Member Since: 25/04/2006
Band Website: http://www.the-hyenas.co.uk
Band Members: The Hyenas are, as introduced by Andy:GUITAR & VOX: ANDRE WHORE -Andre is probably, no definitely too shy to front a rock ‘n’ roll band and never goes to practice for fear of embarrassing himself in front of the others. He is very polite though. He secretly wishes he was in a shoe gazing band so that he could make a racket and not have to engage with the audience. Failing that he wishes he was Alex Turner, so that not only could he write witty and endearing songs about society’s underbelly, but also as he considers him to be the Charles Dickens for poor Northerners. Green-fingered Andre makes a living in horticulture. This involves digging up excellent specimen shrubs from peoples’ gardens at night and flogging the round the pubs of Hastings Old Town. Andre’s favourite band is his fictional The Fuzzmonkeys who take their name from his equally fictional cult, LSD-inspired, first novel. His other favourite band is The Barracudas, psychasurf punks who wished it could be 1965 again. He finds much mirth in the word monkey and consequently loves all bands with it in. Except The Monkees (though ‘Stepping Stone’ is fab and groovy).GUITAR & BACKINGS: IAN HAMILTON-HYENA -Ian is the only band member with a double-barrelled name and it’s in his honour that The Hyenas chose their name. He’s originally from Oop North. Oop North is a picturesque village just outside Tunbridge Wells and is the birthplace of the well-off. Unfortunately due to inbreeding Ian was born with a silver spam in his mouth but nevertheless is quite a bit posher than the others. Ian’s first band was The Exploited, until he was. Limited opportunities saw him find work as one half of Mac & Ginge, based in Sunderland. They were the North-East’s answer to Chas & Dave. Fierce tribal fighting in the area saw them restricted solely to Sunderland’s Working Men’s Club and in this scene they became hugely popular. Once Ian had mastered the lingo he was considered an honorary Mackem. That was, until he naively opened a hair salon in Darlington. Hounded out he pitched up in Hastings, as so many misfits do. Ian’s favourite band is Sweet, purely because it was said that from the back of the auditorium, they resembled ABBA on amphetamines.DRUMS: CRAIG McBRAIN -Craig is a veritable drum machine and therefore has to be charged up overnight. As well as working with adults with learning difficulties, away from the band his job is … working with adults with learning difficulties! Which makes him very bossy and an absolute pain. Craig hits the drums so hard, all the other members of the band had to buy new gear in order to keep up with his volume. He also goes through so many drum sticks that we now know the real cause of global deforestation. Craig lives in sunny Brighton and (like many other drummers) often gets into trouble in pubs for drumming on tables with his fingers. He’s only been in the band five minutes and has already become the driving force. In an hour or two he’ll become disillusioned, take off to follow a lucrative solo career leaving the others with mental problems due to alcohol and drug dependency, not that different to how he found them really.BASS & BACKINGS: BEAT (rhymes with Fiat) B. (does not rhyme with Flea) -Beat is Swiss but mercifully it doesn’t show! He is shite at playing bass and has to have his riffs processed by a Kenwood Multi Chef. Despite this handicap Beat is the only member of the band who looks like he was born to rock ‘n’ Swiss roll. He can also knock up a wicked cake mix. Aahh! Whereas most rock ‘n’ rollers practise their instrument for hours on end and experiment with drugs, Beat experiments with his instrument and practises drugs for hours on end. Even with the aid of his Multi Chef it can take him up to seven weeks to get his lines right but if you ask him to do … a line his professionalism is awesome every time. He lives comfortably in a chalet on Mount Seven Dials with his charming girlfriend Tracy who once visited Rome and was quite impressed with the Swiss Guards at the Vatican. She also likes his cake mix.
Influences: Far too many to mention, from the Kinks to Pistols, Clash, Damned, Ramones, take a left at Iron Maiden and Velvet Revolver, then next stop Dead Kennedys, Bad Religion, Youth Brigade, up to Babyshambles and Arctic Monkeys. The theme being ENERGY and big tunes.
Sounds Like: HI-EE-NAS
Record Label: All Offers Considered