Close Lobsters – in session for Janice Long – June 29, 1986 – BBC Radio 1 –
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Close Lobsters in session tonight. Recorded on June 29, 1986 for Janice Long at BBC Radio 1.
Close Lobsters were formed in the Scottish village of Paisley (prophetically enough, given the band’s psychedelic tendencies) in 1985 by singer Andrew Burnett and drummer Stewart McFayden. The pair couldn’t decide between the names the Close and the Lobsters and simply combined the two for their nonsensical but evocative handle. Adding guitarists Tom Donnelly and Graeme Wilmington, plus Burnett’s brother Robert on bass, Close Lobsters gained some early notoriety when their song “Fire Station Towers” showed up on the legendary New Musical Express cassette C-86, which lent its name to an entire movement of post-punk guitar bands. Close Lobsters had a greater commitment to melody than most of the C-86 bands, though, as shown on their first single, “Going to Heaven to See If It Rains,” which was released in November 1986. A second single, “Never Seen Before,” appeared in April 1987, with a superior re-recorded version of “Fire Station Towers” and a cover of the Only Ones’ “Wide Waterways” on the flip.
Their popularity on United States college radio stations led to an invitation to the New York Music Seminar in 1989, which in turn led to an extensive American tour. They toured extensively in the UK, Germany and the United States of America and Canada. The band eventually took an extended break.
Their ‘Best of’ Singles retrospective, Forever, Until Victory! – the title is from the reputed last sign-off in a letter from Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara to Fidel Castro ‘Hasta la victoria siempre!’ – was released on 5 October 2009 on Fire Records.
Close Lobsters’s song “Let’s Make Some Plans” was covered by the Wedding Present on the B-side of their “California” single in 1992.
In March 2012, Close Lobsters reformed to play the second Madrid Popfest, Glasgow, third Popfest Berlin and the 2013 NYC Popfest.
In May 2014, Close Lobsters played the Copenhagen Popfest and released new EP, “Kunstwerk in Spacetime”. Lead single “Now Time” received significant attention, and the band hinted at more new music to come in an interview with Sound.wav Music in July 2014.
Close Lobsters’s song “Let’s Make Some Plans” was covered by The Luxembourg Signal on the B-side of their “Laura Palmer” single in 2017.
Hit the Play button and play loud. Two more days to go before the weekend – pace yourself.
