Beware the Son of the Tombstones - The Zoo!

After the departure of MAD they wore out a series of drummers and finally packed in The Tombstones in early '92, but not before putting The Drum & Monkey, The Maltman, The Swee (with ginga luv whiskas Daz on the drums) and god knows who else out of business. Yep they even managed with Minstrels upon the second ever Zoo gig [in fact you can check out the newly compiled hit list]. ``I really did dig those guys - I mean who else would play a song (Primeval Man) by Lance & Martin from "Home and Away", now that's cool!''

The Inner Mystique, Glasgow, September '92, Humphrey Bogart on bass

After the Tombstones, Campbell (who now mysteriously changed his name to Richard) and Stevie formed The Inner Mystique. After not having much success with bass players, they recruited the Spaceman (again - will they never learn) who took to the bass like he does to alcohol. The unholy trinity was back. After a couple of gigs as The Zoo in Nice 'n' Sleazies and Minstrels (which deservedly closed), they were approached by Dr. Klaus Suhling astrophysicist extraordonaire and world's most primeval drummer. "We thought he was coming to kill us, then he asked to join" says Stevie. Perhaps it's worth mentioning at this point that The Zoo ended up with nigh on ten science degrees between them, thus being the most intelligent band in Glasgow (if not the cosmos). Kinda ironic when you think of all the pseudo super serious intellectual morons they had to contend with for gigs. "We were never wanting signed, just to play as it had always been such a laugh back in a small town" said Stevie in his interview with Rockinest Bands Who Don't Give A Shit magazine. "I mean we never even had our own gear - just the guitars and the effects. The losers here are so damned serious - if only they knew how ludicrous they are - at least we've never claimed to be musicians."

Stevie, Grant and Vic during the Teen Trash sessions, May '94

It was a great summer with Klaus on the drums, during which they played in the Subway (now Legends) in Edinburgh, so loud it had to be redecorated (they seemed quite pleased about it though and asked them back). "They were animals, you should see what they did to the drums. I've never seen anything so wild and I thought we were punk rock" said one of the Greedy Children who supported. After recording "Bad Acid Baby", Stevie and Grant headed for Manchester to do their Masters' in the Autumn of '93. After sitting on their arses for over six months it became time to do something again, they recruited Vic (a brilliant but unreliable drummer, although being locked up is a good excuse), gigged a coupla times and recorded "Teen Trash" (as heard on BBC Radio Scotland - big deal). There was a brief flirtation with Phonogram and a few other labels after a review of this demo.

After one last recording session in May '95, the guys called it a day when Stevie flitted to Sweden to study astronomy (like the great Dave Aguilar). Perhaps they'll get together again one of these days if they're all ever in the same country long enough. I, Alasdair Mitchell, for one miss them like hell and am just glad they existed to prove an inspiration to us and many others who were just into playing rock 'n' roll (with a twist) in a time of twee pappy pop. Several majors were very interested after the review of "Teen Trash" but it proved to be too "out there" for commercial use - so we end up with the crap we have now. Pity. The Zoo were always more permanent wave than new wave.

Recordings