Comus

The band was named after Comus (a masque by John Milton), and is also from the name of the Greek god Comus. David Bowie appreciated them and used them as support band for a 1969 concert at London's Purcell Rooms. Their first album, First Utterance, appeared in 1971. The music is largely acoustic art rock that blends elements of Eastern percussion, early folk and animal-like vocals. The music evokes many feelings, but the most dominant are fear, confusion, despair, with occasional passages of tranquil beauty such as can be found in "The Herald". The lyrics are dramatic, involving violence, murder, and mental disorder. The group disbanded after this album, but reunited with new members for their second album, which was to be their swansong, To Keep from Crying, in 1974. In 2005, a complete box set was released which featured both studio albums, their only single, "Diana", and a previously unreleased track called "All the Colours of Darkness". The liner notes feature an exclusive interview with some members of the band. They reformed for the Mellotronen Festival in Sweden in March 2008. According to their website, they have reformed and are working on new material. On 13 June 2009 Comus performed for the first time in the UK in 37 years at the Equinox Festival at Conway Hall. In June 2012 a reunion album, Out Of The Coma, was released. It contains three new tracks and a live recording of their abandoned followup to First Utterance, "The Malgaard Suite". Wootton also appears on some recordings by Slapp Happy. Reed player Jon Seagroatt is also a member of free improvising trio Red Square. Seagroatt and singer Bobbie Watson married in 2003.