Spacehog

All Music Guide:

Spacehog mixed glam rock influences, including David Bowie and T. Rex, into their wall-of-distorted-guitars sound, a combination that helped the band make a modest dent in the late-'90s alternative rock scene. The quartet formed in New York City in 1993, following British drummer Jonny Cragg's move from Leeds to the Big Apple. He landed a job killing rats in the basement of an espresso bar, and although the work was less than desirable, he managed to meet guitarist (and fellow U.K. native) Antony Langdon at the shop. The two soon decided to visit topless bars and jam together. Langdon's brother Royston joined the group as a vocalist, and the musicians added guitarist Richard Steel to round out the lineup. Almost immediately after the lineup coalesced, Spacehog attracted the attention of Sire Records' president, Seymour Stein, and their debut album, Resident Alien, was released by the label in 1995. "In the Meantime" became the band's first hit, attracting audiences in several countries while becoming a number one rock single in America. Less than a year after Resident Alien's release, the album had sold over 500,000 copies, earning gold status. The Chinese Album followed in 1998, featuring a cameo appearance by Michael Stipe and an artier sound overall. Three years later, Spacehog (now sporting a new deal with Artemis Records) issued a third effort, entitled The Hogyssey. After joining the Black Crowes and Oasis on the road, the band split up, with several members going on to form the band Arckid.

Wikipedia:

Spacehog is an English rock band formed in 1994. Their music is heavily influenced by David Bowie, Queen, and T.Rex.

Members

History

Though all the band members hail originally from Leeds, England, the band formed in New York City in 1994 when Antony Langdon met Cragg by chance in a café where Cragg had a job killing rats. Soon after, Langdon's brother Royston joined the band, and Spacehog was born. When the band's original guitarist left the band, Cragg called his friend Richard Steel to join. The band signed in 1994 with Seymour Stein to Sire Records.

On October 24, 1995, Spacehog released their debut album, Resident Alien. It went gold on the Billboard charts, selling over 500,000 copies and spawned the hit single and video "In the Meantime" as well as the single "Cruel To Be Kind". "In the Meantime" received heavy video and radio play, and featured as background music to BBC's Match of the Day football programme. The band's second album, The Chinese Album, was released on March 10, 1998. Though it did not sell as well as Resident Alien, the band's popularity continued to increase as Spacehog opened for more popular acts like Pearl Jam and Supergrass. The Chinese Album featured a more "artsy" sound, with the Pink Floyd-like piano on the opening track and Michael Stipe of R.E.M. contributing vocals to the song "Almond Kisses".

After the band was dropped by Elektra Records, Spacehog signed with upstart label Artemis Records and released its third album, The Hogyssey, on April 10, 2001. The album continued the band's neo-glam approach and featured the singles "I Want to Live" and "At Least I Got Laid", as well as a funk version of Richard Strauss's "Also sprach Zarathustra". The band joined The Black Crowes and Oasis on the Tour of Brotherly Love in support of the album, which proved to be the band's final major tour outing.

Royston Langdon married actress Liv Tyler in 2004 and they had one child. They separated in 2008.

Arckid

Antony, Royston, and Christian Langdon then pooled their resources to form Arckid. By June 2006, they had recorded eight songs with Bryce Goggin at Trout Studios in Brooklyn. Jonny Cragg, now sporting a moustache, joined The Twenty-Twos as their drummer post-Spacehog, but has since rejoined the Langdon brothers in Arckid.

At the end of November 2006 Antony Langdon left Arckid on good terms and had devised an alter ego known as "Louis Arogant". This project was near completion as a record entitled Victoria: an homage to Langdon's love for his wife, the director Victoria Clay de Mendoza. The album was intended to release at end of 2007, but was never released. He also continued in the production of his television work. Also in the works was an album by Antony Langdon and Joaquin Phoenix. The project was called This Lady is a Tramp and was being mixed by Paul McKenna with help from Creation Records founder Alan McGee and the Charlatans’ Tim Burgess.

Antony Langdon was briefly replaced in Arckid by Your Vegas guitarist Mat Steel, who subsequently left Arckid after they shot their first video to rejoin Your Vegas. Pete Denton of Cube and Kid Symphony fame joined Arckid for a short period of time. Richard Steel accompanied the three members of Arckid on stage during the Hilfiger Sessions NY and the 2007 Lollapalooza gigs.

Reunion

In July 2008, Spacehog reunited to play two shows, the first at the Viper Room and the second at Troubador. Drummer Jonny Cragg posted on the Arckid MySpace page that Spacehog will be reuniting and begin work on a new record. In July 2009, Spacehog reunited at Spaceland in Los Angeles.

I'm Still Here

In 2010, Spacehog guitarist Antony Langdon gained notoriety for his role in the controversial mockumentary starring Joaquin Phoenix I'm Still Here. Langdon, who was one of Phoenix's assistants as well as a musical partner, staged a falling-out with the actor during the documentary's filming and is shown (in the film's most shocking scene) defecating on the troubled actor in retaliation for an earlier argument. In an earlier part of the film, there is a similarly shocking scene involving Langdon getting out of the shower.

Langdon's time in Spacehog is not mentioned in the film, but a clip of the band performing on television is shown. Royston Langdon is also credited for one of the film's songs.

As It Is on Earth

On September 17, 2011, Spacehog announced the completion of their latest album, As It Is on Earth, on their MySpace page. They also recently introduced a fifth member, multi-instrumentalist Timo Ellis, from the NYC band The Netherlands (thenetherlands.tv)