Bearsuit are a British indie band from Norwich, whose music started out as art-punk, with instruments ranging from violins, flutes and horns. The band was formed in 1998 by members who met each other at the University of East Anglia, who then slowly met others while at Norwich. After several line ups, the band in 2007 changed their musical direction and went onto an indie electronic style. Some members of the band have also been involved in other projects including a semi Japanese group called Hyper Kinako, whose track Tokyo Invention Registration Office reached number 44 on the 2003 Festive Fifty. Bearsuit have been championed by BBC radio DJs including John Peel, Steve Lamacq, Huw Stephens, Zane Lowe, Rob Da Bank, Phill Jupitus, Marc Riley, Tom Ravenscroft, Tom Robinson, Colin Murray, Gideon Coe and John Kennedy on XFM.
Links To Peel[]
The band got the attention of Peel in 1999 when they sent him their demo tape, which the DJ liked so much he played it on his show. Lisa Horton, a member of Bearsuit, recalled sending the demo tape to Peel: [1]
"We just sent a demo in that we’d recorded ourselves at home. It was really bad, but he played it anyway and invited us in for a session. We couldn’t believe our luck – it was a really exciting time. 'He went on to play pretty much everything we sent him and even offered to restart Dandelion Records to put out our album. We probably wouldn’t still be together now if we hadn’t had that support right at the start."
The band recorded four sessions for Peel and their songs regularly featured in the Festive Fifty.
"Let's be realistic about this. Who would you sooner hear, Bearsuit or, I dunno, Blink 182? Bearsuit! Of course you would. Any decent, reasonable person would." (JP, 26 September 2001)
"I have to say that in an era when almost everything is quite like something else, I mean I exaggerate obviously, but Bearsuit are not quite like anything and we must be grateful for that." (JP, 01 August 2002)
The group paid tribute to the DJ on the sleeve of their 2005 LP "Team Ping Pong", a compilation of their early singles:
"Dedicated to John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, obviously. We miss you so much."
Festive Fifty Entries []
- Peel's Time
- 2001 Festive Fifty: Hey Charlie, Hey Chuck #04
- 2002 Festive Fifty: Drinkink #30
- 2003 Festive Fifty: Itsuko Got Married #05
- Post-Peel
- 2004 Festive Fifty: Chargr! #02
- 2006 Festive Fifty: Steven Fucking Spielberg #17
- 2007 Festive Fifty: Steven Fucking Spielberg #30
- 2007 Festive Fifty: Foxy Boxer #03
- 2010 Festive Fifty: Please Don't Take Him Back #34
Live[]
- 31 October 2002: Recorded for One Live at the Nottingham Boat Club:
- Disembowel The Demonkind
- Hey Charlie Hey Chuck
- Stop What You're Doing, What You're Doing Is Wrong
- Going Steady
- Rodent Disco
- Drinkink
Sessions[]
1. Recorded: 2001-06-20. Broadcast: 11 July 2001. Repeated: 23 January 2002
- Stop What You're Doing What You're Doing Is / Hei Jaska Hei Jokunen / Minerals Made Me / Poor Prince Neal
2. Broadcast live from Maida Vale: 26 September 2001
- A Plea / Hovercar / Truly Sheri / Hey Charlie Hey Chuck / I Thought You Said You Were Blind / Drink Ink / Poor Prince Neal
3. Recorded: 2002-06-16. Broadcast: 01 August 2002
- I Feel The Heat Of The Light From Heaven / Tiny Barnes / Come Around / Disembowel The Demonkind / Disco For Rodents
Other Shows Played []
(The following list was compiled only from the database of this site and Lorcan's Tracklistings Archive. Please add further details if known.)
- 1999
- 11 November 1999 (Radio Eins): 'Fears Of Moon Pilot Ben (7")' (white label)
- 18 November 1999: 'Fears Of Moon Pilot Ben (7")' (white label)
Bearsuit - Hey Charlie, Hey Chuck
- 2001
- 03 May 2001: Hey Charlie Hey Chuck (7") Sickroom Gramophonic
- 17 May 2001: Hey Charlie Hey Chuck SICKROOM GRAMOPHONIC=SGC=005
- 24 May 2001 (Radio Eins): Hey Charlie Hey Chuck (7") Sickroom Gramophonic
- 29 May 2001: Hovercar Single: Hey Charlie Hey Chuck Sickroom SCC=005
- 31 May 2001: Fears Of Moonpilot Ben (Single - Hey Charlie Hey Chuck) Sickroom Gramophonic SGC=005
- 31 May 2001 (Radio Eins): Hovercar (7" - Hey Charlie Hey Chuck) Sickroom Gramophonic
- 05 June 2001: Hey Charlie, Hey Chuck (7") Sickroom Gramophonic SGC=005
- 12 June 2001: Hey Charlie Hey Chuck Single: Hey Charlie Hey Chuck Sickroom gramophonic SGC=005
- 14 June 2001 (Radio Eins): Hey Charlie Hey Chuck (7") Sickroom Gramophonic
- 10 July 2001: Hey Charlie, Hey Chuck (7") Sickroom Gramophonic Collective
- 21 August 2001: Drinkink ('Blip Anomaly' 7") Sickroom Gramophonic Collective
- 29 August 2001: Drinkink (7") Sickroom Gramophonic Collective
- 04 October 2001 (Radio Eins): Drinkink (7") Sickroom Gramophonic Collective
- 18 October 2001: The Gazumper (split single with Aqua Vista – Sickroom Gramophonic Collective Hallowe'en Record) Sickroom Gramophonic
- 13 November 2001: The Gazumper (split single with Aqua Vista – Sickroom Gramophonic Collective Hallowe'en Record) Sickroom Gramophonic Collective
- 27 December 2001: Hey Charlie Hey Chuck (7 inch)' (Sickroom Gramophonic Collective) FF #04
DRINKINK - Bearsuit
- 2002
- 13 February 2002: Drink Ink (single) Sickroom
- 27 February 2002: Drink Ink (7” single) Sickroom
- 07 March 2002: Drinkink (7" single) Sickroom
- 14 March 2002 (Radio Eins): Drinkink (7") Sickroom
- 17 April 2002: Drinkink (7” single) Sickroom Gramophonic Collective
- 18 April 2002 (Radio Eins): Drinkink (7") Sickroom Gramophonic Collective SGC 008
- 02 May 2002: Drink Ink (7") Sickroom Gramophonic Collective SGC 008
- 02 May 2002 (Radio Mafia): Drinkink (Sickroom)
- 04 June 2002: Stop What You’re Doing, What You’re Doing Is Wrong (7” single) Sickroom Gramophonic Collective
- 09 July 2002: Stop What You're Doing, What You're Doing Is Wrong (7")' (Sickroom)
- 18 July 2002 (Radio Eins): Stop What You're Doing, What You're Doing Is Wrong (7") Sickroom Gramophonic Collective
- 25 July 2002: Stop What You're Doing, What You're Doing Is Wrong (7")' (Sickroom)
- 26 December 2002 (Radio Mafia): 'Little Donkey (Compilation CD-A Christmas Gift From Fortuna Pop! Volume 2)' (Fortuna Pop!)
- 26 December 2002: Drinkink (7 inch)' (Sickroom) FF #30
- 27 December 2002 (BBC World Service): 'Little Donkey (Compilation CD-A Christmas Gift From Fortuna Pop! Volume 2)' (Fortuna Pop!)
Bearsuit - Itsuko Got Married
- 2003
- 16 April 2003: Tiny Barnes (EP- Jesus Will Spear You Through The Heart)'(Fortuna Pop)
- 24 April 2003: The Weight Of It (EP- Jesus Will Spear You Through The Heart)' (Fortuna)
- 01 May 2003 (Radio Eins): The Weight Of It (EP- Jesus Will Spear You Through The Heart)' (Fortuna)
- 14 May 2003: 'The Weight Of It (EP- Jesus Will Spear You Through The Heart)' (Fortuna Pop!)
- 27 May 2003: 'Tiny Barnes (EP- Jesus Will Spear You Through The Heart)' (Fortuna Pop!)
- 01 October 2003: Itsuko Got Married (single) Bearslut
- 08 October 2003: 'Itsuko Got Married (7" Single)' (Sickroom Collective)
- 23 October 2003 (Radio Eins): Itsuko Got Married (7") Bearslut BSL001
- 05 November 2003: Itsuko got Married' (CD Single)' (Bearsuit)
- 13 November 2003: Itsuko got Married' (CD Single)' (Bearsuit)
- 25 December 2003: 'Itsuko Got Married (7 inch)' (Bearslut) FF #05
John Peel's Bearsuit - Chargr!
- 2004
- 17 February 2004: On Your Special Day (LP- I'm With Cupid)' (Waxfruit)
- 10 March 2004: 'Cookie Oh Jesus' (LP - Cat Spectacular!') (Fortuna Pop)
- 23 March 2004: Rodent Disco LP - 'Cat Spectacular')' (Fortuna Pop)
- 24 March 2004: 'Cherryade' (LP 'Cat Spectacular!') Fortuna Pop!
- 25 March 2004: Going Steady (LP - 'Cat Spectacular')' (Fortuna Pop)
- April 2004 (FSK): On Your Special Day (CD - Cat Spectacular!) Fortuna Pop!
- 06 April 2004: 'Kiki Keep me Company (LP - 'Cat Spectacular')' (Fortuna Pop!)
- 21 April 2004: Diagonal Girl (LP - 'Cat Spectacular')' (Fortuna Pop!)
- 01 May 2004 (BBC World Service): Diagonal Girl (LP - 'Cat Spectacular')' (Fortuna Pop!)
- Post-Peel
- 28 October 2004: Chargr! (7") Fortuna Pop!
- 02 November 2004 (Rob Da Bank): 'Chargr' (7") - (Fortuna Pop!)
- 07 December 2004 (Rob Da Bank): 'Cookie Oh Jesus' (LP- Cat Spectacular) - (White Label)
- 14 December 2004 (Rob Da Bank): 'What, You’ve Never Seen Snow Before?' (7") - (Fortuna Pop)
- 30 December 2004: 'Chargr' (Fortuna Pop) FF #02
See Also[]
- June 2001 (Peel's Record Box)
- July 2001 (Peel's Record Box)
- August 2001 (Peel's Record Box)
- February 2002 (Peel's Record Box)
- March 2002 / April 2002 (Peel's Record Box)
- July 2002 (Peel's Record Box)
- April 2003 (Peel's Record Box)
- Gigography 2002