Renascent has recently re-released the first three albums of The Comsat Angels. Given this fact and the renewed interest in this band's musical heritage I had an interview with Stephen Fellows, the vocalist and guitarist of the band.


Did you receive any musical education before you started playing in The Comsat Angels?

Not really, I got some music lessons at school but I had to teach myself to play the guitar.  My father and grandfather were musicians.

Whose idea was it to form the band?

To be honest, it was my idea. Mik and I became friends when we were 11. We were at the same  school and we kept in touch. It was kind of an instinct to form the band. In fact, Mik was  the singer in first instance. In those days of punk and "do it yourself" it was quite 
fashionable to start a band.

Have you been in other bands? Where does the name The Comsat Angels come from?

Before we chose to use the name The Comsat Angels we called our group The Skylids, then  Radio Earth, but I never fronted another band. The name The Comsat Angels comes from a short  story by JG Ballard. We thought that would be a suitable name for the band.

Are you still making music?

I've been busy writing music over the last years, I never stopped really. I've been in  management but always have been busy as a musician. I've written enough stuff to record 4  albums. Maybe the interest the re-issues have gained will allow me to record an album.  That's a costly matter.  And I would like to work with other people in the future.

You played many times in the Netherlands. Were you asked a lot? Any remarkable concerts you  can recall?

Yeah, we played a lot in the Netherlands. They paid well and we were asked frequently. The  concerts in Melkweg and Paradiso I can recall the best. And of course the coffee shops. I liked it over there. We also played in for example Germany and Belgium, but we never went to  Japan. There is a difference between what the audience thinks about a concert and what the  feelings of the band are. One hears its own mistakes better than the audience.

Bands you'd like to have performed with?

Jim Hendrix! I was 12 when he played in Sheffield but my mum wouldn't let me go... We later  on played with Captain Beef heart on his last tour. Danny Thompson and his band Pentangle  also catched my imagination. He is an acoustic folk bass player and one of the best in his  genre. The same goes for Richard Thompson (ex-fairport convention). We played with Pere Ubu in october 1978. We were called Radio Earth in those days. That was  a significant gig for us. We hadn't recorded anything and were eager to pick up anything  that could be of help to create a "sound" for the band. We were battled and puzzled after  that gig in Newcastle. Pere Ubu looked forward and we also wanted to improve ourselves. It  was really impressive. From then on we knew much better in which musical direction we wanted  to go. We admired David Thomas and later we found out that he also admired us. Another  person I would like to mention is Robert Kidney of the band The Numbers. They released a  live album in the mid '70's and I immediately liked it.

What's the meaning, message of the following songs:

Independence day:

I find such questions difficult. Some lyrics are just straight and have no intended message.I hadn't the goal of making a song with a political message. It's about opposites. One can't  always get what one wants. Lyrics always have some kind of ambiguity.

Dark parade

I found that event (attempt by the US to rescue the American hostages in Iran) horrifying.  Again, the song wasn't a political statement but it was just so impressive to me. Nowadays  such things are not so remarkable anymore, but the despair it had in it made me write a song  about it. The underlying message is that however strong a country or someone can be, they  can always be defeated.

Ju ju money

It's about unease, forces you've got no control over. It's also about being in a group. I  never was a "group" person, but being in a band like The Comsat Angels was very nice and my  view on being in a group altered because of that. And of course money is a handy asset.

Why did you change the musical style of the band after the first three albums? Those albums  really fit together:

We made more commercial albums in the mid 80's because the record company wanted us to do  so. We were happy to find a new label after the commercially not so successful first albums.  We were well aware that recording and distributing albums costs money and something is  better than nothing. Those albums also sounded a lot brighter. Indie didn't really exist, so we had no choice. But in retrospect we should have sticked to our early sound. The problem  was that we hardly knew how much our music was appreciated. One focused oneself on reviews  in magazines and the record company. Now with the internet it's far easier to get in touch  with your fans and hear their opinion on the music. Even during a concert there is some  distance between the audience and the band. The feedback was too limited. It's odd to find  out 25 years later that so many people listen to those albums and think so positive about  them! My lesson is that as a musician you've got to do what is right in your opinion, don't  let yourself be influenced too much by record companies. That's most of the time the best  way to record a worthwhile album.

What has been the Legacy of The Comsat Angels in your opinion?

That's something other bands/listeners must decide upon. Many bands drop our name at the  moment. Considering that, we have had some influence. We have a Myspace account and Editors  are one of our friends, I think that's genuine. I like a good melody. Those new bands that say they have been influenced by us will have to come up with a good melody also.

Could you make a living out of making music?

Just about. I was in management but the music never let me go. It's interesting to see that  live music is so popular at the moment. During the dance hype many musicians were only busy  with electronics and computers. Youngsters seem to have a renewed interest in live music  given the popularity of concerts at the moment. They look up to those who master an  instrument and want to play an instrument themselves.

Have you got plans for the future?

I'll be active as a musician. I've written enough songs to record a new album. But recording  an album is a considerable investment. Hopefully the renewed attention for the Comsat Angels  will enhance the possibilities for me to release a new album. Musicians get better in time,  don't they? Even old bands, like Pink Floyd at live aid, prove that they got enough  enthusiasm and quality to be on par with or even better many younger bands. Richard Thompson is also still very productive and creative.

Any chance of a reformation of The Comsat Angels?

Never say never! Time will tell, but if we would embark upon such a venture we'll certainly  play in the Netherlands!