Spacehog | |
|---|---|
| Origin | New York City, United States |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1994–2001, 2006–present |
| Labels | Sire/Elektra Records,Artemis |
| Members | Royston Langdon Antony Langdon Jonny Cragg Richard Steel |
| Past members | Robert Curreri |
| Website | https://www.spacehog.band |
Spacehog is an English-Americanalternative rock band, formed in 1994 in New York City by four British men living in the city: (lead vocalist and bassistRoyston Langdon, rhythm guitarist Anthony Langdon, drummer Jonny Cragg and lead guitarist Richard Steel). The band released three studio albums between 1994 and 2001, and one more after reuniting in 2006. Their musical style is a blend ofpost-grunge of the 1990s, withglam rock andspace rock of the 1970s, influenced byDavid Bowie,Queen,T. Rex andSlade.
The band is known for their onstage theatrics, such as the Langdons dressing likeThe Spiders from Mars, guitarist Richard Steel playing solos with a foot up on his monitor and drummer Jonny Cragg twirling his drumsticks and lighting his gong on fire,[1] and the 1996 single "In the Meantime". As such, they have been labeled aone-hit wonder by some music critics.[2]
Though all the band members are fromLeeds,West Yorkshire, Spacehog was formed inNew York City. Antony Langdon met Jonny Cragg by chance in a café where Cragg supposedly had a job killing rats.[2] Soon after, Langdon's brother Royston joined the band, and Spacehog was born. The band's original guitarist, Robert Curreri, was asked to leave the band, and Cragg's friend Richard Steel replaced him in 1994. The band signed in 1994 withSeymour Stein toSire Records.
On 24 October 1995, Spacehog released its first album,Resident Alien.[2] It wentgold on theBillboard 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 was used as background music toBBC'sMatch of the Dayfootball programme. The band performed the song onChannel 4'sTFI Friday in 1996. The band's second album,The Chinese Album, was released on 10 March 1998.[2] Though it did not sell as well asResident Alien, the band's popularity continued to increase as Spacehog opened for more popular acts such asPearl Jam andSupergrass.The Chinese Album had a more "artsy" sound, with thePink Floyd-like piano on the opening track andMichael Stipe ofR.E.M. contributing vocals to the song "Almond Kisses".[2]
After the band was dropped byElektra Records, Spacehog signed with the upstart labelArtemis Records and released its third album,The Hogyssey, on 10 April 2001. The album continued the band's neo-glam approach and included the singles "I Want to Live" and "At Least I Got Laid", as well as afunk version ofRichard Strauss's "Also sprach Zarathustra". The band joinedThe Black Crowes andOasis on theTour of Brotherly Love in support of the album, which proved to be the band's final major tour for several years.
Royston Langdon and American actressLiv Tyler became engaged in February 2001,[3] and married inBarbados on 25 March 2003.[4] In December 2004, she gave birth to their son, Milo William Langdon.[5] On 8 May 2008, the couple confirmed through representatives that they would be separating but remain friends.[6]
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 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 entitledVictoria: an homage to Langdon's love for his wife, the director Victoria Clay de Mendoza. The album was intended to release at the 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 andJoaquin Phoenix. The project was calledThis Lady Is a Tramp and was being mixed by Paul McKenna with help fromCreation Records founderAlan McGee andthe Charlatans’Tim Burgess.
Antony Langdon was briefly replaced in Arckid byYour 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 2007Lollapalooza gigs.
In July 2008, Spacehog reunited to play two shows, the first at theViper Room and the second at Troubador. Drummer Jonny Cragg posted on the ArckidMySpace page that Spacehog would be reuniting and would begin work on a new record.[7] In July 2009, Spacehog reunited atSpaceland in Los Angeles.[8] In March 2025, Spacehog announced it was reforming for a US tour with fellow BritsEMF.[9]
In 2010, Spacehog guitarist Antony Langdon gained notoriety for his role in the controversialmockumentaryI'm Still Here, starringJoaquin Phoenix. Langdon, who was one of Phoenix's assistants as well as a musical partner,[10] staged a falling-out with the actor during the documentary's filming and is shown 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.[who?]
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.[11][12]
The film's cinematographer,Magdalena Górka, sued directorCasey Affleck for multiple complaints. She alleged Antony Langdon, who worked as the camera assistant, was one of the crew members who subjected her to "routine instances" of sexual harassment.[13]
On 17 September 2011, Spacehog announced the completion of a new album,As It Is on Earth, on their MySpace page.[14] Despite this, it wasn't released until over a year later on 16 April 2013.[15] Their first album in over a decade, it was released on the band’s own Hog Space Records and distributed byRedeye Distribution.[16] The album continues the band's glam-influenced sound, with "fist-pumping" anthems ("Gluttony"), reminiscent of David Bowie and Queen, and slower ballads ("Cool Water"). Joe Gross ofRolling Stone rated the album three out of five stars, finding it a breath of fresh air from bands likethe Lumineers andAnimal Collective.[17]
Spacehog are primary analternative rock band,[18] known for their distinct mix ofpost-grunge of the 1990s withglam rock andspace rock influences from the 1970s, such asDavid Bowie,Queen,T. Rex andSlade.[1][19] Steve Huey ofAllMusic described the band's style as a "wall-of-distorted-guitars," while Hal B. Selzer ofThe Aquarian Weekly claimed their "semi-glam sound," mixed with distorted guitars and melodic basslines was a contrast to the doomy and gloomygrunge of the time.[20] Additionally, as British men based in New York City, they're seen as a middle ground betweenBritpop and American grunge, with the hooks and humor of the former, and the power chords of the latter.[21]
While acclaimed for their unique sound, music critics have compared Spacehog to contemporary acts, such as American rock bandStone Temple Pilots on their third studio album,Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop (1996), and Belgianelectronic bandSoulwax, who similarly take influence from 1970spop rock, such asBadfinger, on their second studio album,Much Against Everyone's Advice (1998).[1][22]
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [28] | AUS [29] | CAN [30] | US [31] | ||||||||
| Resident Alien | 40 | 50 | 19 | 49 | |||||||
| The Chinese Album |
| 126 | — | — | — | ||||||
| The Hogyssey |
| — | — | — | — | ||||||
| As It Is on Earth |
| — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||||
| Year | Title | Chart peak positions | Album | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [28] | AUS [34] | CAN [35] | CAN Alt. [36] | NZ [37] | SWE [38] | US [39] | US Main. [40] | US Mod. [41] | |||
| 1996 | "In the Meantime" | 29 | 40 | 33 | 6 | 45 | 36 | 32 | 1 | 2 | Resident Alien |
| "Cruel to Be Kind" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 29 | — | ||
| "Space Is the Place" | 145 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998 | "Mungo City" | 79 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 19 | 21 | The Chinese Album |
| "Carry On" | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001 | "I Want to Live" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 23 | — | The Hogyssey |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
