Last Party

The Last Party were a British indie band formed Teddington, London, in 1985, although their history stretches back to the band No Trains At The Bay, which the members formed at school in 1978, and who had a song called "The Last Party". One of their earliest gigs was in support of The Sound, their original drummer Steve Infield being a housemate of The Sound's bass player Graham Bailey. They released their debut album on their own Harvey label the following year. They were the support act at the Stone Roses' first London gig, at the Greyhound in Fulham.
In 1995, the band members at the time (singer Simon Rivers, bass player Daniel Ashkenazy, Kim Ashford, and Neil Palmer) decided on a new name, The Bitter Springs, changing their name "in the hope that journalists who had ignored the Last Party would give us another listen". The debut release under this new name, the Addison Brothers EP, featured Vic Godard, and the Bitter Springs enjoyed a long association with Godard, acting as his backing band, the Subway Sect, for nine years, also contributing to studio recordings including Godard's Blackpool album, where Godard and the Bitter Springs provide musical backing to lyrics by Irvine Welsh.
The Bitter Springs themselves have released six studio albums, including Benny Hill's Wardrobe, which was "album of the month" in MOJO and rated at 4.5 out of 5 by Melody Maker, the latest being That Sentimental Slush in 2006, described as "an exhilirating [sic], exuberant bomb blast of an album". Allmusic's Stewart Mason described the album as "entirely typical of the band's output, showing both their strengths and weaknesses", and noted Rivers' "wry sense of humor and an eye for romantic futility". Lyricist and singer Simon Rivers has also performed solo, the first time in 2007 supporting The Band of Holy Joy.
==Links to Peel==
Peel seemed to have discovered the group in early 1987 when they released their debut single, Mr. Hurst. He later invited them a month or so, their debut session, which was recorded in March 1987, where they performed four songs. Another session from the band was also recorded for Peel's show in January 1989. When the band changed their name to The Bitter Springs, Peel inititially didn't seem to play their new material until sometime in 1997, where he played their latest single as well as tracks from their 1998 album, Five Die Filming This Lazy Lark.
==Sessions==
thumb|221x221px
;Last Party
1. Recorded: 1987-03-17. First Broadcast: 30 March 1987. Repeated: 14 April 1987
*Bigger Things / Autumn Acre / Don't Even Consider It / Tin Foil Mountain
2. Recorded: 1989-01-03. First Broadcast: 09 January 1989. Repeated: 14 February 1989
*Purple Hazel / A Full English Breakfast / Platforms And Trains / Creature Lake
==Other Shows Played==
;thumb|220x220pxLast Party
*17 February 1987: Mr Hurst (7") Harvey
*24 February 1987: Mr Hurst (7") Harvey
*10 March 1987: Mr Hurst (7") Harvey
*23 March 1987: Mr Hurst (7") Harvey
*22 September 1987: Tree Shada (12") Idol
*13 October 1987: Tree Shada (12") Idol
*23 October 1987 (BFBS): 'Tree Shada (12")' (Idol)
*24 October 1988: Damp (12”) Idol
*01 November 1988: Damp (12”) Idol
*01 November 1988 (Radio Bremen): Damp (12") Idol
*03 November 1988 (BBC World Service): Damp (12") Idol
*04 November 1988 (BFBS): 'Damp (12")' (Idol)
*28 November 1988: Damp (12") Idol
*20 February 1989: Die In A Spy Ring (12") Idol
*24 February 1989 (BFBS): 'Die In A Spy Ring (12")' (Idol)
*28 February 1989 (Radio Bremen): Die In A Spy Ring (12") Idol
*05 April 1990: Jesus Hates U2 (album - Love Handles) Harvey
*17 May 1990: Trojan Nose (Sub-Title In Bracket) (LP - Love Handles) Harvey
*19 May 1990 (BFBS): (JP: 'I've never been terrifically keen on the work of U2, although somebody wrote and told me the other day that when they first started out I used to play their records all the time. I'm sure I didn't: I mean, I never liked 'em. Anyway, it seems I'm not alone in this, because on the new LP from Last Party, there's a track called...') 'Jesus Hates U2 (LP-Love Handles)' (Harvey) (JP: 'Well, the lyrics don't seem to imply divine disregard for the prosperous Irish combo, but the title is written in such a way as to imply that that's what they have in mind.')
*22 May 1990: Trust You Dear (album - Love Handles) Harvey 
*26 October 1991: 'Creature Lake (LP-Cacophony On Port Hampton - Singles And Rarities)' (Harvey)
*30 January 1993: Barbecued (12" EP - Black Leather Sheets) Bilberry
*15 January 1994: ‘Ucit (7 inch)’ (Dishy Recordings)
;thumb|220x220pxBitter Springs
*24 July 1997: It's Business (7") Wurlitzer Jukebox
*26 November 1998: Better Looking (LP - Five Die Filming This Lazy Lark) Vespertine
*09 December 1998: Mind Baby's Head (LP - Five Die Filming This Lazy Lark) Vespertine
*16 December 1998: Hairdo At 90 (LP - Five Die Filming This Lazy Lark) Vespertine
*December 1998 (FSK): Better Looking (CD - Five Die Filming This Lazy Lark) Vespertine
==External Links==
*Wikipedia (Bitter Springs)
*Bandcamp
*Official Website
Category:Artists