Alternative Rock's Most Unexpected Pop Stars: Therapy? & "Screamager"

You know the story. Nirvana released “Smells Like Teen Spirit” in late 1991, and alternative rock broke into the mainstream. But how alternative can a band be and still succeed, however briefly, in the pop charts. Enter Therapy?

Ripping their way out of Northern Ireland in 1989, they absorbed metal, punk and industrial and mangled it into glorious globs of mutant-rock noise. With jagged early tracks “Meat Abstract,” “Potato Junkie” and “Teethgrinder” they slowly caught the attention of the UK’s punks, metalheads and indie kids, but it wasn’t until 1993 and the buzzsawing bubblegum of “Screamager” that the pop crowd bought in as well. This is the story of Therapy?: Alternative rock’s unlikeliest pop stars.

#therapymusic #alternativerock #musicdocumentary

Fact-checking by Chad Van Wagner.

00:00 Introduction
00:48 Origin: "No One Knows The Trouble I've Seen"
08:02 Nurse: "Losing His Mind and He Feels It Going"
12:05 Screamager: "Screw That, Forget About That"
17:20 Troublegum: "I'm In Hell And I'm Alone"
24:05 Enduring Legacy: "This Infernal Love"

Bibliography
So Much For the Thirty Year Plan: Therapy? The Authorised Biography by Simon Young, 2020, Jawbone
"Britrock Special: how To Make Friends & Influence people" by Paul Brannigan, Classic Rock, Jun 2015
"Troublegum At 25: An Oral History Of The Therapy? Classic" by Kiran Acharya, Kerrang!, Feb 2019
"The Story Behind the Song: Screamager by Therapy?" by Henry Yates, Louder, Nov 2016
"Therapy?: How Troublegum catapulted three unlikely Irish lads to stardom" by Dave Everley, Metal Hammer, Nov 2019
"Therapy? 'We took a chance, Troublegum was so out of our comfort zone'" by Dom Lawson, Louder, Feb 2016
"Ireland In 50 Albums, No 7: Troublegum, by Therapy?" by Mike McGrath Bryan, Irish Examiner, Feb 2023
"Therapy?'s Infernal Love: An Oral History" by Kiran Acharya, Classic Rock, Mar 2016
"TROUBLEGUM / INFERNAL LOVE (REISSUES)" by JR Moores, The Quietus, Apr 2014
"The best 12 Therapy? songs, by Andy Cairns" by Andy Cairns, Louder, Oct 2015
"Andy Cairns: “We always tried to leaven the pain through our way of dealing with life itself..." by Nick Ruskell, Kerrang!, May 2023
"Blarney Trouble" by Keith Cameron, NME, Jul 1991
"Therapy?: Three-Prong Attack" by Cathi Unsworth, Melody Maker, Jan 1992
"Happiness is a Worn Gum" by Steve Lamacq, NME, Nov 1992
"Get Some Therapy?" by Chris Watts, Kerrang!, Nov 1992
"Big Money Booze Up" by Johnny Cigarettes, NME, March 1993
"Nevada: Mind the B..." by Simon Price, Melody Maker, May 1993
"24-Hour Parody People" by Simon Williams, NME, Jul 1993
"Therapy? Get Opal Fruity" by Mayhem, Kerrang!, Aug 1993
"Therapy?: Gums N' Rosaries" by Terry Staunton, NME, Jan 1994
"British Steel" by Liz Evans, Kerrang!, Jan 1994
"Mad Boys Inc" by Mat Smith, Melody Maker, Jun 1994
"Begorrah's Banquet" by Stuart Bailie, NME, Nov 1994
"No More Pop Songs! Therapy?" by Mayhem, Kerrang!, Nov 1994
"The Hic Parade" by Ted Kessler, NME, Dec 1994
"Therapy? It's a Wonderful Life" by Andy Stout, Metal Hammer, Dec 1994
"It's Heavy as F...!" by Paul Rees, Kerrang!, May 1995
"Therapy? - Songs of Love and..." by Paul Brannigan, Kerrang!, May 1995
"Mosh Bros" by Mark Sutherland, NME, May 1995
"Therapy? Smooth, Smart, Selfish" by Paul Elliott, Kerrang!, Nov 1995
"Therapy?: Monsters of Rock?" by Susan Corrigan, i-D, Sep 1996
"Therapy?: Penetration Terrorists" by Caitlin Moran, Melody Maker, Jul 1995
"Andy Cairns on Samuel Beckett, The Exorcist and The Jesus Lizard" by Jenny Lee, Irish News, Aug 2016
"Therapy?" by Richard May, Pixelsurgeon, 2002
"Therapy? Profile, Interview with Andy Cairns" by Craig Young, earpollution, Apr 2000
"The Complete Guide to Therapy?" by Mike Mc-Grath-Bryan, The Thin Air, Mar 2014
"Therapy?'s Andy Cairns picks the 10 songs that define his career" by Rich Hobson, Metal Hammer, Sep 2023

Soundtrack
Luar - Citrine (  / luarbeats  )
Jesse Gallagher - The Golden Present
Luar - Anchor (  / luarbeats  )

You can also follow me here:
Twitter:   / trashtheory  
Facebook:   / trashtheoryyt  
Instagram:   / theorytrash  

Or support me on Patreon:
  / trashtheory