Hula: Classic or dud?

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They supported Depeche Mode on their Black Celebration tour - that's when I first heard of them. Before splitting in 1987, they released numerous records, out canning Can - collaborating along the way with MDK, before he became MDK, and with Gay Bikers on Acid. I think classic. But, what is ILM's view?

― Buster, Tuesday, 21 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

I was a Hula-obsessive and spent a lot of the mid 80s explaining to people that they would soon be huge. I mentioned this on this thread, though nobody else popped up and started going on about 'No one leaves the fevercar'. A lot of the double albums are sitting neglected and even 'Fevercar' or 'Get The Habit' sound quite - um 'stilted' is the nearest word I can think of.

I did read somewhere that they later evolved into some scarey christian youth cult in Sheffield called the 9 o clock club - kinda like TOPY with sandals I think... anyone know about this? I may be slandering Hula unfairly as there was some sort of scandal associated with these events. Some sort of rave church service???

Incidentally I later bought the records by the three bands I mentioned in that thread about the shop window of missing and predict the Detroit Cobras will sweep the nation.

― Alexander Blair, Tuesday, 21 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

mdk - who?

gaye bikers on acid - are you sure?

out canning can - surely not?

i used to quite like hula but last time i listened to one of their records i thought it hadn't aged too well. i'd say their take on industrial funk was a bit too funkless although their cover of voodoo chile was quite groovesome.

― stirmonster, Tuesday, 21 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Ron Wright - founder, tapes and guitar - is now a sound designer for films and teaches at the Northern Media School, Sheffield. I know this because I met him back stage when Plone and Squarepusher played at the National Pop Museum. He was a gent; reminding me, strangely, of James Stewart - a Geordie James Stewart.

― Buster, Tuesday, 21 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

MDK is a Spymania artist - like Dat Politics with a sore over-wiped bottom.

― Buster, Tuesday, 21 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

hey alexander - i just read the post you linked. i'd been beginning to think that i had imagined the scars existence as i have never heard anyone mention them, ever. they were the only band ever to come out of the village where i grew up so i'd always hoped they would get some sort of retrospective cult status. fat chance. i guess now i'll have to pin my hopes on some local beat combo called boards of canada.

― stirmonster, Tuesday, 21 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Gaye Bikers on Acid collaboration - not formal; and, probably, it's a bit insider-knowledge. Apparently, they used to jam together - Hula and Gaye Bikers (and members of Alphaville, actually) - when recording material at the Human League's Red Tape studios in Sheffield.

― Buster, Tuesday, 21 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

I wish their earliest records were available, as I remember skimming thru them and thinking "hmm, kinda like early Cab Voltaire". They popped up a bit with "Threshold", which produced the excellent "Poison" single, and later the "Cut Me Loose" EP. And they did kinda reform circa 1990 or so with that "VC1/Voodoo Chile" single on Wax Trax, which was.. OK..but, you're right, has not aged very well.

― Brian MacDonald, Tuesday, 21 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Keith: there is a whole thread about the Scars here

On a totally different point... More on that Nine O Clock service stuff. There is a long complex and, frankly, a bit mental website here Chris Brane (or Brain) is listed as a member of Hula in Martin Strong's great indie discography book and he seemed to be the main cult leader. No mention if other Hula members were involved. I'd love to read more serious analysis of this stuff... that website reminds me of Dr Bronners Soap. Where are they all now?

That site has a link that claims to lead to NOS mp3s but its dead links. Anyone heard this stuff? Does the NOS need a new thread?

― Alexander Blair, Wednesday, 22 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

one year passes...

Only Chris Brain of Hula was in the NOS. He used the Hula video experience to entertain the crowd in the rave ins.

see also the link to NOS on www.soureden.com

― Reboyal, Thursday, 19 June 2003 17:33 (twenty years ago) link

two years pass...

any re-releases available on CD, anyone know??

― d_wa, Wednesday, 13 July 2005 11:59 (eighteen years ago) link

i keep meaning to spin that double album that was semi-live .. or sommat like that (1000 Hours ??)

i used to really enjoy the proper albums - but these were on cassette and have obviously stretched/died in the passing of time.

shame - and i aint ever seen any cd versions on my travels ..

― mark e (mark e), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 20:20 (eighteen years ago) link

I think there's a compilation CD, but I'm not sure what it's called.

― Pangolino 2, Wednesday, 13 July 2005 20:38 (eighteen years ago) link

"1000 Hours" was my favourite of their albums - the live record, especially, had a lot of really good songs on it. You can download a radio session at http://www.soureden.com/hula_audio.htm if anyone's interested.

― Pangolino 2, Wednesday, 13 July 2005 20:45 (eighteen years ago) link

Sadly, there's some indie band today called Hula, giving me false hope whenever i see an unempty "Hula" wedge in the record store.

― donuty! donuti! donuté! (donut), Thursday, 14 July 2005 02:42 (eighteen years ago) link

walk on gilded splinters or sommat? was that them?

― mullygrubbr (bulbs), Thursday, 14 July 2005 03:48 (eighteen years ago) link

Sounds like Hula lyrics, yeah.

― donuty! donuti! donuté! (donut), Thursday, 14 July 2005 05:28 (eighteen years ago) link

Then again, those sound like Gang Of Four lyrics too.

― donuty! donuti! donuté! (donut), Thursday, 14 July 2005 05:29 (eighteen years ago) link

"Walk on Stalks of Shattered Glass"!

― Pangolino 2, Thursday, 14 July 2005 06:06 (eighteen years ago) link

two years pass...

Would realy like to hear the Gaye Bikers and Hula tapes if any exist.

― Rib Dinner, Monday, 28 January 2008 17:17 (sixteen years ago) link

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