image links are gone forever.

update: The photographer is Jo Brooks, who was also heavily involved in photographing other bands, especially the Pale Saints. She's is still web-active with her blahg discussing such things as Life, and occasionally even Lush & Pale Saints.

Snippet from an old removed Sweetness & Light .mov file

Back before there was YouTube, we had the Superblast! site, the only place many of us had for viewing those glorious music videos. The site still remains online. But for how much longer though is up to the service provider to decide. Until the inevitable plug is pulled, its a reminder that not only have we persisted, but just how far the fan community has come along.

So, who created the pioneering sites? Neil's was certainly there, as well as Eyesore (now mantained at Quimby's), Downer, and of course Lysa's Lush site...

Back in 1997 when I first logged online with a primitive AOL 2.0, one of my daily destinations in addition to the above sites was the Lush message board, moderated by someone called Miki (no, not that Miki). It was all fun, all fan-run, if only visited by a handful. Today we have Purpleveinsscenicgreens on Yahoo groups, lovingly run by Jen, boasting a membership of over 400 now.

Things age and things change, but hopefully for the better with time.

If you were connected to any of the sites mentioned above, or know of any more details pertaining to them, please let me know!

Mikicon

2011-03-11T21:24:00.000-06:00

Obamicon.Me MIKI by sbca1995
http://tinyurl.com/nbccgy
'MIKI'
Webicon created by sbca1995

...and then you can order any of the generated art on the site as a t-shirt or a mug. You can do yourself if that suits you ;P

Finally found it...

2011-03-11T17:25:00.001-06:00

A copy of the incredibly famous "Alphabet Soup" music fanzine, published by the pre-Lush team of Emma and Miki.

This scan of a cover was posted with a comment for a thread right over here on Word Magazines.

Hope nobody minds my sharing of their sharing. Just keep it away from grannies and goths.