1991 - 2000
Brian, Paul, Dom and Damien Rice form Juniper, having met in school. They go to college, play some weddings, 21st's and Bar Mitzvahs... and for a while have a Sunday night residency in the Kildrought Lounge and Bar, Celbridge. They meet Dave, who weans them off the Neil Diamond and Roxette covers. Band move into house in country, release EP, Manna, and two singles in Ireland. Damien leaves band, the others read about Chuck Yeager and his Right Stuff. They call the new band Bell X1. Bell X1 support Elliott Smith and Bon Jovi in the same 1 week period, leading to severe identity crisis, making small music with big hair. They make their first album, Neither Am I, in the summer/autumn of 1999 with Nick Seymour of Crowded House and release it in Ireland a year later, after much touring and a couple of old singles.
2001
Band take some time to indulge musical differences. Paul records and tours as drummer with Tipperary siren Gemma Hayes, Brian's away with Offaly hearthrob Mundy, and Dave and Dom join Richie Mullen of Lino Richie Carpets, Finglas, in touring cabaret show. Bell X1 regroup in late summer and write songs for what would become Music in Mouth in a house by the sea in Wexford.
2002
Second album recording starts in Ridge Farm studios in Surrey, with producer Jamie Cullum. After 4 weeks they move to the Fallout Shelter, London. The studio has no teapot!! Some moaning. The band take turns to make dinner. Some of it is shit. The world Cup happens. Mixing finishes in July and everyone goes away for a while. Come back and mix it all again. Borrow a friend's house in Kilkenny, record some more songs, play hurling, are laughed at by locals. Music in Mouth finally finished in December, a few days after the birth of Jamie's daughter Ellie, who was both conceived and born during the making of the record.
2003, 2004
The album Music in Mouth is released on July 21st 2003, to tremendous applause, and the band play with all sorts to try to flog it. Tom McRae, Keane, Starsailor, Aqualung and Snow Patrol show them the highways and byways of the UK and continental Europe. Songs from the record appear in many TV series, from Teachers to The OC, and at home the album goes double platinum, with four top 40 singles. In July 2004, the band gather in yet another house in Wexford to write a new record.
2005
Flock is recorded in Dublin and mixed in London, with Roger Becherian producing and Phil Hayes knob twiddling. A shrine to Daniel O' Donnell (Irish singing deity, ref Cliff Richard without ever having had a brush with cool) is created in the green room, Dave creates Pistachio Nut Shell Installation and mustaches are grown. The band take a break from recording and sell out a mini tour in the USA, where they record a live session for Nic Harcourt’s essential show on KCRW in L.A.
Flock is released in Ireland and hits the heights of #1 in the album charts. The band leaves Island Records and sets up its own record label called BellyUp records. A live album called Tour De Flock is released - it is a 2-disc compilation featuring 16 tracks from their sold-out gig at The Point Theatre, Dublin on December 1, 2006.
In 2008, Flock is released in the USA and the band appears on the St. Patrick's Day edition of the Late Show with David Letterman.
On 2nd October, Brian Crosby quits saying "It's been an extraordinary privilege to be in a band with your mates for more than 15 years. I'm really grateful for everything I got to do with Bell X1, for all the adventures we had and for the great support of our fans. It's been particularly wonderful to have connected with so many people and to have got to meet people all over the world doing what I love. I look forward to continue making those connections. At the same time I'll be applauding the boys continued success."
As well as promoting Flock in the USA, the band gets busy recording a new album Blue Lights On The Runway. It finally sees the light of day in 2009, with lead single The Great Defector becoming their biggest hit to date (no. 3 in the Irish charts).
2011
The band will release its newest album Bloodless Coup in stores and online on April 1 in Ireland, April 4 in the UK, April 8 in Germany and Benelux, April 12 in the USA and Canada, and April 26 in France. The album's lead single is “Velcro,” which the band performed on The Rachael Ray Show on St. Patrick's Day.
A Better Band
Bell X1 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or is it just me?
I pace myself, brace myself,
Trying not to breathe.
All these walls are closing in on me,
Like the death star bin,
Oh that'll learn me,
That'll squeeze out all the sin.
This world is bearing down on me,
Like a fish eye lens ?
And when it comes down to it,
Do I have any real friends?
How long were those monkeys typing,
To make all Billy's work?
I've some way to go yet,
I'll finish this one first.
Something's got to give.
I'm a failing restaurant,
All expectant and sad
With one eye on the door,
Playing cards out the back
I'm love me love me love me,
I'm a small bit of a prick
I got the meat sweats
From this real politic.
Sometimes I can see you
Shining in the night
There's Polly, and Gillian,
And your man in the big suit
Spitting out confetti that wallops with a kiss
And I'm left thinking
I wanna be a better band
This is it, what are you crying for?
This is it, were you expecting more?
I wanna be a better band
And shoot fire from my hands
Fire from my hands
In Bell X1's "A Better Band," the singer is struggling with feelings of claustrophobia and insignificance. The lyrics "Is this room getting smaller, or is it just me?" and "All these walls are closing in on me, like the death star bin" suggest that the singer is feeling trapped and overwhelmed by his surroundings. He is trying to cope with these feelings by "pacing himself" and "bracing himself," but it seems like it's not enough, as he is "trying not to breathe." He acknowledges his own sin and how everything seems to be squeezing it out of him.
The song also touches upon the singer's struggle with the idea of friendship, wondering if he has any "real friends" and feeling like the world is "bearing down on" him like a "fish eye lens." He makes a reference to the infinite monkey theorem, which states that a monkey hitting keys at random on a typewriter keyboard for an infinite amount of time will eventually produce any given text, such as Billy Shakespeare's plays. The singer acknowledges that he still has work to do before he can reach his goals.
Line by Line Meaning
Is this room getting smaller,
Am I feeling more and more trapped in this space?
Or is it just me?
Maybe it's just my imagination; maybe nothing has changed physically.
I pace myself, brace myself,
I try to control my anxiety and fear.
Trying not to breathe.
I'm trying not to hyperventilate; trying to stay calm.
All these walls are closing in on me,
I feel like the walls are literally closing in on me.
Like the death star bin,
Like that scene in Star Wars where Luke and his friends nearly get crushed.
Oh that'll learn me,
That's what I get for being careless, maybe.
That'll squeeze out all the sin.
Being trapped and alone like this makes me feel vulnerable and exposed.
This world is bearing down on me,
I feel crushed by the weight of life and my responsibilities.
Like a fish eye lens ?
Like looking through one of those weird wide-angle lenses that makes everything seem exaggerated.
And when it comes down to it,
Ultimately, when things get tough...
Do I have any real friends?
Do I have anyone I can really rely on and trust?
How long were those monkeys typing,
How long did it really take for evolution to produce humans and our intelligence and creativity?
To make all Billy's work?
And how much time, effort, and ingenuity went into creating great works of art like Billy Elliot?
I've some way to go yet,
I have a lot of growing and learning to do before I can make great art or achieve my goals.
I'll finish this one first.
But first I need to focus on what's in front of me and complete my current task.
Something's got to give.
Clearly, the situation can't continue like this forever; something needs to change.
I'm a failing restaurant,
I feel like I'm struggling and not making progress, and nobody really wants what I have to offer.
All expectant and sad
I still have hope that things will improve, but I'm also deeply saddened by my current situation.
With one eye on the door,
I'm constantly looking for a way out or an escape from my predicament.
Playing cards out the back
Maybe I'm doing something sneaky or illegal to try to make ends meet or get ahead.
I'm love me love me love me,
I'm desperate for attention, validation, and approval.
I'm a small bit of a prick
But I'm also fully aware that I can be difficult, prickly, and unpleasant to be around.
I got the meat sweats
I'm feeling uncomfortably full and gross; maybe I've just eaten too much meat.
From this real politic.
I'm disgusted by the way politics and society work; it feels dirty and corrupt to me.
Sometimes I can see you
Sometimes I catch a glimpse of you in my mind or my dreams.
Shining in the night
You seem radiant and special to me; maybe you're the key to my happiness.
There's Polly, and Gillian,
I'm reminded of other women who've been important in my life.
And your man in the big suit
And there are also other men who seem successful and powerful.
Spitting out confetti that wallops with a kiss
But these people also seem fake, shallow, and insincere; their grand gestures are just empty showmanship.
And I'm left thinking
All of this makes me wonder...
I wanna be a better band
Maybe the key to my success is to improve my musical skills and talents.
This is it, what are you crying for?
Why am I complaining and feeling sorry for myself when this is the life I've chosen?
This is it, were you expecting more?
Is this not what I signed up for, with all its challenges and difficulties?
And shoot fire from my hands
Maybe I want to do something amazing and awe-inspiring, something that makes people take notice and admire me.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: DAVE BRIAN GERAGHTY, DOMINIC MICHAEL PHILLIPS, PAUL ANTHONY NOONAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@probesport
This is it, were you expecting more?