About Me
TRACKS FEATURED - 2001. Formed in the Summer of 2001 by singer/lyricist Misty Woods and Dj/keyboard player/lyricist/Club promoter Dj Stix. The two spent an intoxicated weekend in 2001 recording various sounds in Stix's bedroom, using an array of instruments including analogue synths, broken tv sets, childrens toys, smashed glasses, raw meat, whistles and mobile phones, combined with dark lyrics and Misty's incredible 5 octave voice. Mostly, the lyrics were centred around death lists, bloodlust and the universe, with the odd Heinrich Hoffman tribute poem in there for good measure.The resultant sound was recorded on cassette tape and kept, only to play when drunk. Over time, these recordings became popular with visitors and, gradually, became cult collectors items, with a small fanbase quickly demanding live shows. The two approached their friends on the goth-electro scene, Afro-Welsh metaphysicians and magick church-founders Tubal Cain and Nat Neon, both talented producer-musicians, to use Tubal Cain's studio to produce a demo and live PA. The four found much in common and Tubal Cain and Nat Neon were asked to join forces with Stix and Misty. They agreed and thus, Ju Ju Babies was born. As word got about, more and more freaks and uniques from the club scene professed keen interest in joining the band, thus creating it's "party on the stage" phillosophy. At one time, the band had 18 members on stage, including a fire-eater and a live human voodoo doll.
One of these people, a drummer called David Lockwood, offered his services, and as a keen programmer, also helped to set up and run the band's website.And mailing list.
Whilst there was a fluid line-up of dancers, strippers, gimps and transvestites, the core line-up of the band consisted of Misty Woods, Dj Stix, David Lockwood, Nat Neon and Tubal Cain.
The band played their first performance at Subterrania, Notting Hill in November 2001, a maniacal, ramshackle affair, but one which, nevertheless, enhanced the band's profile as a cult act.
Emerging from the combined supernatural genius of Stix-synth, Misty head-vox, Tubal Cain orchestration-production, Nat Neon guitarz and Lockwood drumming, the true and original 'JuJu Babies sound' came screaming to life: a hyper-baroque supernova of layered analog synth, pagan punk protest, electroshock rokk and neo-classical nightmare brought to the stage in the finest throes of Bacchanalian chic.
Many more live shows followed, with increasing unpredictability and themes. The band developed a hardcore following of fans, never sure what to expect next. Audience numbers were growing exponentially. Neon and Cain left in the Summer of 2002 to pursue other projects. It was around this time that artist and sometime correspondant for the Church Times, Jim Anderson, aka The Reverend, arrived, wearing a cassock and carrying a theramin and a stuffed Chimp. He was ideal JuJu material, so the band invited him in. Along with the fantastic Adrianna Mong and fetish model Miss Lickwish, the three became extra permanent additions to the fold. Two others who deserve a mention for services JuJu are unique gimp door-whore Daniel and fire-breathing, whip wielding Mistress Morphia.
Although Morphia eventually left the band due to venues barring them for their use of fire in their performances, and also, on occasion, human blood.
Frontwoman Misty fashioned the majority of her outfits from Supermarket and off-licence carrier bags, a move she explains was mainly down to lack of funds on her part (the band by now were playing a show a week and she was loathe to wear the same thing twice). This look however, existed to influence a great many people on the club scene, an influence, along with Woods's inventive use of gaffa tape, which remains and can be seen to this day.
The band explain that, whilst they were not the first to come up with the idea of a 'Party on the Stage' and the D.I.Y. ethic they, along with fellow Electro Trashers Fist Fuck Deluxe, were instrumental in re-creating the post-punk/Minty scene in London. Fashion and style magazines such as The Face were quick to catch on to the buzz, and the band continued to gain headway throughout 2003, drawing accolades from people such as the legendary band Sparks enroute. Sparks proclaimed the band to be "The coolest unsigned band in the uk today. Or even the coolest of the signed too".
Despite this, and bizarre appearances onstage such as Al from The Tindersticks dressed in a frogsuit (the band were always big on audience participation, provided the audience made an effort with their look, of course), the band remained unsigned. A dalliance with Electroclash label God Made Me Hardcore, proved fruitless, leading the band to self-fund the only release to date: "Electrotrash".***
It was around the time of this release that legendary Ibiza Club Manumission approached the band, with a residency on the white isle. Relations between the band had begun to grow fraught, leading the two dancers to leave the band. Despite tensions growing, the band accepted and lived together for 3 months in an Ibizan Finca. However, the combination of living/working and socialising together proved too much, and the band offically split in September 2004.***Copies of Electrotrash may be bought here. Message for further info.
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