In 1987 the guttersnipes were formed in london by Shug O'neill and Andy Kline. Early gigs in London gain the band a reputation as an exciting live act, supporting the likes splodgnessabounds, mega city four and the senseless things. During 1989 there debut album "The Poor Dress Up" is released by independant label razor records. This album went on too sell 1500 copies despite complete lack of promotion or advertising by razor. The album only sells through Shug and Andys work through the fanzine network in europe.During 1991 they make there first trip to germany where they are astonished at there reception. this keeps the enthusiasm goin and they sign to new label vice records who release there second album hairy on the inside. In april May 1993 the band tour Norway which is a great success culminating at a gig at the prestigious "Hulen Club" attended by various bergen bands, music, press radio etc. including the famous "count grischnacnt" (the death metal singer now serving a 21 year stretch for murder and arson) to who the band were introduced. They made a bit of an impression on the count who finally walked out after Shug's impression of a death metal singer on stage. The gig ended in chaos and the band decided that then was as good as a time as any to settle there grievances with each other. The band split. Advance cassette tapes of the asylum album had been sent to various people before the band had broken up. in fact the album was already recieving airplay on the continent and in the us. A DJ called Brian Damage on campus radio UCLA in los angeles phoned shug to say that the response he was getting to the tape was uncredible, and that in a listeners poll taken at new year to vote for the best piece of music played that year the guttersnipes came second to.......Metallica!!!???!!!May 1996 say the reminants of the band invited back to Norway for a mini tour, with new drummer Fintan Smith in tow, they then again blazed a trail accross the Fjords. However this line up was not fated to last. Fintan Having knocked shug out cold after the second gig in norway and destroying his drum kit in bergen, was last seen heading for moscow on a motorbike/sidecarcombination??? the band landed in norway for another extensive tour with yet another drummer duncan greig during the autumn of 1997, which ended in a spectacular head on collision with a pregnant woman driver leaving the tour bus a write off and andy laid up for the following six months with a back injury. Incidentally the pragnant woman is still getting free beers from the story "The Guttersnipes tried to kill me" On returning to England the band began to make plans for 1998, Unfortunetly being an itinerant soul, duncan had a habit of going missing for months at a time so much got done that year. When a tour of germany was offered for december and with duncan AWOL shug and andy teamed up with gaz davies on drums for the tour. the tour was a great success and the band went down a storm, especially in the east were the gig oten turned into a big party, with the band playing for hours. And in the case of the Bureau gig in Gutersloh- 6 hrs.October 1999 saw the guttersnipes embark on another tour (suicide mission) around the more salubrious parts of northern and eastern europe to promote songs from there new LP. Denmark and the night before the first gig new guitarist gives shug a shiner. onto germany where the drinking and fighting continues, and Stevie Wonder drives the tour bus through the mountains. The Czech Republic (Beer capital of the world) and the lads partake as only they know how. Then there is a big blur then back to munich where the tour finishes at the backstage festival where drummer baz becomes ex drummer and is left in the black forest with no money hahahahahahahahahahaCheck Out WWW.PUNKOIUK.CO.UK/INTERVIEWS/GUTTERSNIPES.HTMCreate or get your
very own MySpace Layouts
