Despite a chock-full British alt-rock scene in the 1980s, the Psychedelic Furs stood out.
Walk into any college dorm then, and chances were good that “Love My Way,” “The Ghost in You” or another Furs anthem could be heard blasting from at least one student?s room. But almost as quickly as it burst on the scene ? with its dark shows and haunting tunes ? the band seemed to disintegrate.
“When you start out, a lot of your motivation is just wanting to be cool,” frontman Richard Butler said of those times. “But at this point in my life, I don?t give a damn about being cool. When you get some experience, you start questioning what cool really means. To me, being cool is about knowing who you are and having the confidence to be yourself, and that?s what I?m trying to do on this record.”
The record of which he speaks is his self-titled debut solo album. The 11 tracks are a departure from the Furs anthems, exploring more complex emotional and philosophical issues in an introspective way. Butler said the songs are deeply personal, exploring such issues as the death of his father and the breakup of his marriage.
“I think everybody reaches a point in their lives where they begin to ask themselves certain questions,” he said. “When you?re young, you feel like you?re bulletproof and being old seems a very long way away. But once you get to around 40, you begin to realize that you?re not going to live forever, and you begin to think a bit more seriously about things like God, love and death.”
That?s not to say Butler isn?t committed to work with the Furs, with which he?s on an extensive tour. In fact, the Furs also have undergone something of a renaissance since saxophonist Mars Williams rejoined the band.
“You can feel a huge difference now that Mars is on board with us again,” bass player Tim Butler told New Jersy?s Asbury Park Press recently. “When he came back with us a few months ago for a show in Chicago, you could feel the shivers go up and down your spine when he played. It?s made a huge difference. Me and my brother (Richard Butler) are thrilled having Mars back.”
If you go
» Psychedelic Furs with The Fixx and the Alarm
» Venue: Pier Six Concert Pavilion, 731 Eastern Ave., Baltimore
» When: 6 tonight
» Tickets: $15 to $30; ticketmaster.com; 410-547-SEAT
