Good times

Memories of the '80s: A conversation with Flock of Seagulls, Information Society& When in Rome

When I heard When in Rome, A Flock of Seagulls, Information Society, and Animotion were coming to Stereo Live, I reached for my hairspray and black eyeliner and hit the door running.

Upon meeting with When in Rome (now When in Rome UK with Rob Juarez and original members Clive Farrington and Andrew Mann), Christopher Anton of Information Society (the lead singer from 2006-2008 and from 2009-present) and Mike Score of A Flock of Seagulls, the first thing I noticed was that they are a group of laid back and accessible guys — the type with whom you want to kick up your feet, have a few beers, and shoot the breeze.

Score has a great sense of humor, so it is easy to see why Flock of Seagulls’ hits like “I Ran” and “Space Age Love Song” are so fun. His personality shines through in the music.

The second thing I noticed was, the backcombed big hair of the '80s is long gone. I was bummed because I was looking forward to seeing Score's Flock of Seagulls waterfall coif that is almost as famous as the band itself. Score is now balding and a long blond pony tail in back is all that remains of his once signature look. CultureMap caught up with the band members backstage before their concert a couple of weeks ago.

CultureMap: Welcome to Houston! Have you spent much time here? Any favorite memories?

Andrew Mann (When in Rome): The first time we toured we got on a plane, did a sound check, and didn’t have much of a chance to see it. But now that we’re back, we had a bit of a chance today so we’ve had a look around and we love Houston!

Christopher Anton: I live in Houston now. My wife is from Texas and we got married a few years ago. She was running an independent booking agency and we met at one of my shows.

Mike Score: Walking away with the money! No, but to me personally, doing shows anywhere as long as it’s a good show, works and you don’t have particular memories unless it’s a historical gig or it’s the biggest gig you’ve ever done.

CM: Is there anything you're looking forward to seeing or eating?

AM (WIR): We went downtown and saw all the shops and had brisket and sausage.

Rob Juarez (WIR): And the Tex Mex here – it is insane!

MS: My bed, the television and the stage (laughing).

CM: What are some of your favorite new bands? What's on your iPod?

Clive Farrington (WIR): Janelle Monae. She is a soul sort of singer with a stage presence very similar to Prince.

MS: A Flock of Seagulls!

CM: Do you have any advice for the aspiring musicians out there?

AM (WIR): You have to keep working at it. You might not think it is going to be a hit record, but keep working on it. It will come eventually. We were in the studio 24 hours a day until we got the hit, "The Promise." So it all comes down to work, really.

CA: You have to have a love for it and you have to want to do this because you have to be willing to put up with a lot of sacrifices.

MS: Stick with it, but have a good time with it because you never know if it’s going to take off or not, so why don’t you just enjoy it? True success comes from that.

CM: Has a company ever approached you to use a song for an advertisement that you thought was an odd request or that was noteworthy?

AM (WIR): It is always used before we’ve been told. While on vacation in Greece once, there was a peach ad (on television) and “The Promise” was playing in the background. The company was promising to deliver the peach on time.

RJ (WIR): A lot of times they (the companies) just do it and then you get the publishing check. It is like, what’s this check from? Oh, Sears used “The Promise” for a lawnmower ad – “I Promise” your lawn will be clean. And then of course, there is Napoleon Dynamite. “The Promise” played in the closing scene. Now that was fantastic!

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In Memoriam

Legendary Texas singer-songwriter Joe Ely dies at 78

Joe Ely/Facebook

Joe Ely was a major figure in Texas' progressive country scene.

Joe Ely, the legendary songwriter, singer and storyteller whose career spanned more than five decades, has died from complications related to Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and pneumonia. He was 78.

In a statement posted to his Facebook page, Ely died at his home in Taos, New Mexico, with his wife, Sharon, and daughter, Marie, at his side.

Born February 9, 1947, in Amarillo, Texas, Ely was raised in Lubbock and became a central figure among a generation of influential West Texas musicians. He later settled in Austin, helping shape the city’s reputation as a hub for live music.

As with many local legends, it's hard to tease out what specifically made Ely's time in Austin so great; Austin treasures its live music staples, so being around and staying authentic from the early days is often the most important thing an artist can do.

Ely got his local start at One Knight Tavern, which later became Stubb's BBQ — the artist and the famous venue share a hometown of Lubbock. He alternated nights with emerging guitar great Stevie Ray Vaughn. He built his own recording studio in Dripping Springs, and kept close relationships with other Texas musicians. Later in his career, Ely brought fans into the live music experience, publishing excerpts from his journal and musings on the road in Bonfire of Roadmaps (2010), and was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame in 2022. Austin blues icon Marcia Ball was among Ely's friends who played the induction show.

"Joe Ely performed American roots music with the fervor of a true believer who knew music could transport souls," said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

In the 1970s, Ely signed with MCA Records, launching a career that included decades of recording and touring around the world. His work and performances left a lasting impact on the music scene and influenced a wide range of artists, including the Clash and Bruce Springsteen, according to Rolling Stone.

"His distinctive musical style could only have emerged from Texas, with its southwestern blend of honky-tonk, rock & roll, roadhouse blues, western swing, and conjunto. He began his career in the Flatlanders, with fellow Lubbock natives Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, and he would mix their songs with his through 50 years of critically acclaimed recordings. [...]"

Read the full story at KVUE.com. CultureMap has added two paragraphs of context about the Austin portion of Ely's career.

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