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Ex-Spacehog, Blind Melon members tour



Clarisa Ramirez
Intern
March 11, 2004


Sparticle will be playing in Dallas for the first time March 20.

The band is a new rock trio created by former Spacehog singer and bass player Royston Langdon and Blind Melon guitarist Rogers Stevens.

In the '90s, Spacehog's "In the Meantime" and Blind Melon's "No Rain" were both successful radio singles, gaining both acts mainstream recognition.

Sparticle has only produced a single so far, but has been described by critics as a bluesy, southern-influenced glam-rock band.

"Royston was looking for someone to play in his new band, and we hit it off, so I called Rene to see if he wanted to do it," Stevens said.

After Blind Melon's split, Stevens played guitar for a band called Extra Virgin with Rene Lopez on vocals, but the group never worked out cohesively.

He said he's happy to be in the band with Stevens and Langdon because they are all serious and focused on playing music.

"I need to look at the guys on stage and think that I'm on the same level with them," he said.

"It's really hard to be in a band in New York and to have a band with people who will turn their lives into it -- this group's a lot like that."

Stevens said he and Langdon share many of the same musical influences.

"We are the same age so ... we grew up listening to the same bands in the '70s," Stevens said.

He names both classic rock and jazz as favorite genres.

"I grew up in Mississippi with country music, so that must be a weird thing for Roy [who is British] ... but my ancestors have had bad teeth so we have that in common," Stevens joked.

Stevens said that although both he and Langdon were raised in different backgrounds, they found songs from older bands they could connect to, but noted their styles were different.

"I like Cream but Roy has a Freddy Mercury thing, although he just sounds like Roy to me," Stevens said.

Stevens said Sparticle is constantly morphing into something new.

"We're one of those bands who never play the same song twice, but we're not a jam band," he said.

"We're not just going through the motions."

Stevens said that band's goal is to write some more songs so they can record their first album during the summer.

Both he and Langdon co-write the songs.

"We want to make it really basic. It's going to be the way we play live," Stevens said.

He said that the band plans to produce their own album and haven't approached any major record labels.

"It's the best way to do it, if you can make a good record," Stevens said. "The longer you can hold on to that sort of control the better."

Sparticle performed its first show in November and have since played several shows in New York.

Recently the group opened for Rich Robinson from the Black Crowes while he was on a tour of the Northeast.

"That was the first time we played every night for a while," Stevens said. Sparticle will also be playing South By Southwest next week, an annual event featuring dozens of bands from across the nation.

Stevens said it will be his first experience performing at South by Southwest. "I imagine it will be some kind of nightmare," he said, speaking on the number of people there.

And how did Sparticle get its name?

"Roy came cup with the name," Stevens said.

"I don't know what it means but I suggest one of your brainy science students try to figure it out."

Sparticle will be playing with Stellastarr* Saturday March 20 at Trees in Dallas