Man or Astro-Man? - ROYGBIV (Recordings From The BBC) (2024)

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Even at the time, it felt implausible that Man...or Astro-Man? would do over a dozen sessions at the mighty British Broadcasting Company. Initially it was the legendary John Peel who had the band on his Radio 1 show—six times between 1993 and 2000—after Birdstuff sent him a postcard ordering him never to play the band. Peel allegedly had a shrine to our Auburn heroes at his country estate, and while we believe that to be true, we’ve yet to see photographic evidence. The list of bands that recorded a session for Peel (neé Ravenscroft) is mind boggling and estimable. Most American bands would be lucky to record a single Peel session. For Astro-Man? to have played as much as they did at his request is an indisputable testament to the band’s fevered devotion to performing. But also, let’s be honest: John Peel had pretty great taste. As reference, The Fall performed on Peel’s show more than 25 times between 1977, a year after the band was formed, and the death of leader Mark E. Smith in 2018. The fact that a decidedly obtuse and dorky band from Auburn, Alabama, would perform on Peel’s show more times than The Jesus Lizard, Fugazi, and Nirvana combined is proof positive that Astro-Man truly put in the work...especially on the British airwaves. What the BBC documented in its studios peppered across the country was a band that evolved in plain view from a spazzy surf band into a shit-hot post-punk powerhouse.
More than a decade ago, with my daughter, still in diapers, resting on my lap, I had a sit-down with Coco. He gave my outrageous idea of doing an extended Astro BBC retrospective a cautiously enthusiastic thumbs-up. Flash ahead to 2024: my daughter is now a teenager, and that preposterous idea is finally materialized. Thank the heavens. Thank the stars. The first (and hopefully not the last) Astro box set is now a full-blown reality. To see this completed is a thrill and a privilege, and a highlight of my charmed lifetime as a die-hard Astro fan. — Henry H. Owings (aka The Boo Yaa Boy)