The Darkside
Encyclopedia
The Darkside were an indie rock
band formed in 1989 by former members of Spacemen 3
. After releasing two studio albums they split up in 1993.
in 1989 and was led by Pete Bain (aka Bassman), who had left Spacemen 3 just before their 1989 album Playing With Fire
. Bain was then joined in the new outfit by his former bandmate, drummer Sterling Roswell (aka Rosco). Vocals were initially handled by Nick Haydn but his departure forced Bain to assume them. The group were signed to Beggars Banquet Records
offshoot Situation Two
throughout their existence.
Contrary to much of what is written about the band, Haydn has always claimed he was a founder member, once played with Spacemen 3 himself and wrote most of the band's early material (although credited to 'The Darkside' on record labels), and also played guitar as well as being the lead vocalist. Hayden left the band shortly before he was due to go on stage at a gig in Oxford. Hayden then formed the Oxford band Flite 118 whose set list included much of the early The Darkside songs such as "Highrise Love", "Ocean Of Fire" and "Can't Think Straight".
The group debuted in April 1990 with the single
"Highrise Love", which was followed by "Waiting for the Angels" and the album
, All That Noise. With Rosco moving to keyboards, the group recruited Craig Wagstaff, whom they had known while in Spacemen 3. The band's next release was the mail-order only Psychedelicise Suburbia live album in 1991. A double-EP
in November 1991 preceded second studio album Melomania, which was released in January 1992. With the departure of guitarist Kevin Cowen following the LP's release, Bain then assumed guitar duties for the EP Mayhem to Meditate. When Situation Two rejected the demos cut for a third LP, the band disintegrated.
Since the band's split, Bain has recorded several albums under the Alpha Stone name and guested on several of former bandmate Peter Kember
's E.A.R albums. Rosco recently issued the solo album Ubik under his real name Sterling Roswell.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band formed in 1989 by former members of Spacemen 3
Spacemen 3
Spacemen 3 were an English alternative rock band, formed in 1982 in Rugby, Warwickshire by Peter Kember and Jason Pierce. Their music was "colorfully mind-altering, but not in the sense of the acid rock of the '60s; instead, the band developed its own minimalistic psychedelia"...
. After releasing two studio albums they split up in 1993.
History
The band formed in RugbyRugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
in 1989 and was led by Pete Bain (aka Bassman), who had left Spacemen 3 just before their 1989 album Playing With Fire
Playing with Fire (Spacemen 3 album)
Playing With Fire is the penultimate studio album by Spacemen 3, released in February 1989. The original CD version included two live bonus tracks recorded in the Netherlands, and an ensuing release on Taang! Records included two more b-sides from the "Revolution" single...
. Bain was then joined in the new outfit by his former bandmate, drummer Sterling Roswell (aka Rosco). Vocals were initially handled by Nick Haydn but his departure forced Bain to assume them. The group were signed to Beggars Banquet Records
Beggars Banquet Records
Beggars Banquet is an English independent record label that began as a chain of record shops owned by Martin Mills and Nick Austin, and is part of the Beggars Group of labels...
offshoot Situation Two
Situation Two
Situation Two, aka Situation 2, was a record label created in 1981 by Peter Kent as an offshoot of the larger Beggars Banquet label. At the time, Beggars Banquet records were distributed by WEA Records; so, to appeal to the indie audience and to get releases into the indie charts, the Situation Two...
throughout their existence.
Contrary to much of what is written about the band, Haydn has always claimed he was a founder member, once played with Spacemen 3 himself and wrote most of the band's early material (although credited to 'The Darkside' on record labels), and also played guitar as well as being the lead vocalist. Hayden left the band shortly before he was due to go on stage at a gig in Oxford. Hayden then formed the Oxford band Flite 118 whose set list included much of the early The Darkside songs such as "Highrise Love", "Ocean Of Fire" and "Can't Think Straight".
The group debuted in April 1990 with the single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Highrise Love", which was followed by "Waiting for the Angels" and the album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, All That Noise. With Rosco moving to keyboards, the group recruited Craig Wagstaff, whom they had known while in Spacemen 3. The band's next release was the mail-order only Psychedelicise Suburbia live album in 1991. A double-EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
in November 1991 preceded second studio album Melomania, which was released in January 1992. With the departure of guitarist Kevin Cowen following the LP's release, Bain then assumed guitar duties for the EP Mayhem to Meditate. When Situation Two rejected the demos cut for a third LP, the band disintegrated.
Since the band's split, Bain has recorded several albums under the Alpha Stone name and guested on several of former bandmate Peter Kember
Peter Kember
Peter Kember is a British musician and producer, more usually known as Sonic Boom, and was a founding member of alternative rock band Spacemen 3....
's E.A.R albums. Rosco recently issued the solo album Ubik under his real name Sterling Roswell.
Albums
- All That Noise (1990), Situation Two
- Psychedelicise Suburbia (1991), Acid Ray
- Melomania (1992), Situation Two
EPs
- Loaded on Bliss (1991), Muster
- Mayhem to Meditate (1992), Situation Two
- Lunar Surf (1993), Bomp
Singles
- "Highrise Love" (1990), Situation Two
- "Waiting for the Angels" (1991), Situation Two
- "When Fate Deals its Mortal Blow" (1993), Munster