Flesh for Lulu was formed in London in 1982 by Nick Marsh (lead vocals and guitar) and James Mitchell (drums), joined soon by Rocco Barker (guitar and vocals) and Glen Bishop (bass). The group’s early work blended post‑punk, glam and gothic rock, and their first BBC Radio 1 session for John Peel helped secure a Polydor deal. Their debut EP Roman Candle (1983) charted modestly, but the self‑titled album Flesh for Lulu (1984) failed to achieve commercial success, leading to a split with Polydor. In 1985 they signed with Hybrid and released the mini‑LP Blue Sisters Swing, produced by Craig Leon; the controversial cover art caused bans in the United States and Europe. The 1987 album Long Live the New Flesh, produced by Mike Hedges, marked a shift toward a more commercial alternative rock sound, and the single "I Go Crazy" appeared in the film Some Kind of Wonderful and received airplay on U.S. college radio. Subsequent releases included Plastic Fantastic (1989) and Big Fun City (1985) under various labels, with singles such as "Decline and Fall" reaching number 15 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks. The band disbanded in 1992 after failed contracts with Capitol and Hollywood Records. Nick Marsh died of throat cancer on 5 June 2015 at age 53, concluding the group’s influential but brief career.
