Saloon

Saloon was a British indie band originally formed in late 1997 by Adam Cresswell (bass/synthesisers) and Michael Smoughton (drums) in Reading. In early 1998, they added Alison Cotton (viola) (who came from another Reading band, British Air Powers, who went on to become British Sea Power) as well as Amanda Gomez (lead vocal) and Matt Ashton (guitars). Saloon drew on a range of influences of electronic and more guitar-based acts and developed a futuristic pop sound that incorporated Cotton's viola playing, Cresswell's interest in Moog synthesisers, and Ashton's feedback-tinged guitar style, along with samples and more exotic instrumentation, such as stylophone and glockenspiel. The band split in 2004, five days after the death of John Peel. After the split, members of the band went to form other groups and in 2010 the drummer Michael Smoughton tragically died with his wife in a car accident in Canada.

Links To Peel
Saloon issued a home-recorded four-track demo (The Blue Demo) containing four songs which garnered fanzine acclaim and, by the end of 1998, the single Lisa Millennium / Conquistador was released on their own Belmondo label. Upon issuing Futurismo (a split 7" with Derby band Lazer Guided) in 1999, Saloon came to the attention of DJ John Peel, who championed the band and their subsequent single releases. The band recorded three Peel sessions and were accused by critics of rigging the 2002 Festive Fifty, when their track Girls Are The New Boys reached number one. Although the fact that the band were invited back for a third Peel Session suggested that Peel and his production team felt there had been nothing irregular, the criticism clearly disturbed feeling within the band. In a 2006 interview Cresswell, while commenting on their 2001 Festive Fifty number 12, commented:


 * “Despite only being released on a 500 copy limited split 7" … this song [Impact] reached Number 12 in John Peel's Festive 50. No one accused us of cheating that year though. Bitter, me?" 

Festive Fifty Entries

 * 2001 Festive Fifty: Freefall #49
 * 2001 Festive Fifty: Impact #12
 * 2002 Festive Fifty: Have You Seen The Light #26
 * 2002 Festive Fifty: Girls Are The New Boys #01

Sessions
1. Recorded: 2001-07-04. Broadcast: 21 August 2001 2. Recorded and Live: 07 August 2002 3. Recorded: 2003-03-19. Broadcast: 16 April 2003*Vesovios / Kaspian / Happy Robots / I Could Have Loved A Tyrant
 * Spacer / Bicycle Thieves / Make It Soft / Girls Are The New Boys
 * Have You Seen The Light / Absence / 2500 Walden Ave / Le Weekend / The Good Life / Impact

Other Shows Played
(The list below was compiled only from the database of this site and Lorcan's Tracklistings Archive. Please add further information if known.)

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
 * 17 November 1999: 'Futurismo (split 7" with Lazer Guided])' (Artists Against Success)
 * 29 August 2000: 'Electron' (7" Single) Bearos Records
 * 17 May 2001: Impact (7") Glamourpuss Records
 * 23 May 2001: Impact (Single) Glamourpuss Records
 * 13 June 2001: Impact (7") Glamourpuss Records
 * 21 November 2001: Free Fall (7” single) Track & Field
 * 25 December 2001: Free Fall FF #49
 * 27 December 2001: 'Impact (split 7 inch with Sonic Catering Band)' (Glamour Puss) FF #12
 * 12 February 2002: Have You Seen The Light? (7” split single with Dressy Bessy) Track & Field
 * 26 February 2002: 'Have You Seen The Light? ' (7") Track & Field
 * 07 May 2002: Plastic Surgery (LP – (This Is) What We Call Progress) Track & Field
 * 23 May 2002 (Radio Eins): Plastic Surgery (album - (This Is) What We Call Progress) Darla
 * 03 October 2002: 'Girls Are The New Boys (7")' (Track & Field)
 * 23 October 2002: 'Girls Are The New Boys (7")' (Track and Field)
 * 26 September 2002: Plastic Surgery (LP - (This Is) What We Call Progress) Darla
 * 13 November 2002 (Radio Mafia): Girls Are The New Boys (7") Track And Field
 * 26 December 2002: 'Have You Seen The Light' (7") (Track & Field) FF #26
 * 26 December 2002:'Girls Are The New Boys (7 inch)' (Track & Field) FF #01 
 * 13 March 2003: 'Shoot The Singer' (LP - Everything Is Ending Here) (Homesleep)
 * 03 June 2003: 'Absence (LP- If We Meet In The Future)' (Track & Field)
 * 05 June 2003 (Radio Eins): 'Absence (LP- If We Meet In The Future)' (Track & Field)
 * 12 June 2003 (Radio Eins): 'Absence (CD-If We Meet In The Future)' (Track & Field)
 * 25 June 2003: Happy Robots (LP - If We Meet In The Future) Track & Field
 * 10 July 2003: Intimacy (LP - If We Meet In The Future) Track & Field