Terry Bickers
Encyclopedia
Terry Bickers is an English
guitarist
, singer and songwriter
, best known as a member of the rock bands The House of Love
and Levitation
. He is noted for his psychedelic guitar stylings in an indie rock context (for which he was hailed as being one of the finest guitarists of his generation) and for his eccentric, outspoken public reputation (which he has made efforts to play down in recent years). He is currently based in Brighton, England.
Bickers' first significant band was the Northern Irish indie-rock band Colenso Parade
, which he joined in 1985 on their move to London. He played on their Hallelujah Chorus EP and Glentorran album, both released in 1986 on Fire Records
.
, playing the role of lead guitarist and creative foil to singer and songwriter Guy Chadwick
. The House of Love rapidly gained critical acclaim in the British weekly music press (much of it focused on Bickers' intense psychedelic guitar approach). The band's 1988 debut album - also called The House of Love, and released on Creation Records
- received glowing reviews and saw the Chadwick/Bickers partnership being compared to the Smiths
partnership of Morrissey
and Johnny Marr
. Hotly tipped as being future stars, the band soon moved on to the major label
Fontana
and came under pressure to write more commercial singles.
Already a withdrawn character, Bickers had difficulty adjusting both to his musical celebrity and the demands of the record industry, During this time, although his playing remained acclaimed, he suffered from depression and drug abuse and his relationship with Chadwick began to break down. This culminated in a notorious episode during a House of Love tour in 1989, when Bickers began setting fire to banknotes in the back of the band's tour van while chanting "Breadhead!" at Chadwick. He was ejected from the band shortly afterwards (although his playing would feature on the band's second album
, released the following year).
Bickers would later describe the tour van event as a protest against The House of Love's commercialised state, commenting "That was frustration. I just found at the time that I didn't have the same aspirations as the rest of the band. I was more into exploring music than exploring the exploitation of markets around the globe. They were really into crusading. And winning. I wasn't." He would also confess to having had a nervous breakdown during this period, recalling "It was exhaustion... I kind of couldn't function as I did before and it's very frightening. It makes you stronger, the experience of something like that helps you build a resistance, because you have to in this day and age."
After leaving the band, Bickers sought greater stability, choosing to marry and have a daughter, Ella, in 1991. He has commented that part of his "difficult" reputation over the years (particularly in his House of Love days) came from his previous behaviour of "push(ing) love away. It was just fear, really. Fear of my own vulnerability. Fear of rejection maybe, being hurt. It was me doing battle with myself."
band Levitation
with drummer
David Francolini
, former Cardiacs
guitarist Bic Hayes
, multi-instrumentalist Robert White (later of The Milk and Honey Band
) and bass player Joe Allen (who went on to join Strangelove
and was replaced by Laurence O'Keefe). As well as playing guitar, Bickers took on the role of lead singer in the band. The band quickly became known for their intense collective playing, and were hailed in both the underground and mainstream music press as new psychedelic
heroes as well as potential rehabilitators of progressive rock
. Levitation recorded a number of EPs (including the Coppelia EP, heralded by Melody Maker
as "this generation's Marquee Moon
,") and two albums - Coterie and Need For Not.
With Bickers already notorious for his time with House of Love, Levitation gained a good deal of press attention very quickly. Despite the band's collective approach (and Bickers' insistence that Levitation was a democracy), much of this attention was focussed on the eminently quotable Bickers himself. In interviews with the music press, Bickers would provide career-friendly quotes by, for example, citing an interest in the then-current dance and rave music scenes as well as the indie-rock and psychedelic music movements. However, he was equally likely to suggest that Levitation were considering performing in masks or carrying out a concert tour of Britain via canal, or to raise esoteric ideas such as Gaia theory or the possibilities of communicating with dolphin
s. Although reviewers continued to praise his skill as a musician, his schemes and philosophical ideas (though presented with sincerity) led to him being mocked and caricatured for his apparent eccentricity, leading to his reputation and nickname as "Bonkers Bickers".
Despite rave reviews and an excellent reputation as a live band, plus a growing fanbase, the band's career was set back by Bickers' refusal to tour America following an incident on the band's first American tour in which the band was caught in crossfire during a gun battle between police and a criminal gang. This led to tension between Bickers and the other members, culminating in Bickers departing the band, acrimoniously, in 1993. Bickers famously quit Levitation onstage during a London concert, announcing "We've lost it, haven't we?" Bic Hayes would later comment "It had happened a few times before that last gig but I think that we all knew very early on at (that) one that there was no going back again." Years later, Bickers would speak about his departure with regret and shame, but claim that his mounting depression had had much to do with the manner of his departure.
In contrast to the reception afforded to Bickers' two previous bands, the press received Cradle with indifference or even contempt, with Caroline Tree being labelled as "the worst singer in the world" in a review in New Musical Express. Tree left the band shortly afterwards. Despite playing a few concerts with Bickers as lead vocalist, and more or less ditching the more conventional indie rock approaches in favour of dark psychedelia, Cradle did not last for much longer and quietly dissolved in 1996.
Bickers went on to work in production
, resurfacing briefly in 1999 with a new band called Monkey 7 (also featuring Sam Smith and Nik Webb). In contrast to the serious intent of Bickers' previous bands, Monkey 7 were described as "Tony Bennett
steaming headfirst into the last working remnants of Shaun Ryder
" and "a lo-fi ska Blur
playing for laffs." The band released one single, "The Snowy Peaks/It All Comes Back On You", on Anvil Recording Co. in 2000.
) reconciled with Guy Chadwick (who himself had suffered severe depression following the collapse of The House of Love). The two bonded over a new mutual sympathy, which in turn led to a reformation of The House of Love at the end of 2004. At the start of 2005 the reunited band released their first post-reformation album, Days Run Away. Although The House of Love have not released any new material since 2005, Bickers remains with the band and they are continuing to write and rehearse music for future release.
/Polak) for a new "stripped down" project. The pair began writing together as a duo (with Fijalkowski on vocals and acoustic guitar and Bickers on electric guitar), playing a few low-key concerts in early 2010. The project is as yet unnamed.
recordings.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, singer and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, best known as a member of the rock bands The House of Love
The House of Love
The House of Love is an English alternative rock band. Formed in 1986, the band rose to prominence in the UK as a leading indie rock band in 1988 and split up in 1993, eventually reforming a decade later in 2003. The band is best known for its detailed psychedelic guitar sound and for the...
and Levitation
Levitation (band)
Levitation were an English rock band fronted by ex-House of Love guitarist Terry Bickers. Levitation's music and attitude challenged an early 1990s UK alternative music scene dominated by shoegazing and Madchester....
. He is noted for his psychedelic guitar stylings in an indie rock context (for which he was hailed as being one of the finest guitarists of his generation) and for his eccentric, outspoken public reputation (which he has made efforts to play down in recent years). He is currently based in Brighton, England.
Early years
Terry Bickers was born in London into what he describes as "a family of big gamblers and card players. I learnt from them how to hold my hand back. They'd all be drinking and because I was only seven, I'd be straight, checking them out and learning from their behaviour." When he was twelve years old, his parents split up, an event which he later described as "my whole life falling down in front of me. The relationship between your parents is how you see the world at that age. You learn not to trust anything." Bickers would often cite this event as contributing to his later personal vulnerability and his consequent reactions to both people and to band politics.Bickers' first significant band was the Northern Irish indie-rock band Colenso Parade
Colenso Parade
Colenso Parade were an alternative rock band from Belfast, Northern Ireland formed in 1984. Taking their name from a street in the Stranmillis area of their native city, the original line-up was Oscar Askin , Linda Clandinning , Neil Lawson , Jackie Forgie and Robert Wakeman...
, which he joined in 1985 on their move to London. He played on their Hallelujah Chorus EP and Glentorran album, both released in 1986 on Fire Records
Fire Records
Fire Records was an independent record label set up in 1959 by Bobby Robinson . Among others, it released records by Lightnin' Hopkins, Elmore James and Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup.-Selected discography:...
.
The House of Love
In 1986 Bickers left Colenso Parade to join The House of LoveThe House of Love
The House of Love is an English alternative rock band. Formed in 1986, the band rose to prominence in the UK as a leading indie rock band in 1988 and split up in 1993, eventually reforming a decade later in 2003. The band is best known for its detailed psychedelic guitar sound and for the...
, playing the role of lead guitarist and creative foil to singer and songwriter Guy Chadwick
Guy Chadwick
Guy Chadwick was the guitarist and vocalist with the British alternative band, The House of Love. He wrote the majority of the band's material....
. The House of Love rapidly gained critical acclaim in the British weekly music press (much of it focused on Bickers' intense psychedelic guitar approach). The band's 1988 debut album - also called The House of Love, and released on Creation Records
Creation Records
Creation Records was a British independent record label headed by Alan McGee. Along with Dick Green and Joe Foster, McGee founded Creation in 1983. The label lasted until its demise in 1999. The name came from the 1960s band The Creation , whom McGee greatly admired. McGee, Green and Foster were...
- received glowing reviews and saw the Chadwick/Bickers partnership being compared to the Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
partnership of Morrissey
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
and Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr is an English musician and songwriter. Marr rose to fame in the 1980s as the guitarist in The Smiths, with whom he formed a prolific songwriting partnership with Morrissey. Marr has been a member of Electronic, The The, and Modest Mouse...
. Hotly tipped as being future stars, the band soon moved on to the major label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
Fontana
Fontana Records
Fontana Records is a record label which was started in the 1950s as a subsidiary of the Dutch Philips Records; when Philips restructured its music operations it dropped Fontana in favor of Vertigo Records. In the seventies PolyGram acquired the dormant label....
and came under pressure to write more commercial singles.
Already a withdrawn character, Bickers had difficulty adjusting both to his musical celebrity and the demands of the record industry, During this time, although his playing remained acclaimed, he suffered from depression and drug abuse and his relationship with Chadwick began to break down. This culminated in a notorious episode during a House of Love tour in 1989, when Bickers began setting fire to banknotes in the back of the band's tour van while chanting "Breadhead!" at Chadwick. He was ejected from the band shortly afterwards (although his playing would feature on the band's second album
The House of Love (1990 album)
The House of Love is the second album by British alternative rock band The House of Love, released on Fontana Records in 1990. It should not be confused with the band's debut album, which is also called The House of Love...
, released the following year).
Bickers would later describe the tour van event as a protest against The House of Love's commercialised state, commenting "That was frustration. I just found at the time that I didn't have the same aspirations as the rest of the band. I was more into exploring music than exploring the exploitation of markets around the globe. They were really into crusading. And winning. I wasn't." He would also confess to having had a nervous breakdown during this period, recalling "It was exhaustion... I kind of couldn't function as I did before and it's very frightening. It makes you stronger, the experience of something like that helps you build a resistance, because you have to in this day and age."
After leaving the band, Bickers sought greater stability, choosing to marry and have a daughter, Ella, in 1991. He has commented that part of his "difficult" reputation over the years (particularly in his House of Love days) came from his previous behaviour of "push(ing) love away. It was just fear, really. Fear of my own vulnerability. Fear of rejection maybe, being hurt. It was me doing battle with myself."
Levitation
In 1990, Bickers formed the psychedelic rockPsychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
band Levitation
Levitation (band)
Levitation were an English rock band fronted by ex-House of Love guitarist Terry Bickers. Levitation's music and attitude challenged an early 1990s UK alternative music scene dominated by shoegazing and Madchester....
with drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
David Francolini
David Francolini
David Francolini also known as "Mitch Razor" is an English rock drummer, and has previously played in a number of bands, most notably Strangelove, Levitation, and Dark Star....
, former Cardiacs
Cardiacs
Cardiacs are an English alternative rock/psychedelic pop band formed in 1977 and led by Tim Smith. Noted for their complex, varied and intense compositional style and for their eccentric, theatrical stage shows, they have been hailed as an influence by bands as diverse as Blur, Faith No More and...
guitarist Bic Hayes
Christian Hayes
Christian Hayes , also known as Bic Hayes, is an English rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. His highest profile musical role has been fronting the band Dark Star between 1998 and 2001, whom he formed with fellow ex-Levitation members David Francolini and Laurence O'Keefe.He has also played in a...
, multi-instrumentalist Robert White (later of The Milk and Honey Band
The Milk And Honey Band
The Milk And Honey Band is an English rock band centred around the talents of singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Robert White .-Sound:...
) and bass player Joe Allen (who went on to join Strangelove
Strangelove (band)
Strangelove were an English alternative rock band, formed in Bristol in 1991 and led by singer Patrick Duff. They released three albums before splitting up in 1998.-History:...
and was replaced by Laurence O'Keefe). As well as playing guitar, Bickers took on the role of lead singer in the band. The band quickly became known for their intense collective playing, and were hailed in both the underground and mainstream music press as new psychedelic
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
heroes as well as potential rehabilitators of progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
. Levitation recorded a number of EPs (including the Coppelia EP, heralded by Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
as "this generation's Marquee Moon
Marquee Moon
Marquee Moon is the debut album by American rock band Television, released in 1977. While often considered a seminal work to come out of the New York punk scene of the late 1970s, the album differs from conventional punk in its clean, textured guitar-based arrangements and extended improvisation...
,") and two albums - Coterie and Need For Not.
With Bickers already notorious for his time with House of Love, Levitation gained a good deal of press attention very quickly. Despite the band's collective approach (and Bickers' insistence that Levitation was a democracy), much of this attention was focussed on the eminently quotable Bickers himself. In interviews with the music press, Bickers would provide career-friendly quotes by, for example, citing an interest in the then-current dance and rave music scenes as well as the indie-rock and psychedelic music movements. However, he was equally likely to suggest that Levitation were considering performing in masks or carrying out a concert tour of Britain via canal, or to raise esoteric ideas such as Gaia theory or the possibilities of communicating with dolphin
Dolphin
Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating...
s. Although reviewers continued to praise his skill as a musician, his schemes and philosophical ideas (though presented with sincerity) led to him being mocked and caricatured for his apparent eccentricity, leading to his reputation and nickname as "Bonkers Bickers".
Despite rave reviews and an excellent reputation as a live band, plus a growing fanbase, the band's career was set back by Bickers' refusal to tour America following an incident on the band's first American tour in which the band was caught in crossfire during a gun battle between police and a criminal gang. This led to tension between Bickers and the other members, culminating in Bickers departing the band, acrimoniously, in 1993. Bickers famously quit Levitation onstage during a London concert, announcing "We've lost it, haven't we?" Bic Hayes would later comment "It had happened a few times before that last gig but I think that we all knew very early on at (that) one that there was no going back again." Years later, Bickers would speak about his departure with regret and shame, but claim that his mounting depression had had much to do with the manner of his departure.
Cradle, Monkey 7 and others
Bickers went on to form another psychedelic rock band called Cradle. As well as Bickers on guitar, vocals, and various instruments, Cradle featured Bickers' partner Caroline Tree (as co-lead singer and main creative foil) and guitarist Ian Mundwyler, plus a floating cast of contributing musicians. Cradle released one studio album, Baba Yaga, in 1995. This displayed a divided approach, alternating distinctly between noisy indie rock songs (predominantly sung by Tree) and ghostly psychedelic material (predominantly sung by Bickers) which showed a much softer approach than either Levitation or The House of Love.In contrast to the reception afforded to Bickers' two previous bands, the press received Cradle with indifference or even contempt, with Caroline Tree being labelled as "the worst singer in the world" in a review in New Musical Express. Tree left the band shortly afterwards. Despite playing a few concerts with Bickers as lead vocalist, and more or less ditching the more conventional indie rock approaches in favour of dark psychedelia, Cradle did not last for much longer and quietly dissolved in 1996.
Bickers went on to work in production
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, resurfacing briefly in 1999 with a new band called Monkey 7 (also featuring Sam Smith and Nik Webb). In contrast to the serious intent of Bickers' previous bands, Monkey 7 were described as "Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
steaming headfirst into the last working remnants of Shaun Ryder
Shaun Ryder
Shaun William Ryder, aka X, is an English musician, occasional newspaper columnist, actor, author, singer-songwriter and television personality, best known as lead singer for Happy Mondays and Black Grape – and more recently as the runner-up of the 2010 version of the British TV Show I'm a...
" and "a lo-fi ska Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
playing for laffs." The band released one single, "The Snowy Peaks/It All Comes Back On You", on Anvil Recording Co. in 2000.
Return to The House of Love
In 2003, Bickers (now much more able to cope with his depressive tendencies due to courses of therapy and the martial art shintaidoShintaido
Shintaido is a system of movement which aims to use the body as a means of expression and communication. Incorporating both physical and artistic elements, it was created in Japan in the 1960s...
) reconciled with Guy Chadwick (who himself had suffered severe depression following the collapse of The House of Love). The two bonded over a new mutual sympathy, which in turn led to a reformation of The House of Love at the end of 2004. At the start of 2005 the reunited band released their first post-reformation album, Days Run Away. Although The House of Love have not released any new material since 2005, Bickers remains with the band and they are continuing to write and rehearse music for future release.
Bickers/Fijalkowski
In 2009, Bickers joined up with Worthing resident Pete Fijalkowski (ex AdorableAdorable (band)
Adorable were a British alternative rock band. They formed in Coventry in 1991, and consisted of band members Piotr Fijalkowski , Robert Dillam , Stephen 'Wil' Williams and Kevin Gritton -History:...
/Polak) for a new "stripped down" project. The pair began writing together as a duo (with Fijalkowski on vocals and acoustic guitar and Bickers on electric guitar), playing a few low-key concerts in early 2010. The project is as yet unnamed.
Montana Rain
Bickers currently works with a country-and-western covers band called Montana Rain, which also features singer Nicola Rain, bass player John Rain and barn-dance folk duo Pete and Mannie McClelland.Other Collaborations
Terry Bickers' guitar playing features on Les Nouvelles Polyphonies Corses, a recording of Corsican polyphonic singing, and on some Heidi BerryHeidi Berry
Heidi Berry is an American singer-songwriter who recorded for Creation Records and 4AD in the late 1980s and 1990s.-Biography:Born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1958, Berry's mother was a jazz singer with French-Canadian roots, and her father was an actor. Her mother re-married and the family moved...
recordings.
with Colenso Parade
- Hallelujah Chorus EP, Fire Records, 1986
- Glentorran album, Fire Records, 1986
with The House of Love
- The House Of Love (a.k.a The German Album), Rough Trade Records/Creation Records, 1987 (reissued by Renascent Records, 2007) (early singles collection, initially only released in Germany)
- The House of Love album, Creation Records, 1988
- The House of LoveThe House of Love (1990 album)The House of Love is the second album by British alternative rock band The House of Love, released on Fontana Records in 1990. It should not be confused with the band's debut album, which is also called The House of Love...
(a.k.a. Fontana) album, Fontana Records, 1991 - Days Run Away album, Art & Industry, 2005
with Levitation
- Coppelia EP - Ultimate Records, 1991
- After Ever EP - Ultimate Records, 1991
- Coterie compilation album, Capitol Records, 1991/Ultimate Records, 1992
- World Around EP, Ultimate Records, 1992
- Need For Not album, Rough Trade Records, 1992
- Even When Your Eyes Are Open EP, Capitol Records, 1994
- Meanwhile Gardens album, Festival Records, 1994 (Bickers had left the band by this point but some of his guitar playing and backing vocals remained on the record)