Their official biography reads as follows: Our story begins – as many of these stories do – with a TDK 60 minute cassette. It's back in 1992 and Kurt Cobain with Smells Like Teen Spirit is playing himself into the nirvana of rock'n'roll and hitting us in the gut. Wow! At roughly the same time, Adrian packs in his drummer job with The Bash — freeing his hands to do the old Fender Strat thing and, in fact, record on to that TDK 60. He calls his one-man band "Lovebugs", enters the cassette for a Band Contest in Basle ... and ends up being invited to take part in the final round.
So he finds Sebastian on bass and Julie on drums – more for their charming personalities than for instrumental virtuosity. And then it all happens pretty dammed quick. First gig, the final, victory, thank you!
Adrian and Sebastian then record their first album Fluff in all of five days in league with 17-year-old temp drummer Simon who has been a permanent fixture since then, irreplaceable actually, because not only is he an amazing drummer but also an amazing cook. We play a few gigs and Adrian wants to pack it in again. Making music is OK, he says, but being the frontman is a pain. Well, we persuade him to stay on and, before long, we have played countless gigs in small clubs. And, between all that, recorded our second album: Tart.
The third album appears in 1996: Lovebugs. Recorded in London, produced by George Shilling and Tony Harris. We storm the Top 40 and our single Fantastic is what you might call our minor breakthrough on the Swiss music wallpaper scene. We sign major recording contacts in Germany, feel pretty fantastic, immortal at least. Just the right mood for getting on to the TourBus for a few months.
Thomas also gets on: live, we need extra guitar; he needs a good band. And the tours go on — with Marc Owen, Republica, Vivid and Ocean Color Scene. We become addicted to life on tour. We hang on to Thomas because, apart from making the right noises with the guitar, he's cool with studio buttons and, in the morning, he looks so grotty.
In 1999, BMG/RCA prescribe us a recording producer who – from the very start – we don't hit it off with. The proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back. After a really vicious battle with the record company (all that small-print crap) we record an album under the name of The Symbol. No, not really, we sign a deal with Warner Music Switzerland and, at long last, in 2000, bring out Transatlantic Flight. All that turbulence seems to have paid off. The album sells in 13 countries and represents now our ultimate breakthrough. The concerts are sold out. We shoot a video in LA and give loads of interviews from Moscow through Niederbipp to Helsinki …
While Sebastian publishes his glam rock project Fucking Beautiful, we work on our fifth studio album Awaydays. Wanting to go new places, we record the album in the rehearsal room (with Thomas as producer) and bring in a string orchestra. Adrian starts to think of packing it in again but eventually gives up smoking instead. At about the same time, Awaydays gets to the number one spot in the Swiss charts and Sebastian announces his departure from the band. We play one last tour with him and wonder about how things should continue.
Come autumn 2002, we retreat to the heel of the Italian boot – Apulia – to work on 13 Songs With A View. There are now five of us and we're searching for a new Lovebugs sound. Bass player Florian is more than a mere substitute for emigrant Sebastian: he brings a new earthy edge to the band and raises the average IQ by 35%. The same tidal wave also dumps Stefan on board MS Lovebugs. In an official capacity, that is. For almost three years, he's been pounding away on the keyboards for us — both on stage and in the studio. 13 Songs With A View is, in a word, a bitch, and gives us a really hard time. Yup, the search for our joint roots is difficult, taking 13 long months in the studio. An eternal labyrinth. But also a welding torch for the new line-up. The result is rawer and harder than previous albums. A true milestone, we reckon. Whereas the Swiss radio stations reckon that our sound is too noisy. TV gets cold feet as well and even drops us from a programme at literally the last second. They are worried that our music might hit the viewers in the gut (hmm, sounds familiar). Whatever. A short time later, to kick off our tour, we play Letzigrund Stadium with the legendary Stones to a crowd of 40,000 before, at long last, setting off on an extended club and festival tour again.
December 2003. We've done some 1,000 gigs (I think) and recorded seven albums. Tired? No way! But where can we now sail to without going round in circles? One thing is clear: we need a producer who will accompany us, give us feedback and be in on the songs as they emerge so that we don't drift into studio quicksands again. Someone who can stand up to the Lovebugs steamroller. Adrian has the shocking idea of having a go with that swine Chris von Rohr. In fact, the chemistry works at the very first meeting and soon we have a veritable swimming pool full of creativity — not to mention a genuine friendship.
Together we work on the eighth CD. It's to be an unplugged album, recorded live and featuring the best from 11 years of Lovebugs. Old hits are re-arranged, stripped down to the bare essentials. We want it to be intimate and direct. After nine months of preparation, we perform Naked (!) on stage in Basle ... and, well, it's one of our best concerts ever. Included on the album version are five new songs, some really moving moments and acres of goose pimples.
For six months or so, the subsequent Naked Tour takes us though old theatre prosceniums and cinema halls. Backed by mood and guest musicians, we play unplugged into the summer. It's during the festival season of 2005 that – in parallel and in secret – we start plugging our cables in at the rehearsal room again. We hunger for electricity and sounds but first Adrian has to have on operation on his respiratory system while the rest of us send postcards from our holiday resorts. Each taking a creative breather, so to speak.
In autumn 2005 – by which time we're up to our knees in new material – a Taiwanese record company calls up suddenly and invites us to hold a series of interviews and concerts in Asia. We leave the freshly served Creative Soup on the counter and fly "naked" to the land of the permanent sushi enthusiasts where we (a) score something of a success and (b) get to know something about chopsticks, isolation and sleeping tablets. Then, in the middle of a snowstorm and an infinitely long winter, we eventually realise where we are going and who we wish to take along with us. Things are going to be epic and huge and also deep enough to drown in, a unified whole indeed. So, after a three-year absence from the studio, In Every Waking Moment will not be a stroll through the park, more like an intense midnight ramble J
To read the map and shine the torch, we hire Roman Camenzind. The man who never sleeps and who always has a good idea just when one is needed.
In February and March of 2006, we record In Every Waking Moment at locomotive speed and, only one week after Switzerland gets kicked out of the last 16 of the Football World Cup, a Lovebugs CD soars to Number One on the Swiss album charts … again.
Discography
IN EVERY WAKING MOMENT (2006)
NAKED (2005)
13 SONGS WITH A VIEW (2003)
AWAYDAYS (2001)
TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT (2000)
LIVE VIA SATELLITE (1999)
LOVEBUGS intl. version (1998)
LOVEBUGS (1996)
TART (1995)
FLUFF (1994)
Group Members
Adrian Sieber: vocals, guitar
Thomas Rechberger: guitar, vocals
Stefan Wagner: piano, synthesizers, vocals
Florian Senn: bass
Simon Ramseier: drums
Website
http://www.lovebugs.com
Rock Steady Beat
Lovebugs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's the big headline
Too much is illusion
'cause it's 1999
There's too much pollution
That's a sign of the times
Too much of intrusion
Dance and you'll be fine
to the rock steady, rock steady beat
To the rock steady, rock steady beat
too much information
Always on deadline
Too much conspiration
'cause it's 1999
Too much isolation
Baby don't resign
The only medication's
Dance and you'll be fine
to the rock steady, rock steady beat
To the rock steady, rock steady beat
so you want to be a rock'n roll star
You better get up and learn to play a guitar
So you want to be a rock'n roll star
You better get up and remember who you are
dying institutions
Rise of violent crime
Credit to the nation
Man it's 1999
You want revolution
For a nickel and a dime
The answer is frustration
But dance and you'll be fine
to the rock steady, rock steady beat
To the rock steady, rock steady beat
so you want to be a rock'n roll star
You better get up and learn to play a guitar
So you want to be a rock'n roll star
You better get up and remember who you are
The Lovebugs song "Rock Steady Beat" is a commentary on the state of the world in the year 1999. The lyrics describe a world that is full of confusion, pollution, isolation, and violence. The song suggests that the best way to deal with these issues is to dance to the rock steady beat.
The first verse of the song talks about the confusion and illusion in the world. The line "Too much is illusion 'cause it's 1999" suggests that people are being misled by the rapid pace of change in the world at the time. The second verse discusses the problem of too much information and too many conspiracies. The line "Too much conspiration 'cause it's 1999" suggests that people are becoming increasingly paranoid and distrustful of the government and other institutions.
The chorus of the song encourages people to dance to the rock steady beat as a way to cope with the problems of the world. The repeated line "To the rock steady, rock steady beat" serves as a call to action for listeners. The song concludes with a repetition of the idea that people need to remember who they are in the face of a changing and chaotic world.
Line by Line Meaning
There's too much confusion
There is a lot of confusion and chaos in the world.
That's the big headline
This is the main issue that everyone talks about.
Too much is illusion
Many things people think are true are actually false.
'cause it's 1999
The year is significant as it marks the end of the century.
There's too much pollution
The environment is being destroyed by pollution.
That's a sign of the times
It shows the current state of society and its negative impact on the environment.
Too much of intrusion
There are too many external factors that interfere with one's personal life.
Dance and you'll be fine
Dancing is a form of escape from the world's problems and can make you happy.
To the rock steady, rock steady beat
The artist invites listeners to dance to a certain steady rhythm in order to forget their problems.
Too much information
There is an overwhelming amount of information to process and it can be difficult to decipher what is important.
Always on deadline
There is constant pressure to meet deadlines and complete tasks.
Too much conspiration
There are too many theories and ideas that may be untrue or unproven.
Too much isolation
People feel disconnected and lonely in a world where technology dominates.
Baby don't resign
Don't give up, keep fighting against the negative aspects of society.
The only medication's
The only remedy for feeling overwhelmed is to dance.
So you want to be a rock'n roll star
The artist asks if the listener wants to be someone famous and successful in the music industry.
You better get up and learn to play a guitar
If you want to be a successful musician, you must work hard and practice.
You better get up and remember who you are
Don't lose sight of yourself and your values when striving for fame and success.
Dying institutions
Institutions and structures in society are falling apart and becoming obsolete.
Rise of violent crime
Violent crime rates are increasing, and it's a growing problem.
Credit to the nation
The country is not doing well, and this can be attributed to many factors.
Man it's 1999
This year is significant and marks the end of the century.
You want revolution
People are seeking major change and reform in society.
For a nickel and a dime
However, they are not willing to pay a lot or put forth a lot of effort to make this change happen.
The answer is frustration
The singer acknowledges that it's frustrating that change is not happening fast enough.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ADRIAN SIEBER, SEBASTIAN HAUSMANN, SIMON RAMSEIER, THOMAS RECHBERGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind