In 1993/1994 Lorenzo (at that time under the stage name Aramis) and Aron of On Trial spent some time together playing acoustic guitars and getting it off in a very basic folk format. They also played acoustic folk in the streets of Copenhagen, trying (very unsuccessfully) to expose the common public to Roky Erickson, Love, Spirit and the likes. Lorenzo was at that time already full on recording his own 4-track folkpsych recordings, later to be known under the name of Pandemonica. This was a big inspiration for all, and led to loose and stoned late night Jamming in the rehearsal room.
In 1995/96, Lorenzo, Aron and Hobitten (before entering as fulltime member of On Trial), decided (this may be too precise a term) to explore the psychedelic folk format even more. Back in the safe environment of the rehearsal room a plan was taking form in the minds of the three musketeers. Three guitars, a singer, some natural inspiration, an expanding folkrock collection and lots of echo on top. It sounded just right for the psychedelic space invaders. A setlist found it's way to the band, and they liked to play live with this constellation.
In 1997 The band got a deal to play Friday and Saturday at Cafe Rust for a month. A hard place to play folkrock. You can imagine a room full of party people trying to score. The crowd didn't want to listen to three acidheads stoned out of their minds, so they never got back there again.
One day Lorenzo said to the other guys, "We're gonna call ourselves: Spids Nøgenhat." Yes, of course! Spids Nøgenhat is the danish botanic term for the magic mushrooms also known as Liberty Cap and Spitzkegliger Kahlkopf, and it was definately mushroom music coming out of the speakers.
Then followed gigs at Loppen (CPH), Achtung Cowboy (CPH), Posehuset (Nykøbing Falster), kulturfabrikken (Nykøbing Falster) Swamp Room Happening (Hannover), Stengade 30 (CPH) now expanded to a foursome including Elverpigen Lene on additional vocals. The last gig was at Filmskolen (CPH).
In the year 2000 Spids Nøgenhat recorded "En Mærkelig kop te", A set of songs from the bottomless well of Lorenzo's songwriting craftmanship. Full electric band backing (organ, bass, drums played by Lorenzo) and strong, well-written danish lyrics. In spite of the minimal promotion it became a serious cult/underground LP in the years to follow.
Facts and loose ends:
Some 4-track recordings from the period 95/96 found it's way to the Aron LP "Blackbeacon". The song "it's living" may be one of the first recordings of what later incarnated as Spids Nøgenhat. And until some live recordings get released, this is, along with their only 45 (Alrune rod/En drøm), the closest you get to hearing the original live sound of Spids Nøgenhat. Also, the song "2000 kilometer i en 2værelses lejlighed" was included on a Swamp Room Happening compilation LP, released in 2000.
2001 saw Lorenzo start fuzzed out caveman garagerockers Baby Woodrose, who is now enjoying great and well deserved recognition from all over the world. The LP "En Mærkelig Kop Te" was recorded at Mad Scientist Music Lab in the Northwest part of Copenhagen. Nick Hasselby took all the pictures and worked as engineer on the recordings.
In 2003 a Christiania support cd was released by Helicopter Records and featured an unreleased recording from the album sessions titled "Mere Frihed"
Another song "Hobbitten's Drøm" originally intended for the Spids Nøgenhat album, but recorded much later, was included on the Dragontears album project "2000 Micrograms From Home" released in 2006, featuring the original line up and members of Baby Woodrose largely re-introducing the echoey sound of the original band.
A film, by Niels Plenge, documenting danish underground sounds on vinyl, was planned to include recordings of Spids Nøgenhat in the studio. The project never got finished, but at some point it may see the light of day.
Live recordings of nearly all Spids Nøgenhat's all too few concerts document the band as a productive and broadminded psychedelic experience.
La cousine du grand Mongol ... le nouveau clip encore entièrement fait main par Jack Dupon...
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I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing.
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