Lupus in Fabula 2000-2007 Rest in Peace carried to my Soul

To advise this article first appeared as a well I suppose an epilogue to one of the truly great but sadly departed Blackpool bands in a local fanzine that existed some time ago called “UKFY”. I’m in the process of tracking down other material I submitted to that publication and if and when sourced will also upload.

This is a deeply saddening article to write, my joy and appreciation of this band is not exactly hidden. I believe the sad impact of this is not just felt by myself and other fans, but is a slightly negative indictment of the current scene as a whole. Music is an extremely subjective world fuelled by heavy duty passion. Not every band is going to appeal to everyone and differing musical styles will always divide taste, however this band grew and developed greatly over their time. In many respects they didn’t really fulfil the potential they had as is seemingly sadly so true of many great Blackpool bands.
Lupus over their journey tasted relative success on a smallish local scale. They won a battle of the bands competition, cemented a strong reputation and following in the local scene and reached out further a field with successful performances in Liverpool, Manchester and London. However that elusive record deal all bands pursue with focus always seemed just out of reach.
Lupus in Fabula had an initial stinted beginning with line-up changes however its five members were soon settled. The greatest strength of this band was the fusion of varying styles, with a duel guitar housing of classic blues and grunge, welded together with incendiary rhythms and grooves provided the majestic lyrics and melodies of frontman Allan with the fitting backdrop they required.
Thunderous beats inspired by both Led Zeppelin and the Prodigy; combined with bass grooves inspired by many greats such as my personally much endorsed Bob Dylan, establishes an admirable ensemble as could be pre-designed. However idealistic design is one thing, but great music or art is not painted by numbers instead, as to follow the art analogy. Dali didn’t combine mystical symbolism with abstract idealism by design to fulfil a pre-ordained path to commercial success or bow to the status quo. Nor did Pollock in seemingly his efforts to literally throw paint till it stuck, any of the artistic greats did not create an ideal based upon a pursuit of contrived populist approval. Instead they let the guiding light from within show the way. Lupus in Fabula could be said to have done just that. Listing influences such as Led Zepp, the Doors, the Police, Free, Nirvana, and the Chillis to name but a few. This iconic melting pot reads like a who’s who of legendary greats.
In simple response to the question of memories of this band, I would list numerous highlights as my own personal experiences. Significant was the joy of countless excursions further afield, the countless times of chest thumping joy of ecstatic euphoria of truly inspired rock anthems reverberating within my very soul.
To pick one truest memory of real joy would be the personal experience of first listening to Lupus in a shabby kitchen in Blackpool where I once resided. Not knowing what to expect of the Blackpool scene in general, not having been exposed to it at that time, or of a completely unknown band in general. I relished in the experience that many of us to one degree or another feel. A truly instant thunderous connection. Though in fact in relative terms those demos were not recorded to the highest of standards, Songs such as “Caravan Queen”, “LSD”, “Dream Ghost” and my all time personal favourite Lupus song “Time” rang out. And like any great art can do I was transcended. No longer was my mind affected by the menial task of scrubbing pans or wondering if my questionable culinary creation would be disturbed in crossing a hallway to my room by my over-bearing, pungent and not to fulfil a cliché alcoholic Irish neighbour with his many psychoses. But instead my heart, mind and soul were elevated to a higher plain.
Lupus’s strength to me was always twofold. They were all individually accomplished musicians but most effective together, but added to that they had simply great songs. Their recent offerings were, although technically now not true, further moments of optimism. The developed Lupus of recent times capable of producing such affecting songs as “Black Rose”, “Never turn away” and “Egyptian Sun”. Seemed to paint a positive picture for the future but alas no.
As I stated my all time favourite Lupus song is “Time” for reasons I could not include here unless an entire thesis on my philosophical leanings as transposed to the condensation of a few verses and a chorus is the required area to digress into. Sensing it isn’t instead I’ll conclude with comment upon the other two truly great songs that were of huge importance to me and in my opinion iconic inclusions to the ever developing pantheon of celebrated local musical treasures, namely “Breath of the sun” and “Ugly Duckling”. These two songs share a link in that I can kinda play them both. No only kidding. I appreciate them greatly as musical entities in their own rights. I admire profusely the passionate and genuineness of the delivery of the entire band not least of all frontman Allan. But the link personally they share the most to me is that they both moved me significantly at various times. As onlookers revelled in the interesting and quirky video directed by my good friend Alan Gillhespy for “Breath of the sun”, I was thankful the cinema was dark enough to hide my tears flowing at this exact moment for personal reasons I’ll leave to a brown leather couch and someone charging me inordinate amounts of money which to be fair is probably heartedly required. This is stu’s styling on the great band that Lupus was so I’ll return to that.
A similar tale can be provided for the aforementioned “Ugly duckling”. Whilst this is a celebration of all that Lupus was and not my personal cries of pain and emotion, in effect it is the same thing. A band in my mind is truly considered great when their songs either directly link to significant moments in our lives or kinda form the soundtrack to our highs and lows or sometimes indeed represent the catalyst of this. So I’ll conclude in saying now departed Lupus in Fabula, “I feel just like the foolish fucking ugly duckling of love. But hey at least I had saw and had some fun and took a huge breath of the sun. Will be sorely missed.

Stu