Spinoffs
This page is
gonna cover
later bands that
included members
of the
Subterraneans or
Memphis Louie
an' the Rockin
Firebirds of
Death.
Memphis Louie
and Etheridge
Lockjaw Jones
Ist have been
playing the most
over the years,
but refuse to
talk about the
various dodgy
covers bands in
which they've
been employed!
See the
Memphis Louie
Studebaker and
Etheridge
Lockjaw Jones
Ist pages for
information on
their respective
non-garage
projects.
Any other former
Subterraneans
gone on to other
bands they want
to mention?
1986/7
Yuji Oniki
-
Clearly Yuji
Oniki is not
himself a
Subterraneans
spinoff.
However... In
Autumn 1986
Leroi Z Coondawg
answers an ad in
Edinburgh for
musicians into
Big Star and
the
Soft Boys.
Ends up jamming
with
Chilton-obsessed
Japanese
American
exchange student
Yuji for the
duration of his
stay. Recorded a
sing called
"Ghosts" at some
basement studio
in Manor Place,
Edinburgh in
January of 87.
Yuji Oniki's
2001 "Tvi CD".
Couldn't find a
picture for the
much earlier "Shonen
Blue"
Yuji has
subsequently
made a bit of a
name for himself
in the jangly
mellow
singer/songwriter
business,
working with
Doug Gillard of
Guided By Voices
and being
accused of
sounding like
Bread. Doubt if
"Ghosts" ever
made it onto
anything Yuji
released, but
not sure.
1987/88
No Head Jackson
an the
Sharecroppers
from Hell
Derek
"No Head
Jackson" Macleod,
occasional Dark
Visit/Subterraneans
stand-in
vocalist,
recruits Leroi Z
Coondawg for a
1-off, to play a
gig that his
recently split
punk band
The
Obsession
were booked for.
A quick set of
Stooges/Ramones/Seeds/Blind
Gary Davis etc
covers is
knocked up with
Edinburgh dudes
Andrew
"Captain
Dirigible"
Wilson (Nightcrawlers/Architects
of Fear)
on
rhythm git-tar,
Andy "Slowhand"
Akhtar (Pterodaktyls)
on
lead and Derek
"Deek"
Irvine (also
Pterodaktyls)
on
drums.
Andy and Deek
return to the
Pterodaktyls
after the gig,
but No-Head,
Leroi and
Dirigible jam
around
occasionally for
another few
months. Trainee
social worker
Memphis Louie
joins
them on drums
while he's down
in Edinburgh on
a placement. No
further gigs.
There's a live
tape of the
October 87 gig
and a practice
tape of the
second line up
recorded in
Niddry Street
rehearsal rooms
in 88.
1988/89
Johnny & The
Deadbeats
- After
falling out with
the Pterodaktyls,
Andy
and
Johnny
"Psycho" Watson
are
looking to form
a new band in a
garagey vein.
Leroi is hired
on bass, along
with
Calum "Pterodaktyl"
Macdonald and
a succession of
drummers,
including
Glen "I
can play the
Drums" Mohammed,
Iain
"I've got a
van" Fraser
(excellent
drummer but left
because he had
another band on
the go) and
finally
Donald "Kiwi"
Maciver
(from Sad Day We
Left The Croft
veterans the
Bruce
Wayne Band).
Johnny And The
Deadbeats
Posters, 1988/9
The Deadbeats
build up a set
and play a good
few gigs around
Edinburgh in
88/89. Andy and
Kiwi leave to
form a blues
band in August
89. Leroi and
Johnny limp
along with
occasional jams
and Dave "16
Dillons"
Nelson on farfisa
organ/guitar. However,
despite
repeated and
sometimes
traumatic
drummer/guitarist
auditions they
fail to find
anyone else and
decide to call
it a day in
1994ish.
One particular
low point in
this later
period was
auditioning an
elderly drummer
who claimed to
have been a
member of Procul
Harum and to
have written
"Whiter Shade of
Pale" on a roll
of toilet paper
one Friday night
in a pub. He
wanted to play
Frank Ifield
covers.
The full story
can be found on
Johnny's pages
for the band,
part of his
excellent In
The Garage site
covering garage
music in
general, the 80s
Embra garage
scene in
particular and
loads of other
stuff besides...
2003 -
Memphis Louie an
the Rockin'
Firebird of
Death
Note the
singular
Firebird here -
this started out
as just Memphis
Louie Studebaker
and Leroi Z
Coondawg, who
got hold of some
home studio
software and
recorded "Girlie
Screemer"
one evening in
summer 2003.
After a bit of
airplay on Radio
Nan Gaidheal and
Isles FM, plus
feedback on
http://www.garageband.com/artist/mlatrfod
their egos
were boosted and
they decided
that the world
was desperate to
hear more.
Recruiting
notorious
Rubhach backing
vocalist/producer
Ossian
Stormwatch III,
they resolved
to do more stuff
when geography
and time
allowed.
They're since
been working on
a number of
other
songs, several
of which are up
on Garageband,
including
versions of some
of the old
Subterraneans/Memphis
Louie & The
Rockin Firebirds
of Death
originals that
never made the
studio back in
83/84/85 - For
the latest news
see their
myspace page.
More Spinoffs ->