Space (English band)

Space
Three members of Space playing a "secret gig"
Background information
Origin	Liverpool, England
Genres	Alternative dance, alternative rock, alternative hip hop, neo-psychedelia
Years active	1992–2005; 2011–present
Labels	Gut Records, Universal Records, RandM, HUG
Members	Tommy Scott Jamie Murphy Franny Griffiths Phil Hartley Allan Jones
Past members	Jamie Island Andy Parle Yorkie Leon Caffrey Ryan Clarke

Space are a band from Liverpool, England, who formed in 1992 initially as a trio of Tommy Scott (vocals, bass, guitar), Jamie Murphy (vocals, guitar) and Jamie Island (drums), who was later replaced by Andy Parle. Keyboard player Franny Griffiths joined the line-up a year later, and the band signed to Gut Records in 1995, eventually rising to prominence with hit singles such as "Female of the Species", "Me and You Versus the World", "Neighbourhood", "Avenging Angels" and "The Ballad of Tom Jones", the latter a duet with Cerys Matthews of Catatonia.

Space pursued an eclectic sound dubbed "queasy listening" by critics,^[1] embracing electronica and sampling in their work and drawing from genres as diverse as hip hop, techno, post-punk, ska, lounge music, easy listening and film scores, the result of the differing tastes between band members. The group were also noted for their deliberately tongue-in-cheek, dark humoured lyrics inspired by films, which frequently deal with topics such as serial killers, failed relationships, social outcasts, and mental illness.^[2] Whilst Space's eclecticism and camp humour polarised listeners and critics, they have maintained a devoted cult following.

Space experienced several lineup changes, with Scott being the only consistent member. Their first two albums, Spiders (1996) and Tin Planet (1998), achieved great success and went platinum in the UK, along with scoring eight UK Top 40 singles. Work on their proposed third album, Love You More than Football, was marred by difficulties and was eventually shelved once the band were released from their contract with Gut. The band disbanded in 2005, following low sales and a lukewarm reception to their fourth album Suburban Rock 'n' Roll (2004), which was nonetheless acclaimed by fans.

Scott went on to form The Drellas, which in 2011 morphed into the second incarnation of Space after Griffiths (and briefly Murphy) joined the group. Space have continued to release studio albums, including Attack of the Mutant 50ft Kebab (2014) and Give Me Your Future (2017). In 2019, twenty years after it was recorded, Love You More than Football was officially released as part of a career-spanning Anthology boxset. The band's seventh album, Music for Pleasure Music for Pain, was released in 2021.