Leeds, UK · glam-rock · alt-rock

Spacehog

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Bowie-indebted glam played by Yorkshiremen in New York — one enormous single, plenty of swagger, 'In the Meantime' still soaring.

Spacehog formed in New York City in the early 1990s, though all four members were originally from Leeds, England. Royston Langdon sang and played bass, his brother Antony played rhythm guitar, Jonny Cragg was on drums and Richard Steel took over lead guitar in 1994, replacing original guitarist Robert Curreri. The band signed to Sire Records that same year through Seymour Stein.

Their sound drew on 1970s British glam rock, with Bowie, T. Rex, Queen and Slade as reference points, filtered through the post-grunge production common to alternative rock at the time. Live, the band leaned into theatrics: the Langdon brothers dressed like the Spiders from Mars, Steel soloed with a foot propped on his monitor, and Cragg twirled his drumsticks and set his gong alight.

The 1995 debut Resident Alien went gold, selling more than 500,000 copies on the strength of "In the Meantime," which received heavy radio and video play and was used as background music on the BBC's Match of the Day. The album also produced the single "Cruel to Be Kind," though the band has since been labelled a one-hit wonder by some critics.

The Chinese Album followed in 1998, selling less but built on a growing live following as the band opened for Pearl Jam and Supergrass; it included a guest vocal from Michael Stipe on "Almond Kisses." After being dropped by Elektra, Spacehog signed to Artemis Records for The Hogyssey in 2001, touring with the Black Crowes and Oasis in support.

Spacehog broke up in the early 2000s and reunited in 2006, releasing one further album afterward. Royston Langdon's marriage to actress Liv Tyler, and their son born in 2004, coincided with this period before the couple's later separation.

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glam-rockalt-rock