Swamptrash really had something special. When I win the lottery the first thing I will do is organise a Swamptrash comeback gig. They were epic. This poster commemorates the last gig I went to in the Carlton - I remember two burly lads trying to hold the PA up as the floor became like a huge trampoline (or like the Greig St Bridge if you're from Inverness) It shut down really soon afterwards like every other good music venue in Inverness, judging by the ones that are left, anyway.

Swamptrash were:

Harry Horse - enigmatic verbose frontman, afterwards illustrator and cartoonist with the Scotsman, last heard of creating computer games down in the swamp.

Neil McArthur - fiddler extrodinaire

James MacIntosh - From his heady days as the world's fastest drummer in Swamptrash to now the worlds funkiest drummer in Shooglenifty.

Garry Finlayson - Garry Banjo now playing in Shooglenifty Thank you for signing my guestbook! Aah yes, the eighties!

Malcolm Crosbie - now also in Shooglenifty.

Nick - last heard of teaching English in Spain?.

Conrad Molleson - bass, later with Shooglenifty

Angus Grant - hairy beast of a fiddler

mp3s

Live set @ the Queens Hall Edinburgh ?1989?

(The beginnings of Hex and the end of Swamptrash)

Live set @ the Ice Rink Inverness Oct 1988

(in my top ten best gigs of all time)

Live set @ the Carlton Inverness May 1987

(that famous gig, poster above)

Swamptrash on FSD - Reubens Train, Ring of Fire, Foggy Mountain Breakdown

Swamptrash on Halfway to Paradise - The Cuillen and an interview with Harry Horse

Swamptrash FSD mp4 VHS rip mirror

Swamptrash H2P mp4 VHS rip mirror

Swamptrash released 'It dont make no never mind' on vinyl and CD, your chances of finding a copy are minimal but it's a classic...

'Bone' was a six track EP born out of a session for Janice Long, Radio 1.

mp3s

Studio demo 2 (side1)

Studio demo 1

very early studio demo

Aw The Critters. The cute boy band alternative to Swamptrash, the Critters could fair go on a good night they were just a bit less swampy. They gigged eternally and were really good at the traditional bluegrass thing. They blew the Pogues off the stage at the SECC and some preteens screamed when they supported Wet Wet Wet and Deacon Blue at the Usher Hall. Now wasnt that the same night as Swamptrash's last gig in Teviot Union??

The Critterhill Varmints were -

Mickey Marr - Singer, geetar, later with Kith and Kin

JJ Jamieson - Banjo addict, later with Bongshang and living in Shetland

Crazy Craig - Mandolin and in my opinion the cutest :p

Lummy - Bass player now esteemed artist occasionally seen at away Caley matches :)

Ben Molleson - Fiddle and holey jumpers later with the Peatbog Faeries. The extremely charming Nicky Schad was in the original lineup

Kekkers McKenzie - Drums and extraordinary ginger person, occasionally seen lurking when least expected and at Christmas.

mp3s

Studio demo

Live set @ the Queens Hall ?1989?

(technically Swamptrash but in effect the initial stirrings of Hex)

Hex, as you can no doubt see from the posters was made up from ex-members of the two bands Ive already embarrassed the living daylights out of. Just be grateful Ive not scanned ALL my photos.. Hex apparently released a cd but Ive never seen it although I have a mysterious tape kicking about somewhere...so no scan of the cover. They only seemed to stay together for about the same length of time it would take you to read this paragraph if I hadnt tacked this on at the end...

Singer/Banjo - Harry Horse

Mandolin - Crazy Craig

Drums - Kekkers

Fiddle - Neil Macarthur

Bass - Lummy

Banjo - JJ

Now Im the first to admit that Rhythm Chillun cant really be included in the Acid Croft category but they were funky,cosmopolitan and an invitation to a good night in another sweaty hall, who cares if they weren't folky? We were all moving on...etc etc etc

Rhythm Chillun will possibly follow Swamptrash in the lineup for my winning the lottery party, expect them on stage about 02.00.

Since I turned their live tapes into mp3s I've been playing them non stop in the car!

Rhythm Chillun were -

Andy Cheung, singer and cutest wee thing from Fife I ever did see, and I lived there for five years, Andy's the guy you would vote to win Fame Academy or the Eurovision Song Contest even if you didnt normally vote in such things. He deserves to be a star.

Crazy Craig, already mentioned for Mandolin duties, here finally at one with that wah wah pedal. Crazy I wish you'd start playing geetar again. He now acts in a mangerial capacity with Shooglenifty

Quee, extremely funky bass player always smiling and now smiling and being funky with Shooglenifty

James, (my) world's busiest drummer doing the Shoogle thing now, and then

mp3s - studio

studio demo 1

studio demo 2

I think Viv might have shot this but I'm not sure...
Rhythm Chillun live somewhere in Edinburgh (Wilkie House maybe?)
With a great tune, dedicated to the Glengyle gang (and we know who we are lol)

mp3s - live

Rhythm Chillun live @ the art school

Rhythm Chillun live at the venue

Rhythm Chillun live at wilkie house