– Close Lobsters – In Session for John Peel – Dec. 15, 1987 – BBC Radio 1 –
Close Lobsters first came to prominence in the U.S. in 1989, when their debut album Foxheads Stalk This Land got rave reviews from Rolling Stone, calling them “First rate guitar pop from a top-shelf band” which translated into massive College Radio airplay and an invitation to perform at the New York Music Seminar in 1989. Shortly after, they embarked an extensive criss-cross tour of the U.S. which, for all intents and purposes, exhausted the band and forced them into an extended break. That lasted until 2012 when they reformed to play the 2nd Madrid Popfest, and have been back on track ever since.
Tonight’s session is from 1987 – before the band broke through in the U.S., but were still a very much respected and admired Indie band in the UK and had released the very popular, Never Seen Before which was a follow-up to their well-received debut single Going To Heaven To See If It Rains which came out in October of 1986.
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, United States and Canada. The band eventually took an extended break.
Their ‘best of’ singles compilation album, 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.
In February 2020, the band released their latest album, Post Neo Anti: Arte Povera in the Forest of Symbols. It is their first new studio recording in over 30 years, and AllMusic noted “From the first strains of album opener “All Compasses Go Wild,” it’s uncanny how seamlessly the Lobsters pick up right where they left off”.
Perhaps you remember them the first time around? If not, check them out and hear what you missed in 1987, but can still catch in 2014.
Nice, when that happens.
