Close Lobsters
(Scotland) Glasgow/Paisley
Close Lobsters started back in 1985 in Paisley, a suburb of Glasgow. They released their first song 'Firestation Towers' on the C86 tape in the summer of 86. This made them part of the whole C86 scene which was hyped by the NME and others in eighty-six. They signed to Fire Records and released their first single (7"/12") "Going To Heaven To See If It Rains" in November.
They caught my attention when climbing up the indiecharts with that single in December. In 1987 the released two more excellent singles "Never Seen Before" and "Let's Make Some Plans" plus the debut album "Foxheads Stalk This Land". Along with all forthcoming releases on Fire Records. In Spring '88 Strange Fruit released their first Janice Long radio session from June 1986 on record. They did another one for John Peel in December 1987.
Fans had to wait until September '88 for a new Close Lobsters record (What Is There To Smile About) but meanwhile they toured a lot including the continent and I had the pleasure to see them in April. This gig was tremendous, certainly one of the ten best I've ever been to.
Even early in their career the caught the attention of American college radio stations and in 89 finally 'made it' over there. They played at the New Music Seminar in NYC at toured quite a bit stateside.
Their 1989 releases "Headache Rhetoric" (LP/CD) and "Nature Thing" (7"/12"/CD5) lost their original shambling sound and the songs became longer and slightly Amercianised .-) The band even lived in the states for a while. Their last release was a 7" on the Caff label in fall '89 containing 1985 demo-versions of later released tracks.
I know they still played gig in Scotland around '91/92 and I never saw an official split-announcement but I doubt that they are still around.
By Peter Hahndorf for the indiepop-list in October 1995
Edit this biography
Going To Heaven To See If It Rains
(7"+12") Nov 1986
- Going To Heaven To See If It Rains
- Boys And Girls
- Pathetik Trivia
Never Seen Before
(7"+12") Apr 1987
- Never Seen Before
- Pimps
- Firestation Towers
(12" Only)
- Wide Waterways
(12" Only)
Foxheads Stalk This Land
(LP+CD) 1987
Let's Make Some Plans
(7"+12") 1987
- Let's Make Some Plans
- In Spite Of These Times
- Get What They Deserve
(12" Only)
The Janice Long Sessions
(12") 4.Apr 1988
- Nothing Really Matters
- Heaven..Rains
- Pathetic Trivia
- Never Seen Before
What Is There To Smile About
(7"+12"+CD5) 7.Sep 1988
- What Is There To Smile About
- From This Day On
- Loopholes
(12" and CD5 Only)
- The Skyscrapers Of St Mirin
(12" and CD5 Only)
- Violently Pretty Face
(CD5 Only)
Headache Rhetoric
(LP+CD) 20.Mar 1989
Nature Thing
(7"+12"+CD5) Mar 1989
- Nature Thing
- Hey Hey My My (Into The Black)
(12" and CD5 Only)
- Paper Thin Hotel
(12" and CD5 Only)
- Never Seen Before (live)
Just Too Bloody Stupid
(7") Fall 1989
What Is There To Smile About
(CD5) 1989
on Enigma Records
Forever Until Victory
(CD) 5-Oct-2009
-
More details
- Going To Heaven To See If It Rains
- Never Seen Before
- Lets Make Some Plans
- What Is There To Smile About?
- Loophole
- Nature Thing
- Skyscapers Of St. Mirin
- In Spite Of These Times
- From This Day On
- Don't Worry
- Firestation Towers
- Pimps
- Hey Hey My My (Into The Black)
- Paperthin Hotel
- Wide Waterways
- Boys And Girls
- Pathetik Trivia
- Get What They Deserve
- Never Seen Before (Live)
Steel Love
(7") 30-Jul-2012
-
More details
- Steel Love
- Head Over Water
on
NME/Rough Trade
on
unknown
on
Shelter/Rough Trade
on
Breaking Down Records - BREAK LP 1
- In Spite Of These Times (1st )
on
Breaking Down Records - BREAK LP 3
on
Spasm/Midnight Music
on
on
Castle Music CMEDD1420
