Of the myriad musical artists reuniting, playing albums from start-to-finish, and generally milking their previous achievements for every last drippity-drop of nostalgia dough it's worth, no band better fits into the contemporary rock schema than the Psychedelic Furs.
Long before U2, R.E.M., and even the Smiths were cranking out arena-friendly rounded-edge new wave jangle-pop, the Psychedelic Furs were a gaggle of scrappy British teenagers experimenting with slamming together the tastiest attributes of glam and then-emerging punk rock.
Fast forward to 2012 and the band's distinct fusion has trickled down completely, having long been codified on the music racks of Targets and Wal-Marts everywhere as "Indie Rock."
On the eve of their upcoming show tomorrow night at Grand Central, we spoke to bassist Tim Butler regarding a few little known facts about him and his highly influential outfit.
5. Psychedelic Furs Was His First Band Ever
And he learned to play bass for the project at the bequest of his brother, lead singer Richard Butler. Imagine being 17, your big bro coaxing you to join his band, and then all of a sudden John Peel is inviting you into his studio and you're on the fast track to rock 'n' roll royalty.
4. He Hates the Song "Pretty in Pink"
Can you really blame him? According to Butler, the band didn't think the track was anything special and didn't think it should have even been a single when it was released on 1981's Talk Talk Talk. You can imagine their surprise when John Hughes came calling a whole 5 years later.
3. He Thinks His Band Is Heavy and Wishes Other People Did Too
Tim's least favorite part of his band's most celebrated single is that it makes the Furs sound like fluff stuff when he and his bandmates actually intend to be, in his own words, "quite heavy." Butler also quipped that sometimes audience members only familiar with the bands big hits are sometimes taken aback by their more aggressive material.
2. The Breakfast Club is His Favorite John Hughes movie.
"It's not really what the song's about," he says about Pretty In Pink.
He Doesn't Get Wasted Anymore
These days, Butler knows better than the get loaded before getting on stage. "You've got to give people their money's worth."
Psychedelic Furs. With The Lemonheads, The Chevin and DJ Tommy Gunn. Sunday, October 28, 2012. Grand Central, 697 N Miami Ave, Miami. Tickets are $25 in advance through Flavorus and $30 at the door. Grandcentralmiami.com
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