London After Midnight (LAM) is a music project formed in the 1990s by singe… Read Full Bio ↴London After Midnight (LAM) is a music project formed in the 1990s by singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sean Brennan. LAM has retained and nurtured the political and socially aware element of the later punk scene that virtually vanished from all music scenes in the early 90s, and has developed as a passionate and political dark rock-music entity. LAM has a large worldwide following, with many gothic rock fans (LAM shuns labels such as "gothic", however, saying that labels limit an artist's creative realm and also destructively divides audiences- unfortunately too many people define themselves by the style of music they listen to and refuse to expand beyond that).

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.

The Black Cat
London After Midnight Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh Little girl
Don't go away
Just come to bed
And there we'll stay

oh little girl, lie close to me
Just close your eyes
What do you see?

Black Cat
Entrance me
Devour me

The storm outside is raging still
There's no escape
The one that kills

oh little girl
The time has come
We think and move
Exist as one

Black Cat

Entrance me
Devour me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to the song 'The Black Cat' by London After Midnight are dark and eerie, and can be interpreted in many ways. It seems to be a conversation between two people, possibly a man and a young girl. The first stanza begins with the man asking the girl not to go away and to come to bed with him. He tells her to lie close to him and close her eyes, and then asks her what she sees. This could be interpreted as the man trying to comfort the girl or possibly trying to convince her to trust him while he plans to do something sinister.

The second stanza mentions a black cat, which could represent darkness, mystery, or even death. The man tells the girl that the black cat entrances him and devours him, which could be a metaphor for succumbing to temptation or danger. It seems as though the man is being consumed by the black cat's power, and may want the girl to join him in this state. The third stanza describes a storm outside that is raging, possibly symbolizing chaos or danger. The man tells the girl that there is no escape and that the one that kills is coming.

In the final stanza, the man tells the girl that the time has come and they must think and move as one. This could be interpreted as him telling her to trust him completely or it could be more ominous. The repetition of the phrase 'Black Cat, entrance me, devour me' throughout the song adds to the overall feeling of darkness and danger.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh Little girl
Addressing a young lady in a seductive tone

Don't go away
Urging the girl to stay

Just come to bed
Inviting the girl to join him in bed

And there we'll stay
Imagining a world where they can be together

oh little girl, lie close to me
Asking the girl to get closer

Just close your eyes
Encouraging the girl to relax

What do you see?
Prompting the girl to visualize something pleasant

Black Cat
Symbolizes a powerful force or entity

Entrance me
Asking the force to captivate him

Devour me
Asking the force to consume him

The storm outside is raging still
Describing a turbulent and dangerous external world