Ron & Scott Asheton - Raw Power, Iggy & The Stooges 1972 - Photographs by Mick Rock

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Loop - Loop 1987 (White Trash Soul Real R'n'R No.23)

 

It's fair to say that Loop were Spacemen 3's rivals. They were probably the only band that could pose any kind of threat to them. Hailing from South London, these noise terrorists were one of the few bands to reference the nastier end of the '60s bad trip. Many have name-checked the drugged grandeur of The Velvet Underground or the minimalist industrial noise of The Stooges, only a handful succeeded. The flame keeper of Mary Chain's early steps is kept alive by these recordings. In fact, they often sounded like a more psychedelic version of Mudhoney. (During Loop's US tour, they had Nirvana as the opening act.) Less pop, more drone. And fuzz. I mean, FUZZ! When Spacemen 3 split, the Telescopes and My Bloody Valentine stole Loop's thunder. I guess they were always thought of as outsiders, even when they reached number one on the UK indie charts a few times and even made it into the general top 40. Maybe it's better this way. 

This is the soundtrack of a vast, toxic wasteland. Proceed at your own risk.