The Membranes are a post-punk band formed in Blackpool, Lancashire in 1977, the initial line-up being John Robb (bass guitar), Mark Tilton (guitar), Martin Critchley (vocals) and Martin Kelly (drums). Critchley soon left, with Robb and Tilton taking on vocals, and Kelly moving to keyboards, with "Coofy Sid" (Coulthart) taking over on drums.
Their first release was the "Flexible Membrane" flexi-disc in 1980, and over the next 11 years they would go on to release 6 studio albums. Their first single proper, "Muscles", was a single of the week in the UK music press and a big club hit in New York being played in the Danceteria by the likes of The Beastie Boys eventual DJ Mojo and other cutting edge New York DJs.
Kelly left after "Muscles", to be replaced by Steve Farmery on guitar for the follow-up Pin Stripe Hype EP. The band pioneered the avant noise scene of Big Black and Sonic Youth for several years with their critically acclaimed "Spike Milligan's Tape Recorder" single and Death To Trad Rock EP (which were indie chart top 5 records in the UK) and their debut Gift Of Life album.
They were the first band to be signed to Alan McGee's Creation label but the deal fell though when McGee could not afford to pay their studio bill for the "Spike Milligan's Tape Recorder" single. The band relocated to Manchester in 1983, and "Spike Milligan's Tape Recorder" was issued on the Criminal Damage label, which met with a positive critical response but distribution problems limited its impact.
In 1984/85 The Membranes had a ferocious live reputation with the loudest gigs in the UK and their anti rock attitude. Mark Tilton's quiff and John Robb's exploding hair and wild clothes gave them an instantly recognizable and uncategorizable image.
Musically they were beyond punk as well with their dedication to noise but always with songs buried in the power. Tilton's slide guitar and frenetic rhythm guitar combined with Robb's outrageously heavy bass and heartfelt vocals as well as Coofy Sid's pounding drumming created an instantly original sound.
After The Membranes, Robb went on to form Sensurround and later Goldblade.The group were a key part of the post punk DIY scene and toured the world several times and when My Bloody Valentine and then Shellac asked them to reform for separate ATP festival events it made sense for them to continue after a 25 year break.
Their upcoming album in June, Dark Matter/Dark Energy is already getting a great reaction from the press and media and their gigs have been stunning.When John Robb met the head of the CERN project after a TEDx talk they were both speaking at it was the start of the Membranes most audacious album.
Long and intense talks about the universe followed and the idea of the birth and then the death of the universe seemed perfect for a song cycle for the Membranes new album and for special one of gigs called The Universe Explained where Robb interviews scientists on stage and the band play at the end.
All the songs touch on aspects of space- from the opening track that is about the big bang of the universe to Joe himself explaining the universe over the spooky Multiverse Suite to the closing track, the Hum Of The Universe ,where the band try and capture the beauty and violence of the end of the universe and a human life.
During the recording of the album Robb’s own father died and his death is threaded through many of the songs and the idea that when we all die we return our dust and energy to the endless void. Tracks like In The Graveyard deal directly with watching his father die and his father can even be heard talking about the universe at the beginning of the same track.
