Space are a band from Liverpool, England, who formed in 1992 initially as a trio of Tommy Scott (vocals, bass, guitar), Jamie Murphy (vocals, guitar) and Jamie Island (drums), who was later replaced by Andy Parle in 1993. Keyboard player Franny Griffiths joined the line-up a year later, and the band signed to Gut Records in 1995, eventually rising to prominence with hit singles such as "Female of the Species", "Me and You Versus the World", "Neighbourhood", "Avenging Angels" and "The Ballad of Tom Jones", the latter a duet with Cerys Matthews of Catatonia.
Space pursued an eclectic sound dubbed "queasy listening" by critics, embracing electronica and sampling in their work and drawing from genres as diverse as hip hop, techno, post-punk, ska, lounge music, easy listening and film scores, the result of the difference in tastes between band members. The group were also noted for their deliberately tongue-in-cheek, dark-humoured lyrics inspired by films, which frequently deal with topics such as serial killers, failed relationships, social outcasts, and mental illness. Whilst Space's eclecticism and camp humour polarised listeners and critics, they have maintained a devoted cult following.
Space experienced several lineup changes, with Scott being the only consistent member. Their first two albums, Spiders (1996) and Tin Planet (1998), achieved great success and went platinum in the UK, along with scoring eight UK Top 40 singles. Work on their proposed third album, Love You More than Football, was marred by difficulties, and it was eventually shelved once the band were released from their contract with Gut. The band disbanded in 2005, following low sales and a lukewarm reception of their fourth album Suburban Rock 'n' Roll (2004), which was nonetheless acclaimed by fans.
Scott went on to form The Drellas, which in 2011 morphed into the second incarnation of Space after Griffiths (and briefly Murphy) joined the group. Space have continued to perform live and release studio albums, including Attack of the Mutant 50ft Kebab (2014) and Give Me Your Future (2017). In 2019, twenty years after it was recorded, Love You More than Football was officially released as part of a career-spanning Anthology boxset. The band's seventh album, Music for Pleasure Music for Pain, was released in 2021.
Links to Peel[]
Although Peel generally was not a fan of the group's music, he praised them for taking part in the Hillsborough Justice concert which raised money for the Hillsborough disaster fund (keyboardist Franny Griffiths had been a survivor of the 1989 disaster), and played tracks from the concert via the 'You'll Never Walk Alone - The Hillsborough Justice Concert' album on his shows in 1997.
Shows Played[]
- 11 June 1997: Me & You Vs The World (v/a album - You'll Never Walk Alone - The Hillsborough Justice Concert) V2
- 12 June 1997: Female Of The Species (v/a album - You'll Never Walk Alone - The Hillsborough Justice Concert) V2