Tom, Kieran, 'Fish', Ben, Jon and Didz released 3 studio albums and a number of EPs and singles during their 9 year existence, of which 'Blind Pilots' was the most successful charting. with members going on to join Dirty Pretty Things, Rhysmix, and other projects.
The band first got together in 1998. Using a farmhouse turned into a studio on the outskirts of Wokingham, United Kingdom, it took the Cooper Temple Clause almost two years to record their debut album ‘See This Through And Leave’. An intense rock record, unafraid of challenging listeners and genres, it ignored scenes and fashion.
By the release of second album ‘Kick Up The Fire, Let The Flames Break Loose’ in 2003 - named after a Philip Larkin poem, again recorded reclusively in Reading, and with the minimum of record company interference - Team Cooper had become an army capable of breaking into the Top Twenty without the need for crossover radio support or heavy rotation videos. Gigs were riotous devotionals, particularly those on the UK tour with The Libertines. They played one triumphant US headline tour and a second set of arena dates in support of The Cure.
Then 2004 saw a shake-up at RCA leaving TCTC without an A&R man and with a new, unfamiliar set of faces and ears in charge who hadn’t grown up with, and therefore didn’t quite ‘get’, their isolationist methods and slash and burn musical direction. So, as the ‘Kick Up The Fire…’ campaign wound to a close there began a period of uncertainty and miscommunication between band and label. The Coopers once more holed up in their Reading pig farm to record demos for third album ‘Make This Your Own’ with long-term producer Dan Austin. After 12 uncertain months, eventually RCA re-signed the band and sent TCTC into the studio with ex-Adam & The Ants man Chris Hughes at the desk. He encouraged the band to return to their roots, when all six would swap instruments for each song and also share singing duties.
The final result 'Make This Your Own' was intended as both a commercial hit and a chance to bring ideas touched on in early B-sides and demos to fruition. Opening in familiar dancefloor rock territory with the anti-music industry rant ‘Damage’, it soon swerves into unmapped musical sectors often utterly unrecognisable as a Cooper Temple Clause record.
Gone was the majority of the electronic bells and whistles in the background, relegated to B-sides. There’s radio-friendly emo pop (mostly Fisher-sung songs ‘What Have You Gone And Done’ and ‘Waiting Game’), soulful Dears-gone-Erasure tunes (mostly Tom-sung tracks ‘Connect’ and ‘Isn’t It Strange’), Lilac Time cool folk (‘Take Comfort’), laptop blip-rock (‘Once More With Feeling’) and dark 80s krautonica (‘Head’) on here. Inevitably, many fans and indeed RCA were not quite sure what to make of the Nu Coopers realm. At the same time TCTC were still reeling from the unexpected departure of bassist, new dad and mental crowd-surfing nutjob Didz Hammond to join Carl Barât’s new band Dirty Pretty Things, whose contributions to 'Damage', 'Homo Sapiens', and 'Once More With Feeling' were still used 2 years after his departure.
After two years with no new material, the fanbase were enthusiastic for an internet-only release of ‘Damage’ in summer 2005. Some months later the band were signed to Sanctuary Records; 'Make This Your Own' finally appeared 2 years late in early 2007, preceded by Homo Sapiens and nearly a year after it had leaked to fans. The album and its singles flopped in comparison to the chart storming and arguably more challengingly creative KUTFALTFBL.
The band announced they would be going their separate ways on 24th April 2007, with Tom continuing his DJing side projects Rhysmix and Losers.
Tom Bellamy - Guitar, Bass, Synthesizer, Keyboard, Trumpet, Programming, Samples, Melodica, Harmonica, Percussion, Toy Piano, Bow, Decks, FX/Beats, Vocals & Lyrics.
Daniel Fisher - Guitar, Bass, Vocals & Lyrics.
Ben Gautrey - Guitar, Bass, Keyboards & Vocals.
Jon Harper - Drums, Gretsch Drums, DW Snares, Sabian Cymbals, Percussion & Backing vocals.
Kieran Mahon - Keyboard, Piano, Synthesizer, Organ, Hammond Organ, Farfisa, Guitar, Bass & Backing vocals.
Didz Hammond - Bass, Synthesizer, Samples, Vocoder, Guitar & Vocals. (Left 2005)
Let's Kill Music
The Cooper Temple Clause Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feel free if you've time to try and change our minds
You might want to duck before you lose your head
It seems we're the ones who's got the guts to bleed
It's not number one who will come out alive
It's the freak in the corner with his eyes on fire
Let's kill music before it kills us all
The Cooper Temple Clause's song Let's Kill Music is a rallying cry that calls for a musical revolution. The lyrics to the song are a challenge to the music industry and to those who claim to have authority over what is good and bad in music. The song begins with a dare, daring anyone to mean what they say. The singer calls on those who believe they have the power to change our minds about what music is to step up and do so, but warns them to be careful, as they might lose their head. The singer then declares that they are the ones with the guts to bleed, stating that true creativity and innovation in music requires risk-taking and vulnerability.
The song's chorus echoes this sentiment, declaring that it is not the number one hit or the chart-topping album that will come out alive but rather the "freak in the corner with his eyes on fire." This person is the one who embodies the spirit of rebellion and creative subversion that is necessary to challenge the status quo and make real change in the music industry. The final line of the chorus is a call to action, urging listeners to "Let's kill music before it kills us all." This line is a powerful indictment of the music industry and its tendency to stifle creativity and innovation in favor of profit and conformity.
Line by Line Meaning
We dare you to mean a single word you say
We challenge you to be authentic in your speech and actions, instead of just saying what you think people want to hear.
Feel free if you've time to try and change our minds
You're welcome to attempt to persuade us to see things from your perspective, but only if you have the time to engage in a thoughtful conversation.
You might want to duck before you lose your head
If you come at us with violent or irrational intentions, you should be prepared for the potential consequences.
It seems we're the ones who's got the guts to bleed
We're willing to take risks and put ourselves out there, even if it means facing criticism, rejection, or failure.
It's not number one who will come out alive
Being the most popular or successful doesn't guarantee long-term survival or relevance.
It's the freak in the corner with his eyes on fire
Sometimes it's the unconventional or passionate individual who stands out and makes the biggest impact.
Let's kill music before it kills us all
We need to challenge and subvert the current state of the music industry and culture, which can be artificial, greedy, and harmful to artists and listeners alike.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JONATHAN DANIEL HARPER, KIERAN JAMES MAHON, THOMAS RHYS BELLAMY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Edward Bliss
Re-discovering this album during quarantine. Holy shit these guys rocked
Garry Hutchinson
One of my favourite tunes ever.... from one of the most underrated bands ever (IMO)
JahBeatSoundSystem Martin Bond
Never gets old.
Was an absolute anthem for me when released, and still is now.
Rangda Rangda
An absolutely wonderful snapshot of English suburbia from the turn of the century. I've always been a fan of the band but when i watch this vid back It's so evocative.
Penguin007
Yeah it evokes proper 2001 college memories this
Matt
Saw them playing the Quad in 2001/2002-ish and it was one of the best small venue gigs I've ever witnessed. The energy was something else. I walked out barely able to speak and drenched in sweat.
Gem S
this band did really have talent..I was really enjoying their stuff..shame they are not on anymore
Paul Abbott
Out of everyone from 00-20, this is still the best band.
jsn
This song live was something special!
Matt
I remember seeing them play the Quad at LSE, and it was one of the best small gigs I've ever been too. I came out of it with such a raspy voice from all the shouting along.