The Bitter Springs are an
Englishrock group from the
London suburb of
Teddington. The band evolved from Last Party, who had formed in 1985, with the name changing in 1996. The band have released two albums as Last Party, and six as The Bitter Springs and also played with
Vic Godard as
Subway Sect, on and off for nine years.
History
Last Party formed in 1985, although their history stretches back to the band No Trains At The Bay, which the members formed at school in 1978, and who had a song called "The Last Party".[1] One of their earliest gigs was in support of
The Sound, their original drummer Steve Infield being a housemate of The Sound's bass player Graham Bailey.[2] They released their debut album on their own Harvey label the following year. They were the support act at
The Stone Roses' first London gig, at the Greyhound in
Fulham, and were favourites with
John Peel, recording two sessions for his
BBC Radio 1 show, one in 1987 and a second in 1989.[3][4]
In 1995, the band members at the time (singer Simon Rivers, bass player Daniel Ashkenazy, Kim Ashford, and Neil Palmer) decided on a new name, The Bitter Springs, changing their name "in the hope that journalists who had ignored the Last Party would give us another listen".[2] The debut release under this new name, the Addison BrothersEP, featured
Vic Godard, and the Bitter Springs enjoyed a long association with Godard, acting as his backing band, the Subway Sect, for nine years, also contributing to studio recordings including Godard's Blackpool album, where Godard and the Bitter Springs provide musical backing to lyrics by
Irvine Welsh.[1][3] The Bitter Springs themselves have released six studio albums, including Benny Hill's Wardrobe, which was "album of the month" in MOJO and rated at 4.5 out of 5 by Melody Maker,[1][2] the latest being That Sentimental Slush in 2006, described as "an exhilirating [sic], exuberant bomb blast of an album".[5][6][7]Allmusic's Stewart Mason described the album as "entirely typical of the band's output, showing both their strengths and weaknesses", and noted Rivers' "wry sense of humor and an eye for romantic futility".[8] Lyricist and singer Simon Rivers has also performed solo, the first time in 2007 supporting
The Band of Holy Joy.[9]
Discography
Singles
As Last Party
"Mr. Hurst" (1987) Harvey
"Tree Shada" (1987) Idol
"Damp" (1998) Idol
"Die In a Spy Ring" (1989) Idol
"Black Leather Sheets" (1992) Bilberry
"Creature Lake" (1993) Harvey
"UCIT" (1994) Dishy
Contrast Split Single Club Vol.2 (1994) Contrast (track: "Fix Me")
"Selective Memory" (1995) Dishy
As The Bitter Springs
Addison Brothers EP (1996) Vespertine
"Absence Makes the Hair Grow Blonder" (1997) Trade 2