BMX Bandits

BMX Bandits, ah without them there would be no Teenage Fanclub, no Eugine Kelly therefore no Vaselines and possibly no Nirvana, oh and no Soup Dragons, like that's a bad thing. Such is the magic that surrounds this ever evolving Glaswegian popular beat combo.

At their core are the legendary Duglas T Stewart and Francis MacDonald, and through their many incarnations have had such luminaries as Norman Blake, Eugine, members of Belle and Sebastian, oh and that fella from the Soup Dragons Sean Dickinson, shhh.

I must admit only getting into these a few years ago due to the limited release of their records and general shiteness of HMV, Virgin, Our Price et al of supplying anything credible.

I remember reading about them circa the C86 movement (indie jangly pop) when I first started reading the NME. At that time I was more a hardcore Queen fan, jangle pop, pah I wanted 'The Voice' by John Farnham and some power ballads of the irk of Europe and Survivor. Oh yes.

Next time I came across Duglas was in Uni whilst watching Live from King Tuts Wah-Wah Hut where he sang a sublime version of Jonathan Richmans 'That Summer Feeling' resplendent with a very twee scarf and matching Duffle coat. Aww.

First album I got was 1993's 'Life Goes On', the cover promising lots with two girls covered in paint, phwoar indeedy. The whole album is filled with catchy pop songs similar to the Fannies sound, with standout tracks being 'Little Hands', 'Serious Drugs' and the duffle coat brigades' anthem 'Kylies got a crush on us.'

Last year I had first hand experience of the BMX Bandits, reforming as part of the Strange Fruit festival in London. Good old Duglas was in top form having the crowd eating out of his hands with is quirky tales and hernia induced dancing. Somewhat podgier than what I remember him, he did say he was 'twice the man he once was'.

G5


Buy these great BMX Bandits albums from Amazon:
 
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Life Goes On
Buy at Amazon.co.uk