LAM has gained a large and loyal following all over the world, from the USA to Europe to Latin America (where the live band has toured extensively), and beyond. LAM has headlined and co-headlined concerts and major festivals with bands like The Cure, Green Day, HIM (HIM has cited LAM a favorite artist), Rammstein, Soft Cell and many more. LAM has performed to crowds of over 30,000 people as headliner and co-headliner on major music festivals around the world. However, London After Midnight maintains a strong underground and independent "personality" despite being a top seller (charting in the top 10 and top 20 German DAC, and other European independent charts, with each of 4 CDs released) and a major draw at music festivals year after year.
Songwriter, instrumentalist, producer and founder Sean Brennan is known for his strong stances in favor of animal rights, pro-environmental and human rights issues, anti-corporate control of media, and support for progressive and liberal political and social causes. Whatever the approach or subject matter, the music of London After Midnight is deeply touching, powerful, socially aware, romantic, emotional, disturbing, haunting, moving, and often exhibits a morbid wit with its sardonic humor (listen to the tongue-in-cheek "Your Best Nightmare" and try not to think of an Edward Gorey story).
LAM is all this, while at the same time appealing to a wide variety of people. There really is no classification that fits London After Midnight (despite LAM's "dark" image) because the music is so varied and the lyrical content (and even LAM's personality and causes) are unique and uncommon in today's music scene (often breaking boundaries- much to the outrage of people who live and die by genre labels). Sean Brennan shuns all labels (as any artist worth their salt will do) and the music he creates can really only be classified as "London After Midnight".
From 2015-2019 LAM headlined major festivals around the world, including Wave Gotik Treffen multiple times, and many other events. In 2019 Sean Brennan started his own record label, Darkride Records, and released "Selected Scenes from the End of the World: 9119", the original 1991 album remixed from the original master tapes (it is NOT A REMASTER- it's completely remixed from the multi-track master tapes). This new mix restored missing audio tracks and includes a never before released song from the 1991 sessions. Darkride Records released the "Oddities Too", similar in theme to the 1998 album "Oddities" with unreleased music, new music and much more. The all new un-named LAM album and a complete remix of "Psycho Magnet", remixed from the original master tapes, is also underway.
Main discography:
-Selected Scenes from the End of the World, 1995 CD (originally released as a cassette in 1991)
-Psycho Magnet, 1995 cassette, 1996 CD
-Oddities, 1998 cassette, 1998 CD
-Violent Acts of Beauty, 2007 CD
-Selected Scenes from the End of the World: 9119, 2019 CD (remixed from original multi-track master tapes)
- Live From Isolation, 2021 CD.
- Oddities Too, 2022 CD
Permanent line-up:
Sean Brennan: music, lyrics, vocals, most of the instruments.
Current live line-up:
Jeremy Kohnmann: guitar
Michael Areklett: bass
Pete Pace: drums.
Nightmare
London After Midnight Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'd sit by my black-light and dream of your kiss
Pulsating music filled my room and my head
And I dreamed what it'd be like to have you in my bed
I'm your best night, your best nightmare
I'm your best night, your best nightmare
Your lips on my throat, your hands on my, on my...
Two bodies together the intimate sin
The pain and the pleasure could do mortals in
How could you know what I'm thinking of?
To me lust can be as beautiful as love
Here tonight, your pure heart and soul
Untainted passion should have no control
I'm your best night, your best nightmare
I'm your best night, your best nightmare
She asked me if I... I told her the truth
I said "I'm sorry it takes me longer than you"
She smiled and blushed and continued to grind
And promised to make me go out of my mind
Returning her promise she came to a halt
Licking my lips I tasted her salt
Then she sat up and gasped and clutched at her breast
I thought she was coming I'd never have guessed
That as she grew pale, as white as a flower
She collapsed to the floor and was dead in an hour.
Your best nightmare, your best
Your best nightmare, your best
The lyrics of "Nightmare" by London After Midnight describe a dream-like state of the singer where he is surrounded by pulsating music which fills the room and his head while he dreams of being with someone he loves. He imagines their intimacy, sin, pleasure, and pain, and believes that lust can be as beautiful as love. However, as he experiences and indulges in his desires, he witnesses the girl suddenly collapse and die in front of him.
The song captures the fine line between pleasure and pain, which is often experienced during intimacy. Although it is a dark and tragic love story, the song is beautifully written and captures the essence of a love that exists beyond the realm of reality. The lyrics also suggest the danger that can occur in a relationship when passion is left uncontrolled.
Line by Line Meaning
Long after midnight, on a night like this
Late at night, during the darkest hours, I would sit by a black-light and dream of you
I'd sit by my black-light and dream of your kiss
While surrounded by darkness, I would imagine the sensation of your lips touching mine
Pulsating music filled my room and my head
Loud rhythmic music consumed my surroundings and thoughts
And I dreamed what it'd be like to have you in my bed
I fantasized about the experience of being intimate with you
I'm your best night, your best nightmare
I am both the most enjoyable night you've ever had and the worst nightmare you've ever experienced
And then it happened, you were in my arms
My dream became a reality, and I held you in my embrace
Your lips on my throat, your hands on my, on my...
Your mouth latched onto my neck while your hands explored my body
Two bodies together the intimate sin
Our connection was a taboo, forbidden union of two physical bodies
The pain and the pleasure could do mortals in
The combination of physical sensation and emotional intensity could drive anyone to the brink of their sanity
How could you know what I'm thinking of?
You can't possibly comprehend the depth of my thoughts and desires
To me lust can be as beautiful as love
In my mind, sexual desire can be just as meaningful and emotionally impactful as romantic love
Here tonight, your pure heart and soul
In this moment, I am with someone who has a genuine and innocent heart
Untainted passion should have no control
Pure sexual desire should not be restrained or held back
She asked me if I... I told her the truth
My partner asked me if I had finished, and I replied honestly
I said 'I'm sorry it takes me longer than you'
I apologized for my inability to finish as quickly as my partner
She smiled and blushed and continued to grind
My partner reacted positively and carried on with grinding against me
And promised to make me go out of my mind
She made a vow to drive me absolutely wild with pleasure
Returning her promise she came to a halt
My partner stopped momentarily to confirm her previous statement
Licking my lips I tasted her salt
I licked my own lips and could taste my partner's sweat
Then she sat up and gasped and clutched at her breast
Suddenly, my partner sat up and grasped at her chest in pain
I thought she was coming I'd never have guessed
Initially, I mistook her gasping and clutching as a sign of sexual climax
That as she grew pale, as white as a flower
However, her skin turned ashen and became as white as a blooming flower
She collapsed to the floor and was dead in an hour
Unfortunately, my partner's sudden illness resulted in her death an hour later
Your best nightmare, your best
I am the person who can bring you the most pleasure and the most pain
Your best nightmare, your best
I am both your greatest dream and worst nightmare
Lyrics © THINGMAKER MUSIC
Written by: SEAN BRENNAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind