This naturally caught the attention of the music press and the band were briefly championed as part of the created 'New Wave of New Wave' scene. Their debut single, 'Speeed King' was a tribute to the effects of amphetamine sulphate and came with a sleeve depicting a bowl of white powder and four straws. Its slow-burning follow up, 'You're Not My Babylon' proved that there was subtlety beneath their street-wise posturing.
The band originally formed in Brighton, and featured Julian 'Hooligan' Hewings (guitar/vocals), Boag (vocals), Patrick (bass) and Stevie (drums). Despite moving to London in search of the big-time, they retained a sense of disdain for the in-bred mentality of the capital and its music press. The group wore their influences on their sleeves, which occasionally left them open to criticism, but with a lineage taking in MC5, The Who, The Clash, The Jam and the Manic Street Preachers they would never become 'just another Camden band'.
Following their initial two singles and a tour alongside S*M*A*S*H, a mini-album compiling all four tracks and also adding a BBC radio version of 'Too Sussed' was released, and it's ascent in the album chart gave them the opportunity to perform 'Speeed King' on Top of The Pops.
The next single 'This Is the Sound of Youth' was better produced and preceded their debut album, '(Come On, Join) the High Society', which established them as a band with young ideas and ideals in large quantities, despite being well into their twenties. The music had become harder and the image more glamorous, but the music press still attacked them as one dimensional new wave revivalists (despite the press having created that scene themselves!). Nonetheless, a devoted and equally passionate group of followers snapped up their releases, and many imitators soon emerged.
Further tours followed, and a stop-gap mini-album was released. The title of 'Taxi For These Animal Men' was taken from a shambolic performance at the Pheonix Festival in 1994, where equipment failure continually stopped their set for minutes at a time, leading an audience member to shout the phrase at the band when the stage fell silent. The release also hinted at a new direction, with two epic ballads alongside the usual supercharged rock guitars.
In 1996, These Animal Men emerged from a relatively quiet period with a performance at the Reading Festival confirming their time spent away from the music scene had not been wasted. Beginning with a cover of the MC5's 'Sister Anne', the band ripped through their set and were one of the highlights of the festival. The subsequent singles and new album, 'Accident and Emergency' displayed a maturity and depth of musical ability that the music press still overlooked when criticising the group. Drawing influences from the late '60's Detroit rock scene, Bowie-period Glam, and spaghetti western soundtracks, the album met with unfounded hostility in reviews that concentrated more on the band's past than what they had evolved into.
Depressed, no doubt, by their lack of support in the media, These Animal Men soon gave up their mission to inject the music scene with passion and called it a day. Ex-S*M*A*S*H drummer Rob had filled the drum stool for the last few months, and along with Boag and Julian went on to form Mo Solid Gold.
IF YOU LIKE THESE, YOU'LL LIKE THESE ANIMAL MEN: The Jam, S*M*A*S*H, Manic Street Preachers, King Adora, Soda, MC5, The Clash, David Bowie, Powder, Elastica, Blur, Menswear.