La's

The La's formed in 1983, with original member Mike Badger claiming the band name occurred to him in a dream, as well as it being Scouse for "lads", and having obvious musical connotations. The band existed briefly as an arthouse / skiffle-type outfit with a few tracks included on local compilations. Lee Mavers joined in 1984 as rhythm guitarist, eventually gaining songwriting prominence and emerging as the band's enduring figurehead. Longterm bassist John Power joined the group in 1987, having met Badger on a council-run musicianship course. Badger however was asked to leave the group in late 1986.[1] The La's attracted the attention of several record labels after a series of performances in their home town of Liverpool in 1986, and Bootleg demo tapes copied from a session at the Flying Picket rehearsal studio in Liverpool began circulating. Several record labels heard these and offered recording contracts. The band chose to sign with Go! Discs. The band's first single ("Way Out", released in October 1987 on Go! Discs (GOLAS 112)), was mixed with producer Gavin MacKillop, but attracted little notice. It broke in to the top 100 and was praised by The Smiths' frontman Morrissey in the music magazine Melody Maker, but otherwise went generally unnoticed. Five thousand copies were pressed, making it a sought-after item for La's record collectors. This was the beginning of The La's music career, which would last for little more than four years until the band slipped away from the limelight in 1992. The band continued to perform shows around the UK and gained success as a live act, drawing comparisons to the Beatles due to their origins, vaguely Merseybeat sound, and Mavers' expressive lyrics.