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.
Slowset
Bell X1 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She said she wasn't able
And all her friends laughed
She was just trying to be gentle
And so we danced
Round and round in circles
Not of that lovesong
But our very own circles
Slowset is dead
No more love on the dancefloor
Unless you're out of your head
That's all that we went for
So she asked me to dance
I did but I wasn't able
Oh where to put your hands
When there's so much food on the table
Slowset is dead
No more love on the dancefloor
Unless you're out of your head..
That's all that we went for
What do you say
When she's in your arms and you're going round in those circles...
When both of you know that you've risen to the occasion...
When her friend comes along and you know that she's been rescued...
When you're eternal flame has been drowned by her...
Purple rain
Slowset is dead
No more love on the dancefloor
Unless you're out of your head
That's all that we went for
That's all
The lyrics to Bell X1's Slowset depict a man and a woman dancing in circles on the dance floor. The man describes asking the woman to dance, but she declines and her friends laugh. They eventually do end up dancing together, but the man struggles with where to put his hands due to her curves. The chorus repeats the phrase "Slowset is dead," implying that the traditional slow dance is no longer a viable method for finding love on the dance floor unless one is "out of [their] head."
The lyrics are relatable in that they speak to the awkwardness and uncertainty of early romantic encounters. The man wants to dance with the woman but must navigate her initial reluctance as well as his own insecurity. The refrain "Slowset is dead" seems to be a commentary on the current state of dating and dance culture, suggesting that traditional slow dances are no longer the go-to for finding love or connection.
Line by Line Meaning
So I asked her to dance
I requested her to dance with me
She said she wasn't able
She declined my request citing inability
And all her friends laughed
Her friends laughed at the situation
She was just trying to be gentle
She didn't want to hurt my feelings
And so we danced
We danced together after that incident
Round and round in circles
We danced in circles, going around each other
Not of that lovesong
We didn't dance to a romantic song
But our very own circles
We had our own unique way of dancing
Slowset is dead
Slow dancing is no longer popular
No more love on the dancefloor
People don't dance romantically anymore
Unless you're out of your head
Unless you're under the influence of drugs/alcohol
That's all that we went for
That's the only reason to dance now
So she asked me to dance
She invited me to dance with her
I did but I wasn't able
I danced with her even though I wasn't comfortable
Oh where to put your hands
I was confused about where to place my hands while dancing
When there's so much food on the table
When there are many other things to focus on
What do you say
I was wondering what to talk about
When she's in your arms and you're going round in those circles...
When we were dancing in circles
When both of you know that you've risen to the occasion...
When both of us know that we are making the best of the situation
When her friend comes along and you know that she's been rescued...
When her friend interrupts us and saves her from the situation
When you're eternal flame has been drowned by her...
When her presence takes over and makes you forget everything else
Purple rain
Reference to the song 'Purple Rain' by Prince
Slowset is dead
Slow dancing is no longer popular
No more love on the dancefloor
People don't dance romantically anymore
Unless you're out of your head
Unless you're under the influence of drugs/alcohol
That's all that we went for
That's the only reason to dance now
Contributed by Andrew S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.