I think I’ll put this here, why not? After all, can’t really see this thread going anywhere much, no offence intended, and it could probably do with some pity contributions no matter how irrelevant.
I saw them at the Cambridge Junction when their first album came out. I won tickets (TX) on the local radio evening show.
They did Lifted, the other one, and lots that sounded exactly like those two.
I have never seen such a boring gig, and you’re all well aware of my dullness threshold. I spent most of the gig in the venue’s bar, playing on the pinball machine.
WOW. Self-confessed dullard is out-dulled by the dullest group in rock! I’m actually quite intrigued now by the details of this gig.
Dullest gig I ever was was Paul Weller in 1995 at T in the Park. I remember it well. At the time he was feted in the indie music press as being the cooler-than-thou “modfather” and all that. So I was surprised by a series of “tasteful” (and endless) blues and soul jams, about as far from the cutting edge as a pair of safety scissors in a primary school. In voice, demeanour and earnestness he reminded me of that crown prince of dullness, Eric Clapton (post-Layla). I wandered off from my cool mod pals (ha – as if I ever had any cool pals…) and had a great time in the Massive Attack Dub Tent.
The dullest gig I ever saw has to be Cat Power (darling of the Lesbian Left) in Paris. She noodled endlessly at her keyboard, offering distracted fragments of songs to the cries of “we love you!” from her face-pierced fanbase. I had to wait it out because I was there for the Pretty Things. The lesbians elbowed out through a tide of sweaty blerks, and the Pretties – ably abetted by Arfur Brown – delivered a steamingly great set. Arfur gave us a barechested rendition of That’s How Strong My Love Is, and my shout of “nice one, Arfur!” from the front row won me a laugh and a handshake from the Great Man. I had forgot Cat Power, but the memory surfaced later, giving me gas.
A friend of mine wanted the Ocean Colour Scene album – his ever so helpful girlfriend went out the next day and bought him TLHM debut album Ocean Drive.
Not sure how – probably me never turning down a free CD gift – but it’s on my shelf now (I think I’ve listened to it once in 26 years)
Somewhere in the archives of the old blog from July 2011 is a review of Elton John Magic Summer Live at Hatfield House supported by The Lighthouse Family. Easily the worst gig I ever went to. The Lighthouse Family weren’t the worst part, nor was the rain or the 2 hour wait to park…..
D’you know, chums, many years ago – must be ooh a decade if it’s a day! – I heard a pleasing tune in a riverside bar and asked in this – “blog” – as it then was! – what it might have been, furnishing the “Afterworders” with such clues as I could muster! After much lively discussion, with splendid input from the much-missed minibreakfast, it was determined that it was Lifted, by the LIghthouses Family. Alas! I was subjected to a Veritable Tsunami of contumely! If ever an on-line community could spit, it spat!
It is a splendid pop song. I haven’t heard it since then, and I for one am saddened by the break-up of a combo which brought a little happiness into the lives of millions (which, let’s face it, is more than any of you have done, yer miserable bastids).
It’s time for us to ‘fess up, H.P.
We were having a laugh at your expense. The song you described to us was actually Night of the Thumpasorus Peoples by Parliament. I hope our little joke didn’t adversely impact your musical development.
What a lovely song. Nearly six million views. Read the first few comments. If you find something to sneer at, maybe that’s in you, and not the song? And if they made a career out of it, that’s a good thing, an achievement. You were bored at a gig? Maybe some of the audience weren’t – it’s a possibiity. I’ve been bored at gigs by bigger acts. I don’t have any of their records, never seen them, but this song worked for me out of the blue, and it still works, even after learning I’m not supposed to like them.
Just listened to it and, whilst it isn’t quite as I remember, it is find it pleasing enough and inoffensive. He has a decent voice. Were there two other singles they did or just the one? I don’t have album, I don’t think, but wouldn’t be anguished to discover I did. Easy target, like Dido, yet there are many worse “we” adore…..
Bad timing perhaps. Top Gear played Ocean Drive on Sunday – 3 blokes singing your song whilst driving an RV may just have re-ignired interest and caused a crowd to gather at HMV.
Maybe not … I’ve just checked and it is not currently listed as an Amazon Best Seller
I reverted back to the £50 guy and bought a 3 Blu-Ray boxset of Scream,1 -3, the Top Gun exclusive HMV DVD re-issue and the Halloween remake with Jamie Lee Curtis from a few years ago. Total cost c.£33…bargain!
The perfect fame… presumably quite wealthy, could turn up at a Village Fete, set up, start doing whatever it is they do, and 99.9% of the people there wouldn’t have a Scooby who they are.
The pop equivalent of ticking the “no publicity” box before winning the lottery.
Haven’t done it, but I did mention on here a few years ago that I might go round chazzers signing records/CDs by the likes of the Lighthouse Family (I think I was the one who declared them the most boring act ever on a previous thread) to see how many pitched up on eBay further down the line.
I think we should all do that – flood the market.
The main criticism of the Lighthouses seems to be they were boring, right? I wonder what they’d think of an Afterworder’s life. They got to sell a few pop singles, back when it meant something, and made what seems to be a career (touring the world maybe? I have no idea) in the business most of us come here to kvetch about. Seems to me they won this one.
My interested piqued, I just listened to Lifted and can honestly say that I have no memory of ever hearing this song before. Also, if you asked me in an hour to whistle it I may struggle. These two facts may be related.
I thought they were pretty inoffensive and even occasionally pleasant to listen to, but I got the impression (which may be completely unfair) that the keyboard-playing half of the band was rather arrogant, and thought they were the best thing since sliced bread. I have a vague memory of seeing an interview with them in which he positively bristled at the idea that they might not be exactly cutting edge, and insisted that they were, in fact, the most cutting edge band in the history of bands and you’re an idiot if you don’t recognise that. I found that much more off-putting than the blandness of the music.
Moose the Mooche says
Nearly all bands are still going, including bands where all the members are dead – like the Drifters and Coldplay.
H.P. Saucecraft says
Woody Woodmansey’s U-boat just announced their first post-lockdown tour to promote new album “Up Periscope!”.
Moose the Mooche says
Dive! Dive!
Black Type says
A nation is lifted, surely?
Gary says
I think I’ll put this here, why not? After all, can’t really see this thread going anywhere much, no offence intended, and it could probably do with some pity contributions no matter how irrelevant.
H.P. Saucecraft says
The brilliantly funny Mr. Blunt.
fentonsteve says
I saw them at the Cambridge Junction when their first album came out. I won tickets (TX) on the local radio evening show.
They did Lifted, the other one, and lots that sounded exactly like those two.
I have never seen such a boring gig, and you’re all well aware of my dullness threshold. I spent most of the gig in the venue’s bar, playing on the pinball machine.
Moose the Mooche says
Thank god you translated that strange word after “won”.
Arthur Cowslip says
WOW. Self-confessed dullard is out-dulled by the dullest group in rock! I’m actually quite intrigued now by the details of this gig.
Dullest gig I ever was was Paul Weller in 1995 at T in the Park. I remember it well. At the time he was feted in the indie music press as being the cooler-than-thou “modfather” and all that. So I was surprised by a series of “tasteful” (and endless) blues and soul jams, about as far from the cutting edge as a pair of safety scissors in a primary school. In voice, demeanour and earnestness he reminded me of that crown prince of dullness, Eric Clapton (post-Layla). I wandered off from my cool mod pals (ha – as if I ever had any cool pals…) and had a great time in the Massive Attack Dub Tent.
H.P. Saucecraft says
The dullest gig I ever saw has to be Cat Power (darling of the Lesbian Left) in Paris. She noodled endlessly at her keyboard, offering distracted fragments of songs to the cries of “we love you!” from her face-pierced fanbase. I had to wait it out because I was there for the Pretty Things. The lesbians elbowed out through a tide of sweaty blerks, and the Pretties – ably abetted by Arfur Brown – delivered a steamingly great set. Arfur gave us a barechested rendition of That’s How Strong My Love Is, and my shout of “nice one, Arfur!” from the front row won me a laugh and a handshake from the Great Man. I had forgot Cat Power, but the memory surfaced later, giving me gas.
Rigid Digit says
A friend of mine wanted the Ocean Colour Scene album – his ever so helpful girlfriend went out the next day and bought him TLHM debut album Ocean Drive.
Not sure how – probably me never turning down a free CD gift – but it’s on my shelf now (I think I’ve listened to it once in 26 years)
Beezer says
The cd or the shelf?
madfox says
Okay, let’s “lift” this thread by naming acts more boring than TLHM. I’ll start.
Erm…
Moose the Mooche says
The Erm… were pretty nifty before Nobby Oatcake left to form the mighty Ohhh!
Rigid Digit says
Billy Bourbon and John Caramel stayed together forming the short lived and little noticed or cared about Meh
Dave Ross says
Somewhere in the archives of the old blog from July 2011 is a review of Elton John Magic Summer Live at Hatfield House supported by The Lighthouse Family. Easily the worst gig I ever went to. The Lighthouse Family weren’t the worst part, nor was the rain or the 2 hour wait to park…..
Black Type says
But you’re till tanding to tell the tale, Dave.
Timbar says
It was John Shuttleworth in an interview said he liked the melodies of the Lighthouse Family. “Two notes!”
H.P. Saucecraft says
D’you know, chums, many years ago – must be ooh a decade if it’s a day! – I heard a pleasing tune in a riverside bar and asked in this – “blog” – as it then was! – what it might have been, furnishing the “Afterworders” with such clues as I could muster! After much lively discussion, with splendid input from the much-missed minibreakfast, it was determined that it was Lifted, by the LIghthouses Family. Alas! I was subjected to a Veritable Tsunami of contumely! If ever an on-line community could spit, it spat!
It is a splendid pop song. I haven’t heard it since then, and I for one am saddened by the break-up of a combo which brought a little happiness into the lives of millions (which, let’s face it, is more than any of you have done, yer miserable bastids).
fentonsteve says
They also donated multiple copies of their CD to charity shops throughout the land.
Such generous lads – I doubt there has been anybody so altruistic since that fella wot dun No Parlez.
Podicle says
I think Dido is in the running.
Podicle says
It’s time for us to ‘fess up, H.P.
We were having a laugh at your expense. The song you described to us was actually Night of the Thumpasorus Peoples by Parliament. I hope our little joke didn’t adversely impact your musical development.
H.P. Saucecraft says
Warming to my theme:
What a lovely song. Nearly six million views. Read the first few comments. If you find something to sneer at, maybe that’s in you, and not the song? And if they made a career out of it, that’s a good thing, an achievement. You were bored at a gig? Maybe some of the audience weren’t – it’s a possibiity. I’ve been bored at gigs by bigger acts. I don’t have any of their records, never seen them, but this song worked for me out of the blue, and it still works, even after learning I’m not supposed to like them.
retropath2 says
Just listened to it and, whilst it isn’t quite as I remember, it is find it pleasing enough and inoffensive. He has a decent voice. Were there two other singles they did or just the one? I don’t have album, I don’t think, but wouldn’t be anguished to discover I did. Easy target, like Dido, yet there are many worse “we” adore…..
fentonsteve says
This was the other one:
Uncle Wheaty says
That was truly awful as well.
Rigid Digit says
Bad timing perhaps. Top Gear played Ocean Drive on Sunday – 3 blokes singing your song whilst driving an RV may just have re-ignired interest and caused a crowd to gather at HMV.
Maybe not … I’ve just checked and it is not currently listed as an Amazon Best Seller
Moose the Mooche says
Really? There hasn’t been a crowd in an HMV since the Nick Knowles album dropped
Uncle Wheaty says
New HMV store in Oxford!
Interesting mix of stuff.
I reverted back to the £50 guy and bought a 3 Blu-Ray boxset of Scream,1 -3, the Top Gun exclusive HMV DVD re-issue and the Halloween remake with Jamie Lee Curtis from a few years ago. Total cost c.£33…bargain!
Have watched them all over the jubilee weekend!
Black Celebration says
I’d like to share my traditional joke about the Lighthouse Family. Here it is:
They’ve been on the rocks for years.
Lunaman says
Have an up!
Max the Dog says
And another!
Moose the Mooche says
So predictable…
pawsforthought says
And now for viewers in Scotland
Black Celebration says
These sketches are great – harmless pranks to begin with and then it gets increasingly strange.
Moose the Mooche says
A lot of young women would kill to have brows like Griff (TMFTL)
deramdaze says
The perfect fame… presumably quite wealthy, could turn up at a Village Fete, set up, start doing whatever it is they do, and 99.9% of the people there wouldn’t have a Scooby who they are.
The pop equivalent of ticking the “no publicity” box before winning the lottery.
Haven’t done it, but I did mention on here a few years ago that I might go round chazzers signing records/CDs by the likes of the Lighthouse Family (I think I was the one who declared them the most boring act ever on a previous thread) to see how many pitched up on eBay further down the line.
I think we should all do that – flood the market.
H.P. Saucecraft says
The main criticism of the Lighthouses seems to be they were boring, right? I wonder what they’d think of an Afterworder’s life. They got to sell a few pop singles, back when it meant something, and made what seems to be a career (touring the world maybe? I have no idea) in the business most of us come here to kvetch about. Seems to me they won this one.
Junior Wells says
Wasnt this very same vand the answer to one of your quizzes a few years ago?
Junior Wells says
Yes,yes band not vand.
Moose the Mooche says
I liked Raincloud at the time. There, I’ve said it.
Podicle says
My interested piqued, I just listened to Lifted and can honestly say that I have no memory of ever hearing this song before. Also, if you asked me in an hour to whistle it I may struggle. These two facts may be related.
Matthew Best says
I thought they were pretty inoffensive and even occasionally pleasant to listen to, but I got the impression (which may be completely unfair) that the keyboard-playing half of the band was rather arrogant, and thought they were the best thing since sliced bread. I have a vague memory of seeing an interview with them in which he positively bristled at the idea that they might not be exactly cutting edge, and insisted that they were, in fact, the most cutting edge band in the history of bands and you’re an idiot if you don’t recognise that. I found that much more off-putting than the blandness of the music.