If the 80s left a cult group, it was Felt. Lawrence set out to make 10 albums in 10 years, then disband the band, and he did it. The architect of the project has survived by maintaining projects such as Go-Kart Mozart and Mozart Estate, sometimes close to destitution, as documented in a recent biography.
But this time those who have resurrected the group have been other members. Almost 40 years after giving their last concert in Birmingham in December 1989, the band’s drummer Gary Ainge (who played on all 10 albums between 1981 and 1989), guitarist Marco Thomas (member between 1985 and 1987) and bassist Philip King (1986-87) have reunited to give a concert as Feel. «Felt» in present tense.
Phil has even given an interview to a French blog in which he says that they haven’t heard from Lawrence for a long time, although the idea of reuniting Felt “didn’t displease him 10 years ago” when it was proposed to him. However, 4 years ago Lawrence said in The Guardian that he would rather beg than play in any of his old bands.
Feel chose Instagram to announce the show indicating that they would perform instrumental versions of the songs. However, at the concert that took place on Saturday, August 15 as part of the Glasgow indie festival “Glas-Goes Pop”, there was a surprise. Both Stuart Murdoch of Belle & Sebastian and singer Rhadika – playing none other than Liz Fraser – got up to sing.
For Stuart, an important circle comes full circle. His obsession with Felt is well documented, to the point that between 1991 and 1993, as a teenager, he became seriously concerned about his mental health. This is what he said recently in The Quietus, as he has repeated in many other spaces, so it will undoubtedly be a night that he will not forget. What Lawrence will think, at least for the moment, we don’t know.
