That was Lush

As well as working on promotions for his ‘Three And A Half Minutes Of Fame’ book, and helping to make the nineties music documentary based on it too, author and musician Alex Boucher also has a substack update. The latest post on which is entitled ‘That was Lush’. Read on here…

Strap in folks, a long-form waffle about a whirlwind three days in January is about to enter your eyeballs…

14/01/2026

I headed in to London with a head full of notes and nervous trepidation, hoping the day would go without a snag. Jenni and the video crew were travelling down from Milton Keynes, we were to meet at the 100 Club on Oxford Street, which was going to be our “set” for the day. Ruby, whose father and grandfather have also managed the venue welcomes us in, so we could set up. The 100 Club is a basement club, it started off as a jazz club but now hosts all kinds of music. It’s so far underground, that people would go there and party during The Blitz. 

The walls are festooned with photos of Sex Pistols, Metallica, Paul McCartney, Oasis, Jazz legends, Lemmy, all onstage or at the bar - nothing has changed, the decor, the chairs, the tables, its like walking into a time warp. We do some filming with Ruby, learning all about the venue, and then await our next guest, Lesley from Beggars Banquet. Lesley worked in A&R during the 90’s and was one of the first people to notice Nirvana. She’s also a massive Buffalo Tom fan, which instantly makes us lifelong friends. After a chat about her experiences working in the music industry, we say our goodbyes, and as she leaves, Miki Berenyi enters.  

Miki was in Lush, a popular 90s band that managed to criss-cross genres (whether they liked it or not) and made a name for themselves in the shoegaze and Britpop tribes. She’s also written a candid, honest book about her life, called “Fingers Crossed” which comes highly recommended! 

We shoot her interview in the green room, with a backdrop of graffiti and endless scrawls, stickers and biro markings from previous bands, where they would sit and wait before they take to the stage. Miki is honest and upfront, talking about her experiences in Lush 30 years ago, right up to touring the US with her new band last year. No spoilers, but the interview was brilliant, with the whole crew are in rapt silence as they listen to our conversation. With Miki done, we film a few more things with Ruby, and that was it. It could not have gone better, and we also had 3 new interviews in the can!

15/01/2026

My alarm goes off at 6:30, I’ve got about 40 minutes to get ready and hit the road for an interview on Radio BBC Essex. I’m on the Breakfast Show with Sonia Watson, talking about the book, the documentary, the MBE…

Traffic always slows down on the A12 but I make it there in good time. A smiley runner leads me through the series of doors at BBC Essex HQ in Chelmsford, and I’m sat down opposite Sonia, the sound of Disco 2000 by Pulp muffled in her speakers. We have a quick chat, but before I know it she’s slipping her headphones back on, the light goes red and we are live. The conversation flows well, covering the book and why the documentary is a great and well-timed follow up, to address why new bands are important to culture, and why we need to make things as easy as possible for them to have a good crack at making it big. Our interview is halted by ABBA, then we are back on it; I manage to mention Sultans of Ping and give my daughter a namecheck too (She’s gonna be a rockstar drummer). I leave Sonia a copy of my book and I’m back home before lunchtime.

You can listen to Alex’s interview here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002pjqt

16/01/2016

Back on the train again, I’m heading into London for a gig to watch Superheaven. I catch up with Jenni and we discuss the battleplan for next month; go to Colchester, film some more stuff. We need to interview a bunch of new bands too, so decide a series of zoom calls might be in order. I head to the gig and have a great time, watching the kids crowd-surf and moshing away, plastic beakers of lager being thrown through the air, watching them being lifted out of the crowd by security, and running back into the audience to do it again.

It’s been a good 3 days! Can’t wait to share the footage, and pitch it to television execs.

Until next time.

Alex Boucher’s substack updates are here: https://alexboucher.substack.com/p/that-was-lush

The superb trip back to nineties music that is Alex’s book, ‘Three And A Half Minutes Of Fame’ is available from Earth island Books here.  

And finally… “If your friends are busy. They don’t like the same music. Or you’re just tired of missing shows because you had no one to go with.

What if going to gigs solo wasn’t awkward… but actually the best way to do it?”

Alex has also just launched a Facebook group called Solo Gig Goers — a community for people who love live music and aren’t waiting on anyone else to enjoy it.

Inside the group, you can share tips, venues, and upcoming events, or just go solo, together.

No pressure. No weird vibes. Just music lovers who get it.

If you love live music and you’re done missing out, join Solo Gig Goers on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1336161348540341

(and also check out https://www.facebook.com/groups/1563649683948128 )