Comet Gain

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Comet Gain
Comet Gain play the 100 Club for London Popfest, 25th Feb 2012
Background information
Origin	London
Genres	Indie pop
Years active	1992–present
Labels	Wiiija, Kill Rock Stars, Fortuna Pop!, What's Your Rupture?, The Track & Field Organisation, Milou Studios
Associated acts	Velocette, Huggy Bear, Kicker, Eighteenth Day Of May, Cinema Red and Blue, The Clientele, The Yummy Fur

Members	David Feck Rachel Evans M.J. "Woodie" Taylor Anne Laure Guillain Ben Phillipson James Hornsey

Past members	Phil Sutton Sarah Bleach Sam Pluck Jax Coombes Jon Slade Kay Ishikawa Darren Smyth Blair Cowl George Wright

Comet Gain are a British indie pop band, formed by singer-songwriter and guitarist David Bower ^[1] (aka David Feck/David Christian) in 1992, with musical influences including post-punk and northern soul.^[2]

Comet Gain's first release was two tracks on Wiiija compilation EP 'Some Hearts Paid To Lie' in 1993, alongside three riot grrrl bands. Following an EP on Soul Static Sound in 1994, Comet Gain signed with Wiiija and released debut album Casino Classics and a further EP in 1995. The album featured sleevenotes by Television Personalities frontman Dan Treacy. During this period Comet Gain were both loosely associated with the UK riot grrrl scene and regularly compared to Dexys Midnight Runners; however from the first release their music varied dramatically in style from indie-pop influenced by sixties girl-group sounds, through early-80s alternative pop, to pure punk.

1996's 'Say Yes To International Socialism' EP ^[3] reflected the influence of late-period Jam/The Style Council and was promoted by Comet Gain's debut video, for the more radio-friendly b-side Hideaway. A second video was produced the following year to promote the Strength single and accompanying mini-album Magnetic Poetry, which was also released (as Sneaky^[4]) on Beggars Banquet USA in an attempt to promote the band stateside. However, due to ongoing artistic differences, in early 1997 the majority of Comet Gain split and formed the band Velocette,^[5] remaining on Wiiija, leaving David Christian to continue Comet Gain with new members.

Joined by new vocalist Rachel Evans, alongside bassist Kay Ishikawa and Darren Smyth on drums, Comet Gain released the comeback album Tigertown Pictures in 1999, following a move to KRS records. Additional members on the record included John McKeown (The Yummy Fur)^[6] and songs included the signature 'Saturday Night Facts Of Life', later covered by The Cribs.^[7]

2002's Realistes^[8]^[9] saw Comet Gain augmented by guitarist Jon Slade (ex-Huggy Bear) and drummer Woodie Taylor (ex-Morrissey/The Meteors) and continued the garage-punk influenced direction of the previous album. Guests included Chris Appelgren (The PeeChees)^[10] and Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill).

2005’s City Fallen Leaves^[11]^[12]^[13] was released on Track and Field records, and showcased a more expansive production, to further critical acclaim. Songs included Fists In The Pocket which had a rare accompanying video. Follow-up release Broken Record Prayers compiled singles, Peel Sessions and unreleased tracks from 1998 to 2008.^[14]^[15]

2010 and 2011 saw the release of a series of limited-edition singles to support new album Howl of the Lonely Crowd (Fortuna Pop! records). Produced by Ryan Jarman and Edwyn Collins, the album cemented Comet Gain’s reputation as respected and influential indie-pop veterans.^[16]^[17]^[18]^[19]^[20]^[21]^[22]^[23] During this period, Comet Gain settled as a 7-piece band with the addition of Ben Phillipson (ex-Kicker, Eighteenth Day of May) on guitar and backing vocals and Anne Laure Guillain on keyboards and backing vocals.

Members of Comet Gain collaborate with tourmates Crystal Stilts and others as Cinema Red and Blue,^[24]^[25] a long-term side project which released a single and an eponymous album in 2010. A follow up EP^[26] was released in October 2011.

Lineup

1993-1997

David Charlie Feck aka Charlie Damage (vocals, guitar, keys)
Sarah Bleach (vocals)
Sam Pluck (guitar)
Jax Coombes (bass, keyboards)
Phil Sutton aka Hoffner Burns (drums)

1997-

Main Band (As of 2013)

David Charlie Christian (vocals, guitar)
Rachel Evans (vocals, percussion)
M.J."Woodie" Taylor (drums, production)
Anne Laure Guillain (keys, backing vocals, percussion)
Ben Phillipson (guitar, vocals)
James Hornsey (bass)

Additional Members

Kay Ishikawa (bass) (1997-2011)
Jon Slade (guitar, bass) (2001-2012)
Darren Smyth (drums) (1997–2001)
Blair Cowl (guitar, bass) (1997–1999)
Lorna Lithgow (keys) (1999)
John McKeown (guitar) (1999)
Erik Brunulf (guitar, bass) (2001)
George Wright (bass) (1992)
Chris Appelgren (drums) (2002)
Gary Jarman (live drums - one gig) (2008)
Steve Dore (drums-newspapers-spiritual advice) (1922–present day)

Releases

Singles & EPs

"Holloway Sweethearts EP" (7" / 1994 / Soul Static Sound)
"Million And Nine" (one sided 7" / 1995 / Wiiija)
"The Gettin' Ready EP" (7" & CD / 1995 / Wiiija)
"Say Yes! (To International Socialism) EP" (7"/CD / 1996 / Wiiija)
"Strength" (7" & CD / 1997 / Wiiija)
"Jack Nance Hair" (7" / 1998 / Mei Mei Records)
"Mailorder Freaks Singles Club" [If I Had a Soul, He Walked By Night, Brothers Off the Block] (7" / Sept. 1998 / Kill Rock Stars)
"Red Menace EP" (7" / 1999 / Piao! Records)
"You Can Hide Your Love Forever" (7" / 2001 / Fortuna Pop!)
"Beautiful Despair" (12" / Jul. 2006 / What's Your Rupture?)
"Love Without Lies" (7" / Oct. 2008 / Twee as Fuck / What's Your Rupture?)
"Herbert Hunke Pt 1" (7" / Feb. 2009 / Germs of Youth)
"The Weekend Dreams" (7" split with Hello Cuca / May 2010 / Doble Vida Discos)
"I Never Happened EP" (7" / 2010 / What's Your Rupture?)
"Working Circle Explosive" (split 7" w/Crystal Stilts / 2011 / Fortuna Pop!)
"An Arcade From the Warm Rain That Falls" [7" / 2011 / Fortuna Pop!]
"Avenue Girls" (7" / 2013 / WIAIWYA)^[27]

Albums

Casino Classics (CD & LP / 1995 / Wiiija)
Magnetic Poetry (CD & LP / 1997 / Wiiija) / "Sneaky" (CD & LP / 1997 / Beggars Banquet USA)
Tigertown Pictures (CD & LP+7" / 1998 / Fortuna Pop! / Kill Rock Stars)
Réalistes (CD & LP / 2002 / Milou Studios / Kill Rock Stars)
City Fallen Leaves (CD & LP/ 2005 / The Track & Field Organisation / Kill Rock Stars)
Howl of the Lonely Crowd (CD & LP/ 2011 / Fortuna Pop! / What's Your Rupture?)

Compilations

Broken Record Prayers (CD & LP/ 2008 / Milou Studios / What's Your Rupture?)

Compilation appearances

Aliens At War & A Kind Of Loving on "Some Hearts Paid To Lie" (2x7" / 1993 / Wiiija)
You’ve Been Gone Too Long (live) on Heartache fanzine tape (CS / 1995 / Heartache fanzine)
Like A Sparrow on "Godz Is Not A Put-On" (Godz tribute) (LP+7" / 1996 / Lissy's Records)
Dreams Of A Working Girl on "NME C96" (CD / 1996 / NME)
Pinstriped Rebel (Would Be Goods cover) on "All Done With Mirrors" (CD / 1998 / Le Grand Magistery)
Asleep On The Snow on "A Christmas Gift From Fortuna Pop!" (CDEP / 2000 / Fortuna Pop!)
I Close My Eyes To Think Of God on "Jackson's Jukebox" (CD / Kill Rock Stars)
Look At You Now, You’re Crying on "Fields And Streams" (2xCD / 2002 / Kill Rock Stars)
Ann Don’t Cry on "Everything Is Ending Here: A Tribute To Pavement)" (2xCD / 2003 / Homesleep Records)
Look At You Now, You’re Crying on "POW! to the people" (2xCD / 2003 / The Track & Field Organisation)
If You Ever Walk Out Of My Life (Dena Barnes cover) on "More Soul Than Wigan Casino" (7" / 2005 / Fortuna Pop!)
Beautiful Despair, Never Die & Mainlining Mystery on "Imagine The Shapes" (CD / feb. 2007 / What's Your Rupture?)

References

External links

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