FUZZ CLUB Blog: SPACEMEN 3

SPACEMEN 3

Spacemen 3 were formed in 1982 in Rugby, Warwickshire, England, by Jason Pierce, also known as "J. Spaceman", and Peter Kamber, usually known as "Sonic Boom", who had originally met at art college. Both Pierce and Kember were guitarists, keyboard players and vocalists, so added bassist Pete "Bassman" Bain (or Baines), and drummer Natty Brooker. They played together for a couple years, with extensive jams and rehearsals, but played only low-key, local, concerts, before releasing their first album Sound of confusion in 1986. This first album was in a relatively mainstream garage rock sound, but their second The Perfect Prescription (1987) showed a marked change towards the minimalist psychedelia for which they became known. By this time Natty had left and the drum stool was taken up by Sterling Roswell, known as Rosco.

Bain and Rosco left to join The Darkside, and Will Carruthers joined on bass, but they had no official drummer when they recorded Playing with Fire. Released in 1989, the album expanded on the psychedelic and drone music themes of the earlier albums, and included the single, “Revolution”, which reached #1 on the UK independent chart. Jonny Mattock joined on drums and they spent most of 1989 touring their minimalistic "Anti-Show" around the UK and Europe. These were the last public concerts they would play, as their scheduled US tour had to be cancelled as they could not get visas, due to drug convictions. The band played their last live show at the 1989 Reading Festival. Drug problems and intra-band tension (notably between Kember and Pierce) began to break the band apart. Recurring, released in 1991, was their last official album, and reflected the split between Pierce and Kember as each recorded their own side of the album in different studios, with a cover of Modhoney’s "When Tomorrow Hits" to separate them. Recurring was their most popular album, but by its release Kember had already formed Spectrum and Pierce, Carruthers and Mattock were performing as Spiritualized. For the final few shows, Mark Refoy joined the band, but the final straw was Pierce's decision to release a cover of The Troggs' "Anyway That You Want Me" as the first Spiritualized single, which Kember had been wanting to cover for years. The band split in 1991.

The group’s minimal sound was characterised by droning, distorted guitars, feedback, softly sung/spoken vocals and sparse or monolithic drumming. Many of the numbers they played live, were jams, slowly developing with minimal changes in chords, tempo or key, producing a trance-like mood, in accordance with their motto “Taking drugs to make music to take drugs to”. Their minimalism included their stage show, where they sat down to play, illuminated by the spinning colours of a cheap psychedelic light show, so their stage “act” was very anti-performance.

Spacemen 3 - Revolution

Spacemen 3 also covered and shared their influences. Song titles, lyrics and interviews were peppered with references to artists they believed shared their “minimal is maximal” aesthetic. The Velvet Underground, The Rolling Stones, The Stooges, the MC5, Captain Beefeart, free jazz musician Sun Ra, the Silver Apples, krautrock bands Kraftwerk and Neu!, 1960 garage punk such as the the 13th Floor Elevators, Red Krayola, and the Electric Prunes; the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean and other surf bands; 1980s rockabilly groups the Cramps, the Gun Club, Tav Falco; blues and gospel acts like Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, the Staple Singers and john Lee Hokker; and the production techniques of Joe Mekk, Brian Wilson and Delia Derbyshire were just some of the names mentioned by the band.

In the years following the split, appreciation of the band's output has grown significantly then during their operation period.

In 1998, a tribute album was released on Rocket Girl, which included tracks by Mogwai, Low and Bowery Electric. In 2004, US journalist Erik Morse published his account of the band’s life and work, Dreamweapon: Spacemen 3 and the Birth of Spiritualized.

Their style influenced the shoegazing movement and groups on both sides of the Atlantic.

Many modern day artists have credited the band as an influence, including Primal Scream, MGMT, Mogwai, Arab Strap, Stereilab, Tortoise, The Flaming Lips, Yo La Tengo, Hot Chip, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Pavement

Most members of the band have continued to produce music either collaboratively or in solo projects :

Sonic Boom / Peter Kember

Having previously released a solo album under the title Spectrum, Kember turned the project into a full live band, signed to Silvertone Records, and released the albums Soul Kiss (Glide Divine) and Highs, Lows and Heavenly Blows. With a changing line up Spectrum toured the world playing shows with the likes of Yo La Tengo, Robyn Hitchcock,the Flaming Lips and provided main tour support for the 2009 reformation of My Bloody Valentine. Kember continues to occasionally tour under the Spectrum name.

Kember also worked on several solo projects, including Experimental Audio Research (EAR) alongside Kevin Shields and played as a formal member of Stereolab during their Emperor Tomato Ketchup period. Kember recently toured with Gruff Rhys, and produced Congratulations, the latest album by MGMT.

Jason Spaceman / Jason Pierce

Pierce was persuaded by Mattock, Refoy and Carruthers to join Spiritualized, which inherited the newly signed Spacemen 3 record deal, with Dedicated Records, by default. Pierce remains the only constant member of Spiritualized, who have also toured the world to acclaim.

Pierce has also worked on various solo projects, including the remixing of singles by LFO, Global Communication, and the 22-20's.

Albums