Elastica – Live At Reading 1999 – August 27, 1999 – BBC Radio 1 –
Elastica this weekend. One of those bands inextricably linked with Britpop in the mid/late 90s. Even though they were Alternative/Punk/Post-Punk/New Wave, since founding members Justine Frischmann and Justin Welch were previously with Suede, and it probably added to the confusion when Frischmann was romantically linked to Blur frontman Damon Albarn. Tabloids just ran with it and they were stamped with the fledgling genre for the rest of their musical careers.
But they were successful on their own, and even though they got caught up in some sticky plagiarism allegations from Wire and The Stranglers, all got settled, they were well liked, and they were popular on both sides of the Atlantic. Their debut self-titled album in 1995 shot to the top of the charts, entering at Number One, becoming the biggest selling debut album since Oasis’ Definitely Maybe. All healthy signs of a band well on its way to becoming household names.
However, the band underwent numerous personnel changes, and the almost required maladies of wretched excess, and by the time their follow-up album was released in 2000, things ground to a halt and they dissolved (amicably) in 2001.
For that brief period of time they captured imaginations, grabbed attentions, and shook asses. And even though they have all gone on to other things, other pursuits and other careers (Frischmann gave it all up for Art), the fact that Elastica were part of what made the 90s an interesting decade can’t be disputed. They were loud and raucous and made impressions – BBC Radio 1 loved them and featured them in session numerous times – the press celebrated them and turned them into budding icons. It was all part of what made music in the 90s an adventure and different from the previous decade and maybe the decade before that. Loved it or hated it, no getting around the 90s; it was a statement. And Elastica were part of it.
Crank it up.
