Spacemen 3
Spacemen 3 were an English rock band, formed in 1982 in Rugby, Warwickshire, by Peter Kember and Jason Pierce, known respectively under their pseudonyms Sonic Boom and J Spaceman. Their music is known for its brand of "trance-like neo-psychedelia" consisting of heavily distorted guitar, synthesizers, and minimal chord or tempo changes.[1]
Spacemen 3
The band drew inspiration from acts like the Stooges, the Velvet Underground, and Suicide. Following their debut album Sound of Confusion (1986), Spacemen 3 had their first independent chart hits in 1987, gaining a cult following, and through albums The Perfect Prescription (1987) and Playing with Fire (1989), went on to have greater success towards the end of the decade.[1][2] However, they disbanded shortly afterwards, releasing their final studio album Recurring post-split in 1991 after an acrimonious parting of ways.
They gained a reputation as a 'drug band' due to the members' drug-taking habits and Kember's candid interviews and outspoken opinions on recreational drug use.[3] Kember and Pierce were the only members common to all line-ups of the band. Pierce has enjoyed considerable success with his subsequent project—Spiritualized. Kember has since found acclaim for his production work with indie artists, most often under the stage name Sonic Boom.
History[edit]
Formation and early years (1982–85)[edit]
The creative and song-writing force throughout Spacemen 3's history were Peter Kember and Jason Pierce. They met at the (now defunct) Rugby Art College on Clifton Road, Rugby, Warwickshire[4] in autumn 1982, both aged 16, and became close friends. Pierce was in a band called Indian Scalp, but he left them near the end of 1982 to collaborate with Kember. The two guitarists recruited drummer Tim Morris, who played with a couple of other bands and had a rehearsal space at his parental home, which they used. Shortly afterwards Pete Bain joined on bass. Morris and Bain had previously played together in a band called Noise on Independent Street. Pierce handled lead vocal duties. Now a 4-piece, the band originally adopted the name The Spacemen. Their first live performances occurred around winter 1982/83, playing at a party and then at a couple of gigs they managed to get at a local bar; at the latter their set included a 20-minute version of the one-chord song "O.D. Catastrophe".[5][6][7][8]
In autumn 1983, Pierce, having finished his course at Rugby Art College, started attending an art school in Maidstone, Kent. This prompted Bain and Morris to leave and join a new local band, The Push, being formed by Gavin Wissen. Kember and Pierce recruited a replacement drummer, Nicholas "Natty" Brooker. They continued without a bassist and Pierce would regularly return to Rugby for rehearsals. In early 1984, they only performed at a few local, low-key venues. Still a trio, they changed their name to Spacemen 3.[9][5][7][8] Kember explained:
Musical style and influences[edit]
Sonically, Spacemen 3's music was characterised by fuzzy and distorted electric guitars, stuttering tremolo effects and wah-wah, the employment of 'power chords' and simple riffs, harmonic overtones and drones, softly sung/spoken vocals, and sparse or monolithic drumming.[1] Their earlier record releases were guitar 'heavy', sounding Stooges-esque and "a bit like a punked-up garage rock band"; whilst their later work was mostly sparser and softer with more textural techniques and augmented by organs, resulting in "their signature trance-like neo-psychedelia".[1] Kember described it as "very hypnotic and minimal; every track has a drone all the way through it".[71]
Spacemen 3 were adherents to the "minimal is maximal" philosophy of Alan Vega, singer for the American duo Suicide who were known for their ominously repetitive music. Kember has articulated the maxim: "One chord best, two chords cool, three chords okay, four chords average".[135]
Spacemen 3 had the dictum "taking drugs to make music to take drugs to".[71][136] Kember candidly admitted to his frequent drug taking—including cannabis, LSD, magic mushrooms, MDMA, amphetamine and cocaine—and being a former heroin addict. Much of Spacemen 3's music concerned documenting the drug experience and conveying the related feelings.[5][64][66][67][68][71][137] In NME's 2011 list, the '50 Druggiest Albums' of all time, Spacemen 3's Northampton Demos release, Taking Drugs to Make Music to Take Drugs To, was ranked No. 23.[138]
The group took influence from The Stooges, The Velvet Underground, and The Rolling Stones.[7] Additionally, various proto-punk and psychedelic bands influenced them.[1][139][5][64][135]
Spacemen 3 recorded and performed numerous covers and re-workings of other bands' songs, particularly earlier on in their history, and this was indicative of their influences.[1] The Spacemen 3 song "Suicide" was a clear acknowledgement of one of their influences: when performed live it was usually introduced as "this song is dedicated to Martin Rev and Alan Vega – Suicide".[140]
Kember was also interested in drone music and everyday ambient sounds such as those created by electric razors, washing machines, lawnmowers, planes, motor engines and passing cars.[135]
Their musical style has been described as neo-psychedelia,[1][141] space rock,[142][143][144] psychedelic rock,[145][146] alternative rock,[147] garage rock[1] and blues rock.[148]
Legacy[edit]
"Spacemen 3 were one of the most revolutionary UK guitar bands" (Ian Edmond, Record Collector).[8] They produced "some of the most visceral and psychedelic music of all time...and set a sonic template that influenced a generation, inspiring countless bands" (Julian Woolsey, Rock Edition).[150] Writing in spring 1991, just after the band had split, Vox's Stephen Dalton referred to Spacemen 3 as "one of the most influential underground bands of the last decade".[3]
"Amen" is used as the theme song for the Vice show "Abandoned".
In 1998, a tribute album to Spacemen 3 was released by the Rocket Girl label. A Tribute to Spacemen 3 included covers by bands such as Mogwai, Low, Bowery Electric and Bardo Pond.[1] The album liner notes stated: "There are so many current bands who draw their influences from Spacemen 3 that now seems an appropriate time to show tribute to this underrated band."[151]
In 2004, US journalist Erik Morse's biography of the band's life and work, Spacemen 3 & The Birth of Spiritualized, was published.
Biographies:
Discographies (detailed):
Selected interviews: