Comus | Artist

Comus is a British progressive folk band formed 1969 in London, by original lineup Roger Wootton (guitar, vocals), Andy Hellaby (bass), Bobbie Watson (vocals, percussion), Glenn Goring (guitar, vocals) and Colin Pearson (violin, viola). In their early days David Bowie came to appreciate them and they appeared regularly at Bowie's Arts Lab project in Beckenham, Kent. He also invited them to be his support act in a 1969 concert at London's Purcell Rooms. Comus' debut album, First Utterance, which is now regarded as an early psych-folk masterpiece and has earned the band a cult following, was released in 1971. The music is largely acoustic acid-folk that blends elements of Eastern percussion, early folk and dramatic/operatic vocals. The lyrics involve violence, murder, mental disorder and the mystical. They released only one more album, the disappointing To Keep From Crying, before splitting in '74. They reunited in 2009, and have played several festivals and released a new album Out of the Coma (2002) and two late-period live albums. Outstanding Comus albums include First Utterance, Out of the Coma, Live in Japan 2012 and the 2005 compilation Song to Comus: The Complete Collection.

Artist Website: comusmusic.co.uk

Featured Albums: Comus

Related Artists: Roger Wootten, Lindsay Cooper