'Nothing Natural' & Pyramids Centre 24th Anniversaries

It was 24 short years ago today...

October 29th, 1991 'Nothing Natural' was released as a maxi-single disc. It had peaked at number 43 on the UK Singles Chart. The EP was followed by a national British tour, during which time bassist Steve Rippon left the band and was replaced by Phil King. 

Incidentally, on the same day, 100's of screaming kids - the 29th of October - The Pyramids Centre, Portsmouth - LUSH is there to play. With the opening acts of Passing Clouds and Gallon Drunk on a two-leg UK tour debuting the songs from the just released Black Spring EP.

Reflecting on the music video, Miki said it was "an effing nightmare" and that the video's director had "some ludicrous idea of what he wanted [Lush] to look/act like in the video and it was nothing to do with how [the band was]." Miki further explained that the band went along with the director's suggestion as Lush "had no ideas of [their] own at all, and back in the [19]90s the solution was to offer directors a shitload of money to come up with something fabulous that MTV would play." According to Berenyi, Nirvana vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain became a Lush fan after seeing the music video.

'Nothing Natural' - 'official' promo video

'Nothing Natural'- live at Toad's Place, New Haven, CT - March 23, 1992

LUSH – A Video Retrospective With Miki Berenyi

Andy over at the Von Pip Express has posted a new interview with Miki discussing all the juicy behind the scenes lore of Lush's music videos.

Miki also has something to say about Lush's reformation (I never get tired of seeing those two words together):

"‘Hey, ‘ if financial constraints and time were not an issue I’d be on my 10th LP and recording a Greatest Hits compilation with the Royal Philharmonic by now. I would love to make music again, but it’s precisely those things that are stopping me!"  – Miki Berenyi (Lush) -2008 

Thanks Andy and Miki!

http://www.thevpme.com/2015/09/29/lush-videosmikib/

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

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...

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.

Steve - A Time to Bow Out

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.

Mile End, London :: October 11, 1991

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.

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.

Purchase, NY :: 21 March 1991

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

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.

Lost Fansites Revisted

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!