Happy LUSH-oween!

Happy LUSH-oween!

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'sInstitute 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 albumSplit 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.

- Originally posted October 31, 2012

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.

Lush :: Baby Machines Downloadable CD Sleeve

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.

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

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.

The Early Lush Demos :: 1988, '89

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.

Anniversary - Version Two

Depending on which version of the story you ascribe to (1987 vs. 1988)... it was 20 years ago this month.

Step back to October 1988. A date of some note as the leaves fall through the swirls of cooling breezes.

Only a few short months have passed. It was about a year ago in amongst the taverns, gig joints and college halls where an idea took root, sprouted and blossomed so that a new band was born. A friend of one member came up with a name for the new band, therefore adopted was the title: "Lush."

Bet you could never have guessed what I was talking about all along, could you?

The new band made up of college chums Emma, Miki and Chris with another recruit, Meriel, as the vocalist practice away in Miki's bedroom. They practice for months. 1987 becomes 1988. Practice continues. Only, there was something missing.

Steve, the founding bassist:

"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."

The urgency to recruit Steve was due to an impending gig at the Camden Falcon on 6th March 1988!

Now, let me stop and clarify where I'm heading with this. There are quotable dates a'plenty to back up a 1987 formation for the band. The 1988 birthdate has been come into play due in part to confusion, and part ignorance by journalists. So now lets pick up from that first gig - after they began playing dates and recorded the now-famous 4-track demo. It's at this time a turning point occurred. That's when Meriel Barnham left the band. It's October. And now Lush needed to audition for new lead vocalist.

Lets roll some of that footage from the John Wiederhorn interview, please:

"...We've had bad experiences with them in the past," says Berenyi.

The experiences she's referring to occurred in October of 1988. Less than a year into the band's career. After the departure of former vocalist Meriel Barham (now with Pale Saints). "It was so awful. We auditioned like 30 people and it was a complete nightmare. Either they couldn't sing at all, or else they were really strange... That's when everybody decided I would have to sing."

So Miki moved up to fill the vacancy in addition to her guitarist role. And Lush v.2, the band as the public knows it was birthed. Anyway, that's my take on it. But it doesn't really matter anyway, does it? Unless you're someone like me who's trying to get all his facts straight before posting what was to be a short blurb to the web.

So give or take a year regardless, the band had quite a bit of work that lay ahead yet before they'd begin to temper into the musicians their growing followers knew and loved. Lush were still young, not too terribly experienced for the most part and at times intimidated. Chris on his drums was the old-timer here, and his abilities had much to do with boosting their sound up to the next level, perhaps their confidence too. They persevered through the adversity, stayed focused and the idea grew into something alive and real.

The First Gig - Camden Falcon - March 6, 1988

Steve Rippon is hastely added to the Lush line-up just in time for the band's first gig at the Camden Falcon on 6th March 1988, supporting the Rosehips. The night passed as smoothly as could be expected.

With that first show under their belt, the band branches out to play other venues on the London toilet circuit.

Lush's First Nine : As a Five Piece

Sometimes it's easy to overlook the career Lush had as a Five Piece, after all, it was short-lived. But they did put on quite a few shows, learning how to play and laying down the framework to build upon.

So, without further to-do, here's the complete list of Lush's first nine gigs, all as a 5-piece band (or rather learning to be a band) with Meriel at lead vocals, Emma and Miki on guitars (w/ Miki doing backing vocals), Steve on bass and Chris at drums.

1. Mar 06, 88 Camden, Falcon - first ever gig
2. Mar 19, 88 Camden, Falcon
3. Jun 04, 88 Fullham, Greyhound
4. Jun 12, 88 Brixton, Canterbury Ams (Arms?)
5. Jun 19, 88 Ealing, Collage of Higher Education
6. Jun 22, 88 Finsbury Park, The George Robey
7. Jun 25, 88 Hammersmith, The Clarendon
8. ??? ??, 88 unknown gig
9. Jul 22, 88 Camden, Falcon

Following this gig the band didn't perform again until October 9. It's most likely that at this time Meriel left for Pale Saints and Miki moved over to fill the position, and performing from now on as a four piece. Think of it as a system upgrade from from Lush 1.0 to Lush 2.0. The old Lush was done, a new one begun.

We do have their first demo recordings from that period, but how I wish one photo existed from those first nine!

Anniversary - Version One

Depending upon which school you have joined up with (the 1987 vrs. the 1988 chronical of events) right about now would be the 20th anniversary of a date that carries some significance to the Friends of Lush.

Going by an interview/story written by Pat Gilberts for "Record Collector" magazine (sorry, no date) we have evidence for the year 1987 as being the date for the creation of Lush. I'll pick up the interview where the 'date of somewhat significance' appears:

... Miki was adding primitive guitar to rockabilly garage band the Bugs, and even accompanied them on a European tour to promote their August 1987 album, 'Darkside' (which she didn't actually play on). Around this time, Miki and Emma began hatching a plan for their own band, initially called the Baby Machines. Recruiting two of Miki's classmates, singer Meriel Barham and Kendal-born drummer Chris Acland (then Miki's paramour), they began rehearsing in Miki's bedroom. After a few weeks, they realised they needed a proper bassist, and approached another student, Steve Rippon, who was five years older than the others and originally from Bracknell. 'I was in their class as well,' recalls Steve, phoning from Ireland. '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.'

The urgency to recruit Steve was because of an impending gig at the Camden Falcon on 6th March 1988, supporting the Rosehips. In the event, the night passed as smoothly as could be expected, and the band branched out to play other venues on the London toilet circuit. They even supported Ted Harris from 'Playschool' at Ealing College. After they cut a four-song demo, internal tensions bubbled over and Meriel was given the push. 'She just wasn't interested,' sneers Emma. 'We'd organise all these gigs and she couldn't play them because her boyfriend was going away the next day or whatever. He came first. But she also felt uncomfortable playing guitar.' Meriel went on to join fellow 4AD shoe-gazers, the Pale Saints.

You know the rest of it. Miki took over the lead vocals position vacated by Meriel when no replacement could be found. And the rest is music history.

You can read the entire article reproduced here: http://www.curve.demon.co.uk/lush/press/p_art3.html