"Lush-Mad Love-Twenty Years On!" on VPME

Lush-Mad Love-Twenty Years On ! « The VPME
Ever felt unappreciated, resigned to the fact that no matter what you do certain people will always be waiting to pour scorn upon your head? This was certainly how lead singer Miki Berenyi appeared ...

Phil Turns 50!

Where has the time gone? It doesn't seem possible does it?
But yes, it's true... Philip King turns 50 today!
It's his Birthday, April the 29th.

Happy Birthday Phil!

All That Useless Beauty: 20th Anniversary of Mad Love

All That Useless Beauty: 20th Anniversary of Mad Love @ the Quietus

Graham Bendel writes a love letter to 90s shoegazers Lush, and in the process wonders if they were better, in fact, than My Bloody Valentine…

Praised by their peers. Scorned by the press. One writer's argument to set the record straight. Lush gets a bit of very critical recognition, long in the coming – point, by point, by convicting point.

Read it. You will feel vindicated.

Melody Maker Review - March 24, 1990

Miki in the March 2010 Spin Mag

Paraphrased from the March 2010 Spin magazine

Miki Berenyi, now a mother of two works as copy editor for Web User magazine.

After the loss of drummer Chris, there seemed to be no point in continuing Lush, and it wouldn't have been as much fun. When the band ended, it took all her confidence away. She no longer felt comfortable, too vulnerable to give music her all. She just didn't want to do that anymore.

Her job now is not as exciting as it was being with the band, but she doesn't have the strain of mean-spirited criticism that came with it.

Extra note from me:
Lush were always self-deprecating, so one ought to keep that in mind when reading Miki's comments from Spin. For the band, never ones to take themselves too seriously, it was about the enjoyment of creating music. Much (specifically the big business end of the recording industry and all that entails) was relentlessly piled upon the their shoulders, which was beginning to feed on the lifeblood of the band. Logically you may point a finger at the industry for fueling the stresses that took their ultimate toll on Chris. And of course Chris's loss shattered the wonderful chemistry which made up Lush.

With that said, Miki has stated that she has no regrets, and is happy for her time in the band. The period of the breakup was an opportunity to move on and start a new life for herself, one a little less under the limelight. She is definitely not a victim, she's a survivor. Miki's found a way that works best for her. For that we can all be happy for her.

Phil's Apple Boutique - 'Love Resistence' Reissued!

Here's the pre-Lush Phil fronting his own band, Apple Boutique, complete with official video!

Found this on Creation Records -

The rather fantastic Vollwert-Records label continues its series of very limited early Creation releases with the re-pressing of Apple Boutique’s 1987 single ‘Love Resistance’. For those of you who don’t remember Apple Boutique, they were fronted by Phil King who later played bass in Felt/Lush/Jesus & Mary Chain.

Each single is released as a 3″ cd and is limited to 59 copies only!

To order your copy click here

Happy Birthday Miki!

Today, on March 18th, Miki Berenyi turns 43 years old. We hope she has a splendid one with family and friends.

Happy Birthday Miki!

Emma and the Rover Girls

Can you guess who this is?

Back in 1986 she's playing bass guitar in her first band.

It's our very own beloved Emma — Seen in her pre-Lush days playing with the Rover Girls!

The Rover Girls are playing at the Clarendon Hammersmith in 1986. Seen here, Emma was just nineteen, in her first band and gaining the experience that would proprel her on to writing her own music... and much grander things.

I could only dream of playing gigs and writing songs with my own bass back in '86 :P Thankfully Emma had the nerve to act on her own dreams!

A Mad Love for 20 Years

Twenty years ago today, Lush came into its own through the release of a four track EP titled "Mad Love."
Released 26 February, 1990, 4AD, UK
Recorded at September Sound and The Church, London, December 1989.


De-Luxe 3:26
Written By - E. Anderson
Leaves Me Cold 2:55
Written By - M. Berenyi
Downer 2:39
Written By - E. Anderson
Thoughtforms 2:43
Written By - E. Anderson

Bass - Steve Rippon
Drums - Chris Acland
Guitar, Backing Vocals - Emma Anderson
Guitar, Vocals - Miki Berenyi

Producer, Engineer - Robin Guthrie
Engineer - Lincoln Fong
Art Direction, Design - Vaughan Oliver
Art Direction, Design [Assistance] - Chris Bigg
Photography - Jim Friedman

The Body Paint Poster - February 24, 1990

The February 24th, 1990 edition of the NME treats us with the once-infamous, now famous Gigglers With Attitude fold-out poster, featuring all four members attired in body paint that spells out the name "LUSH".

The Lillies

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

Live 1990 in Surloire, France from 'Sparky The High Voltage Wire'

From the 7" Sparky The High Voltage Wire. Live at St. Sebastian 2/1/1990 in Surloire, France.

Sing Sing - A Modern Girl

Lush : Second Sight (demo)

Lush : Second Sight (Demo)



Some very early Lush