Close Lobsters

The Close Lobsters originally formed in 1984 under the name The Close (as in
Brookside or tenement) with a lineup of Andy (vocals), Graeme (guitar), Fadge
(drums), and Spider (bass). They played one gig with this lineup at Paris
Nightclub in Paisley where they

'Pissed off any would be listeners with renditions of the Velvet Underground's
'Sweet Jane', our own 'Nothing To Lose' (later to become a UK top 20 entry
some 8 years later in the format 'Let's Make Some Plans' on the Wedding
Present's double a side single), and the Fall's 'That Man', which, after being
joined on stage by one Chad Adams (Defiant Pose) to "help" sing, ended up
as 'White Riot" (they're not that far apart)'!

Albums:

Foxheads Stalk This Land (1987)
What Is There To Smile About? (1988)
Headache Rhetoric (1989)

Singles:

Going To Heaven To See If It Rains (1986)
Never Seen Before (1987)
Let's Make Some Plans (1987)
What Is There To Smile About (1988)
Nature Thing (1989)

Just Too BloodyStupid/All The little Boys & Girls (CAFF Records) (1990)
Bootleg 45

Bob joined the band on bass, and they first ventured out as the Close
Lobsters supporting Defiant Pose in Irvine in February 1985. This gig,
bizarrely, had a lunchtime start. The Close Lobster's first Paisley gig was at
the Cellar Bar in March 1985, which was followed by a couple more there in
the next few months. By this time, both Paris and Windys had opened up to
live music and they had a few spells playing there. During 1985, Tom joined
the band on guitar and they played at the Cellar again at the end of the year
as a 5 piece. It was also in 1985 that the Close Lobsters played their first
London gig at Merlin's Cave '...accompanied by half of Paisley'.

During the early part of 1986, the Close Lobsters released their first track,
'Fire Station Towers', on the acclaimed C86 cassette released by the NME. In
the summer of that year, the band signed to Fire Records although both MCA
and RCA were also showing interest '...but being chronic underachievers we
opted for fire - no money, no promotion, no nothing, but both Arthur (Paisley's
'It ticked and Exploded' fanzine), and 'Sounds' man Johnny Waller gave time
for them and they had the correct attitude. Generally, I think we were just in a
rush to get a bit of vinyl out, no matter how'.

In July, 1989, the Close Lobsters undertook a two week US tour playing New
York and the East Coast. 'By this time we were licensed out to Enigma
Records in the U.S. & Canada who were selling the Foxheads album well
(allbeit 2 years after release), and we were getting on the playlists of all the
college radio stations. It was some recognition at last - then Enigma folded'!

In November and December of 1989, the band returned to the US to play the
East Coast & Mid West where they went down 'a fuckin' storm'! After the
tour, Tom left the band was replaced by Joe (The Fegs, Defiant Pose, The
Uprising) who had been involved with the band on and off from the first gig.

The Close Lobsters split in 1991 with their last gig being at King Tut's in
Glasgow in the summer of that year. Why did they split? 'Fear of Boredom. If,
incidentally, there is ever a Close Lobsters compilation of all the non-hits then
this is top candidate for the title - a common theme for the band'.