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The roots of the band's formation are traced Dunwoody, Georgia and guitarist Cole Alexander and bassist Jared Swilley, they had both worked on other musical projects before settling on Black Lips and progressing as a band from there on. Their debut single 'Ain't Coming Back' was released in 2002 and with a selection of material the band were set to embark on a tour in December. However just a couple of days before it was due to start, guitarist Ben Eberbaugh was involved in a fatal car accident with a drunk driver. The band decided to carry on as a group partly as a legacy to Eberbaugh.
'Black Lips!', the debut album was released through Bomp! Records in 2003. The album was a small tribute to their guitarist and friend and was a moderate critical success. The second studio album was titled 'We Did Not Know the Forest Spirit Made the Flowers Grow' and was released in 2004 yet it wasn't for another few years that the band began to be noticed by the likes of Spin and Rolling Stone. The New York Times covered their impressive live show dedication at the 2007 South By South West festival where the band played a mighty twelve shows over just three days.
They continued to record and release albums through Vice Records, achieving their first appearance on the US Billboard charts in 2014 with 'Underneath The Rainbow'. Black Lips have become a cult phenomena due to the intensity of their live shows which are known to include vomit, urination and nudity. They pride themselves on their punk mentality with many of their shows ending in huge stage invasions.
Commerciality has unfortunately escaped garage rockers the Black Lips however since their debut in 2003, they have gained a cult-like status globally. This is not wholly due to the strength of their music but also the controversy of their live show. Nude performance, exchanging of spit, crowd diving and coarse language have seen the band narrowly avoid arrest numerous times as well as being barred from a large amount of venues.
This negative press has seemed to spur fans on to see the rambunctious rockers perform. Their recent date at Scala in London was not filled with crude display possibly due to the reputation of the place. Therefore the garage rock stylings of 'Modern Art' and 'Sea of Blasphemy' took centre stage and the crowd cheered them on intently. There is of course still a lot of choice language between tracks by Cole Alexander and the occasional spit to the side of stage but aside from that it is all about the music.
It was a great example of how the band has amassed a cult following in a short time due to the strength of their sound. By the final sneering guitar riffs of 'Bow Down and Die' the only clothes to have been blown off are the audience's collective socks.
sean-ward
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