The Room (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Headquarters | Liverpool , England, United Kingdom |
| Products | Albums, singles, EPs |
The Room is a new wave group originating from Liverpool, established in late 1979. Over their active years, they produced three albums alongside multiple singles before dissolving in 1985. Subsequently, two band members went on to create the projects Benny Profane, Dust, and Dead Cowboys.
History
Formed in 1979, The Room comprised Dave Jackson (vocals), Robyn Odlum (guitar), Becky Stringer (bass), and Clive Thomas (drums). Their initial self-released material on Box Records earned them comparisons with Joy Division, The Fall, and Liverpool's own Echo & the Bunnymen, attracting considerable media acclaim and interest from John Peel. In 1980, they issued the cassette album Bitter Reaction, followed by two double A-side singles: "Waiting Room" / "Motion" (1980) and "Bated Breath" / "In Sickness and Health" (1981).
By 1982, The Room had signed with Red Flame Records, putting out the single "Things Have Learnt to Walk That Ought to Crawl" as well as their debut vinyl album Indoor Fireworks. Changes to the lineup in 1983 introduced former Wild Swans drummer Alan Wills, guitarist Paul Cavanagh, and keyboardist Peter Baker. This formation released the mini-album Clear! later that year. Brass musician Phil Lucking briefly joined in 1984 but departed prior to the recording of their third album, In Evil Hour, which was co-produced by Tom Verlaine and John Porter. Their concluding release before disbandment was a live session EP issued in 1985.
The albums Clear! and In Evil Hour were later combined and reissued as the double-LP Nemesis. Additionally, a Peel session EP was released through Strange Fruit Records in 1988. After The Room’s breakup, Jackson and Stringer established Benny Profane in 1986, eventually forming Dust and The Dead Cowboys. The band's remastered studio recordings have been re-released on CD by LTM, featuring liner notes authored by Jackson.
In 2010, Jackson launched a solo record titled Cathedral Mountain, collaborating with John Head (Pale Fountains, Shack) and Tim O'Shea (Send No Flowers). He is also finalizing a low-budget fantasy film called 'Violet City', accompanied by a planned lyric book named Songs from Violet City scheduled for release in 2011; this collection includes some lyrics from The Room as well as rare tracks.
Albums
- Bitter Reaction (cassette only) (1980), Box
- Indoor Fireworks (1982), Red Flame
- Clear! (1983), Red Flame
- In Evil Hour (1984), Red Flame
- Nemesis (1986), Red Flame
- No Dream (Best Of) (2004), LTM
- Restless Fate (2023), 9x9 Records
- The Telling (2024), 9x9 Records
Singles and EPs
- "Waiting Room/Motion" (1980), Box
- "Bated Breath/In Sickness and Health" (1981), Box
- "Things Have Learnt to Walk That Ought to Crawl" (1982), Red Flame
- "100 Years" (1982), Red Flame
- "New Dreams for Old" (1984), Red Flame
- Jackpot Jack EP (Saturday Live & Janice Long Sessions) (1985), Red Flame – UK Indie Chart No. 22
- The Peel Session (1988), Strange Fruit Records