London After Midnight (band)

London After Midnight (sometimes abbreviated as LAM) is a project formed in the 1990s^[1] by songwriter and instrumentalist Sean Brennan. The project continues on to the present day. The project is considered by many as a prominent act of the second generation gothic rock movement,^[2] some critics have credited the band with reviving the Gothic music scene in the early 90s.^[3] London After Midnight has a following worldwide, with its largest fanbase in the goth subculture. However, in interviews Sean Brennan has shunned the use of this label and others to describe his music, calling it "artistically limitating".^[4]

Ideology and Themes

Brennan is known for his support of animal rights, pro-environmental and human rights issues, anti-corporate control of media, and progressive and liberal politics. He voices this support through London After Midnight internet outlets, such as their official website. The majority of the music released by London After Midnight so far follows personal and emotional themes which are often romantic. The lyrics are sometimes presented with morbid wit, with songs like "Your Best Nightmare" being akin to an Edward Gorey-esque tale.^[5][6] Since the 1990s, London After Midnight displayed a political focus. Earlier albums shown small shades of political leanings; for example, the 1991 track "Revenge" featured political elements, along with an Adolf Hitler introduction sound clip. (Politically, the track was not geared towards or sympathetic of nazism). Recent London After Midnight material (new CD release "Violent Acts of Beauty"), which has been performed in concert, has a high level of political focus, with songs like "Feeling Fascist?", "The Pain Looks Good on You", "America's a Fucking Disease", and others.

History

London After Midnight formed in Los Angeles, California during 1989, and played at several clubs in the area. Debuting live at premier Los Angeles Gothic rock club, Helter Skelter. During the earliest stages, London After Midnight had varying non-permanent live members who joined Brennan when performing live. Tamlyn a keyboardist was an early recurring member who played live and periodically tours with the band to this day. These members do not create music for LAM releases however Tamlyn has contributed an instrumental ^[7][8] called "Ice" for the 1998 release of Oddities at Brennan's request. Along with an instrumental entitled "Perversion" on their 93' Ruins demo tape released as a preview of what was to become from their second album, Psycho Magnet. After garnering a fanbase aided by the release of a self-titled demo, the project released their début album Selected Scenes from the End of the World in 1991. 1992 saw bassist Michael Areklett join the project's line-up after the resignation of live bassist Rob Podzunas. Like Tamlyn, Michael Areklett appeared live as a recurring member, rather than a guest. Around this period, Douglas Avery also joined the project replacing drummer Ian Haas. Eddie Hawkins was part of the original live line up, having been replaced in 1990.

Touring and releases

In the earliest days the live band would play mainly on the West Coast of the United States. Following the release of the self titled debut "London After Midnight", LAM gradually expanded on their Californian fanbase; eventually traveling to Mexico in 1994 (something few alternative acts were doing at the time^[9] progressing to tour the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, South America and further in the United States. Sean then expanded on the original demo release and recorded more songs for "Selected Scenes from the End of the World" released in late 1991. Coinciding with the release of the follow up album Psycho Magnet in 1994, London After Midnight headlined the Whitby Gothic Weekend in England and amongst other concerts in the UK, Europe, Mexico and the US. At this time, Sean Brennan had began to expand musically, implementing elements of darkwave and industrial rock. The project continued on with a third album titled Oddities released in 1998, featuring a cover of a track named "Sally's Song" from the film The Nightmare Before Christmas. This CD was vastly different from other releases in that it featured acoustic and ethereal alternative mixes of songs,along with a few brand new tracks. Around this time London After Midnight was garnering international press and was featured on the covers of many magazines, co-headlining major concert festivals like the Zillo summer festival, with The Cure and Green Day. LAM has since toured the world extensively playing alongside other popular bands such as Green Day, HIM (who have cited LAM as an influence^[10]), Rammstein, Soft Cell, and others, headlining and co-headlining to crowds of over 30,000 in Latin America, the US and Europe.

Recent times

The last London After Midnight album of new material was released in 2007. The new London After Midnight CD, Violent Acts of Beauty, was released in 2007. LAM has however, in 2003 re-released two of the past three releases in Europe and the Russian Federation, (which charted on the Deutsche Alternative Charts) adding previously unreleased bonus tracks. Since being replaced as live bassist in the project in 2005, original bassist Michael Areklett had continued with his alternative rock project named Covet, which he created earlier in the 2000s. Covet was originally planned as a side-project, but after leaving LAM it became a full-time project . Covet have claimed to feature songs written by Areklett which were offered up for use in London After Midnight, but for whatever reason were not used.^[11] (Something Brennan says isn't entirely accurate) ) As of 2006, they have released one EP titled, Angel. In 2004 the singer of Covet decided to leave and join the US military, being sent to Iraq.^[12] In 2006 a new London After Midnight song was released on the Saw II motion picture soundtrack, it featured bands such as Queens of the Stone Age, Skinny Puppy, Lore and others,^[13] it reached number one on the Deutsche Alternative Charts. In February 2007 a teaser trailer for London After Midnight's fourth long-awaited studio album Violent Acts of Beauty was released on the band's official website and LAM's YouTube page. The trailer states that the album is due for a Spring/Summer 2007 release. The album itself was released in Fall 2007 (North America).

Live Members

Current live band members

• Sean Brennan - vocals, guitar, bass, cello, violin, programming, drums, keyboards (1989-present)
• Eddie Hawkins - live guitar (1989..left for half a decade, and returned in 2003-2005)
• Joe S. - live drums (2000-present)
• Tamlyn - keyboards, sounds, samplers (1989-present)
• Randy Mathias - live bass (2005-present)

Former Live Members

• Dave Herman - a bass player who briefly worked with Sean but was never a part of LAM (1989) (never appeared live or wrote for LAM)
• Armondo - a singer who briefly worked with Sean but was never a part of LAM (1989)(never appeared live or wrote for LAM)
• John Koviak - live bass/guitar (1989-1992)
• Ian Haas - live drums (1989-1992)
• Douglas Avery - live drums (1992-1998)
• Rob Podzunas - live bass (1992-1992)
• Michael Areklett - live bass (1992-2004)
• Jeremy Meza - live guitar (2 nights only) (1992)
• Stacy - live guitar (1993) (one concert only)
• William Skye - live guitar (1994-1998)
• Janus - drums (never played live or wrote for LAM) (1999)

Discography

Albums

• Selected Scenes from the End of the World (1992)
• Psycho Magnet (1995)
• Oddities (1998)
• Violent Acts of Beauty (2007)

EPs

• Kiss (1995)

Demos

• London After Midnight (1990)
• Ruins (1993)

Videography

• Innocence Lost... (1993), then re-released in (1998) with 2 new songs and extra footage..

External links

• Official London After Midnight website
• Official London After Midnight MySpace
• London After Midnight VF account