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Flying Saucer Attack

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Flying Saucer Attack fsa

Flying Saucer Attack is an English experimental space rock band formed in Bristol in 1992 and led by songwriter David Pearce. Rachel Brook (now Rachel Coe) of Movietone was a member during the band's early incarnation: other musicians contributing to the group's recordings and life performances included Rocker (ex-the Flatmates), Matt Elliott (aka the Third Eye Foundation) and Sam Jones (of Crescent).

Drawing on sources such as krautrock, folk and dream pop, the group referred to their DIY sound as "rural psychedelia" and were associated with bands of the contemporary post-rock and shoegazing scenes. FSA were able to create a small but enthusiastic fanbase, and were notable for recording most of their output at home, avoiding recording studios.... (Read more)

Links to Peel[]

JP apparently met Pearce in 1985 when he was starting out in the band Ha Ha Ha, politely explaining to them that their EP Up And Down was just too shambolic for radio play. [1] However, he played FSA's Soaring High on its first release until, as he claimed, he found out the band were from Bristol and stopped playing it. Then he relented and aired Wish and its B-side: they were constant features of his show until they split up in 2000. Their name may derive from the Rezillos song of the same name, played on occasion by JP.

On the occasion of FSA's 2015 reunion, Dave Pearce recalled John's influence on their early career:

"We recorded a couple of songs and that was going to be that. But then Simon who ran Heartbeat Records used to come into the shop to buy all these records by American lo-fi bands of the period. We had an account with Greyhound and Cargo was just starting up, and they were getting in all this stuff from America. There was this huge wave of homemade American singles by The Grifters and The Mummies… Superchunk. Those kind of bands. I really liked them, they were all rather wonderful. John Peel was playing quite a bit of it and Simon would come in, and he’d been re-energised by hearing this stuff on Peelie." [2]

The group went on to record two Peel sessions (the second of which has never seen an official release), although their sound never persuaded listeners to vote for any of their tracks in sufficient numbers to guarantee a Festive Fifty entry. Peel interviewed the band on the repeat of their first session broadcast.

Festive Fifty Entries[]

  • None
    Flying_Saucer_Attack_-_Wish

Live[]

  1. Soaring High
  2. Wish
  3. Standing Stone

Sessions[]

  • Two sessions: #1 available on Chorus (Domino).

1. Recorded: unknown. First broadcast: 21 May 1994. Repeated: 22 April 1995

  • Always / Popol Vuh III / Light In The Evening / Feedback Song Demo / Feedback Song

2. Recorded: 1996-03-01. First broadcast: 05 April 1996. No repeats.

  • Heartbeat / Guitar Blues / Jeff Mills Blues / I Can Take You To The Sun / Resolution Island

Other Shows Played[]

Flying_Saucer_Attack_"Soaring_High"

Flying Saucer Attack "Soaring High"

1993
  • 29 January 1993: 'Soaring High (7")' (FSA)
  • 06 February 1993: 'Soaring High (7")' (FSA)
  • 15 May 1993: 'Wish (7")' (FSA) (JP: You may remember that they [Flying Saucer Attack] had a single out perhaps towards the end of last year, perhaps it was at the beginning of this, which I played several times thinking it was an expensive foreign import that you couldn’t get your hands on. And then when I found it came from Bristol of course I stopped playing it. Being that kind of elitist chap. Here’s the second one. This is, I think, called 'Wish'. I’m not quite sure which side is which to be honest with you.') Wrong Speed Moment
  • 25 June 1993: 'Oceans (7" Wish · Oceans)' (FSA)
  • 13 August 1993: 'Oceans (7" - Wish - Oceans)' (FSA)
  • 05 November 1993: ‘A Silent Tide (LP-Flying Saucer Attack)’ (FSA)
  • 13 November 1993: 'Wish (LP-Flying Saucer Attack)' (FSA)
  • 20 November 1993: 'Popol Vuh 2 (LP-Flying Saucer Attack)' (FSA)
  • 27 November 1993 (BFBS): 'Popol Vuh 1 (LP-Flying Saucer Attack)' (FSA)
  • 04 December 1993: 'A Silent Tide (LP-Flying Saucer Attack)' (FSA)
1994
1995
1996
1997
1999
2000
Others

See Also[]

External Links[]

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