History
Beginnings
Paul Marshall was the singer and rhythm guitarist with bubblehouse. He first got himself aquainted with a microphone way back in 1979 with a Penrith punk band called Victim, made up of assorted like minded mates and some remants of Penrith punk legends the Renwick Bats. One gig at Penrith park, lots of threats from unfriendly locals and a resignation to he annals of P’rith music history.
In 1981 Paul formed up with a trio of mates from school and picked up a guitar for the first time. The band quickly settled on a suitably early 80’s band name Absolution. This was also the point at which Rat and Paul first worked together musically, a partnership that would continue off an on for some 14 years. Other notables in that band were Anthony Theakston (now a potter) on vocals, Ross Mitchell (sadly died in 2009) on drums. The band quickly morphed into a three piece following ‘Theaks’ distraction with all things female and arty. One demo at Shap where Ross wouldn’t hit the snare because the mic cost £400 followed (this made for a somewhat tom tom based drum section!). Another mate, John Dawes joined late in 1982 and the four continued for some time until university beckoned.
Paul’s musical style started to be influenced by the darker side of punk, with bands like Killing Joke, Kirk Brandon and the Pack, grabbing his attention, quickly followed by the sounds of emereging bands like Echo and the Bunnymen – a band that would influence his music throughout his career. The latter was to see another band form Lobelia with Paul taking on voclas and Guitar, Johnny Routledge on bass and the return of Ross Mitchell on drums, Some localised success with gigs in Carlisle and a couple of demos, but musical differences prevailed and Lobelia became a twopiece and a drum machine.
The times kind of got to Lobelia, and a succession of clubbing and a little too much hedonism brought the band to an end. Paul continued to work with a number of aquaintances doing the odd bit of jamming and the occassional role of session guitarist for a number of local bands.
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
This arrangement couldn’t last however, and soon Paul and Rat were talking about forming a new band and having a real shot at creating the music they liked. They quickly recruited John Parkinson on guitar, followed by Cameron Hogg on drums. The line up worked, demos followed and bubblehouse began to gain a reputation as one of the most gifted of local bands, with a strong songwriting talent developing. Just as their star was rising however, they lost John Parkinson who commited suicide. This left the band devastated, not knowing what to do next – bubblehouse wasn’t bubblehouse without John. The desire to keep going remained thoughout and Rat recruited Dave Johnson, a talented guitarist who had been doing the circuit for a while with a series of club bands. Once Dave got up-to-speed with the existing song catalogue, bubblehouse began gigging in Penrith, Carlisle, and various other venues around Cumbria – most notably one gig at the Wigton Working Mens Club where poor advertising led to the band being billed as ‘No Bingo’ (a name the band seriously considered adopting… for just under three minutes!).
Inevitably new material sprang from this new line-up – most notably Kingfishing, I Guess, Pretty Sure, Serene and Dull Sky – the latter three tracks making it onto their Sticks and Stones demo, recorded at Omega Music in Brampton.
Around this time, ex Daisychain Connection guitarist Ian Kirton joined the band briefly as they sought to free up time for vocals for Paul. However, Ian’s more melodic style didn’t quite blend with the bands punk roots and after a couple of months the band and Ian parted company.
On the back of this demo, bubblehouse were featured in a guest slot on the Border TV programme 7th Heaven, hosted by Christian Dymond. The band performed I Guess and this was televised along with a brief interview with vocalist Paul Marshall.
From this television appearance the band’s fan base grew more rapidly, and regular gigging began in earnest, including an outdoor charity gig at the Grey Bull in Penrith.
bubblehouse were continuously writing new material and, once again, hit the recording studio, this time at Tom Tyson’s Music Farm in Egremont. This demo, entitled Blurt, showcased three new tracks – Mother, Who I Am and Sad Man.
With an ever growing fan base, most notably Cumbrian Newspapers’ live music reporter Mark Campbell, more gigs ensued after the release of this eagerly awaited demo.
More ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
It was at this time that the next change in line-up hit the band. Cameron Hogg, drummer since the very early days of bubblehouse, decided to quit the band and head off to university. Cameron’s departure to university brought with it a break to what had become a tightly knit long standing line up. One thing was certain though – the need to keep up the momentum building around the band.
Rat quickly identified a new drummer in the form of Gary Pickering. An accomplished drummer, Gary quickly picked up on things and the band developed an edgier, harder sound partly influenced by Gary’s involvement but also through an increasing dabbling with drugs and changes in personal lives.
Around this time bubblehouse made contact with Chrysalis records A&R representative Amanda Todd. Amanda loved the two earlier demos and also some of the new live tracks she received, and requested that the band enter the recording studio for a third time and bring the new demo to London for a meeting. The result, Sucker, boasted three new tracks – Sleepy Susan, Nonsensical and Sugar Girl. Amanda was blown away by the new tracks, Sleepy Susan in particular, and immediately arranged a high profile gig at London’s popular live venue The Mean Fiddler, with a recording contract in the offing.
So the band, now under the new guise of Swirl, were all set for fame and fortune. All they needed to do was organise a coach load of local fans (sorted), turn up and play.
Then, with only a few days to the London gig, Gary decided that bubblehouse wasn’t where he wanted his life to go and quit the band. The other members tried desperately to persuade Gary to stay, at least until the gig and recording contract were ‘in the bag’ but to no avail. The band appealed to Chrysalis, asking for a gig on another night (so a new drummer could get up to speed), but it was too late, everything was arranged.
The boys could have imploded at that point but again Rat was to thank for finding a new drummer. In the best kept traditions of mad drummers Nick Hurst lived up to the cliché of addled sticksmen but provided a solid backbeat to the band as it progressed into its semi-psychadelic phase.
More new material, more gigs and more fans, but rehearsal sessions were missed, communication was breaking down… the band had lost heart.
One night, whilst driving to rehearsals together, Paul and Dave both decided enough was enough. bubblehouse and Swirl were finished.
Or were they…!?
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After bubblehouse
Paul Marshall – Paul stepped in to another local band, Orange, to help them out with some radio session work, this quickly turned into a permanent arrangement and the band morphed into Vibrosonic, Paul forming a strong songwriting base with guitarist Les Grabarz – another old punk form the Penrith scene. Again gigs far and wide, Radio 1 sessions and a stack-ful of demos later it was time to move on. Paul quit Cumbria in 1998, moving to the North East – although Vibrosonic soldiered on for a while, the distance and commitments finally brought the band to an end. Paul still strums a few tunes and is busy working on songs for his own alter ego “Frontal Lobe Uprising”. Old punks never die, they just get older.
Paul ‘Rat’ Ratcliffe – Currently residing in Leeds, playing in a very popular punk band under the new stage persona ‘Rocco’, and with suspected toupee or dolls-hair implants.
Cameron Hogg - As I feel that the opportunities which I enjoyed of studying the Natural History of the different countries we visited, have been wholly due to Captain Fitz Roy, I hope I may here be permitted to repeat my expression of gratitude to him; and to add that, during the five years we were together, I received from him the most cordial friendship and steady assistance.
Dave Johnson – After the bubblehouse/swirl split, Dave hung up all but his acoustic guitar for many years, concentrating mainly on his graphic design career and starting a family. In 2005 Dave was asked to join a new local band so guitars were dusted off, amplifiers were cranked up, old leads were replaced and new effects processors were purchased. Unfortunately, despite very promising rehearsals, this as yet un-named band never performed ‘live’ due to personal commitments from several other band members. Dave is currently composing songs for his new Rock-Opera ‘Sorry Girls Lads Are Tired’ (based on the story of bubblehouse), and is in potential new song-writing negotiations with singer Paul. Old graphic designers never die, they just become more colourful.
Rich Harrison – As I feel that the opportunities which I enjoyed of studying the Natural History of the different countries we visited, have been wholly due to Captain Fitz Roy, I hope I may here be permitted to repeat my expression of gratitude to him; and to add that, during the five years we were together, I received from him the most cordial friendship and steady assistance.