Guana Batz
Encyclopedia
The Guana Batz are an English
psychobilly
band that was formed in 1982 in Feltham, Middlesex. It was one of the first psychobilly bands and is considered influential to its scene. The band is most well known for its frequent appearances at the Klub Foot
, an early psychobilly club.
), Stuart Osborne (guitar
), Dave "Diddle" Turner (drums
) and Mick Wigfall (upright bass). Wigfall was removed by Osborne early on, who preferred a bass guitar
player for the band. Mick White soon joined the band as bass guitarist. However, by 1984, the Guana Batz decided to again feature an upright bassist, and replaced White with Sam Sardi.
Turner quit the band in May 1987, the hectic touring schedule having grown too much for him, and opted to devote his time to his girlfriend and his construction
job. He was replaced by former Get Smart drummer, Johnny Bowler. When Sardi left the band, Bowler switched to upright bass, and John Buck joined the band on drums. Mark Pennington of the Caravans played upright bass for the band after Sam Sardi left and prior to Johnny Bowler switching to bass.
Hancox's Staffordshire Bull Terrier
, Pig Dog, was humorously referred to as the band's "fifth member." After being hit by a car, he was replaced by Hancox's new dog, Muttley, who would be featured on four Guana Batz album covers. Although Muttley has died, he reportedly lived to an old age.
The band broke up in 1990, but reunited in 1996. They are still touring today. Osborne still lives in London
, and also plays for The Unknowns. Hancox, Bowler, and Buck have relocated to San Diego, California
. They have occasionally performed in the southern California area with ex-Stray Cats
members under the moniker the Guana Cats.
In 2001, Turner died from a stroke
.
The band continues to headline major festivals around the world, and have more recently built their US following, with their Stateside line-up featuring Gino Meregillano on guitar and Alex Pappas on drums.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
psychobilly
Psychobilly
Psychobilly is a fusion genre of rock music that mixes elements of punk rock, rockabilly, and other genres. It is one of several subgenres of rockabilly which also include thrashabilly, trashabilly, punkabilly, surfabilly and gothabilly...
band that was formed in 1982 in Feltham, Middlesex. It was one of the first psychobilly bands and is considered influential to its scene. The band is most well known for its frequent appearances at the Klub Foot
Klub Foot
The Klub Foot was a highly influential London nightclub in the Psychobilly scene of the early and mid 1980s.It was hosted at the Clarendon public house in Hammersmith until the pub was demolished as part of the redevelopment of Hammersmith Town Centre...
, an early psychobilly club.
History
The original group members were Pip Hancox (vocalsSinging
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
), Stuart Osborne (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
), Dave "Diddle" Turner (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
) and Mick Wigfall (upright bass). Wigfall was removed by Osborne early on, who preferred a bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
player for the band. Mick White soon joined the band as bass guitarist. However, by 1984, the Guana Batz decided to again feature an upright bassist, and replaced White with Sam Sardi.
Turner quit the band in May 1987, the hectic touring schedule having grown too much for him, and opted to devote his time to his girlfriend and his construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
job. He was replaced by former Get Smart drummer, Johnny Bowler. When Sardi left the band, Bowler switched to upright bass, and John Buck joined the band on drums. Mark Pennington of the Caravans played upright bass for the band after Sam Sardi left and prior to Johnny Bowler switching to bass.
Hancox's Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a medium-sized, short-coated, old-time breed of dog. It is an English dog, where it is the 5th most popular breed, and related to the bull terrier...
, Pig Dog, was humorously referred to as the band's "fifth member." After being hit by a car, he was replaced by Hancox's new dog, Muttley, who would be featured on four Guana Batz album covers. Although Muttley has died, he reportedly lived to an old age.
The band broke up in 1990, but reunited in 1996. They are still touring today. Osborne still lives in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and also plays for The Unknowns. Hancox, Bowler, and Buck have relocated to San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. They have occasionally performed in the southern California area with ex-Stray Cats
Stray Cats
Stray Cats are an American Rockabilly band formed in 1980 by guitarist/vocalist Brian Setzer , upright bassist Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles in the UK, Australia and the U.S...
members under the moniker the Guana Cats.
In 2001, Turner died from a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
.
The band continues to headline major festivals around the world, and have more recently built their US following, with their Stateside line-up featuring Gino Meregillano on guitar and Alex Pappas on drums.
Singles
| Year | Title | UK Indie Chart UK Indie Chart The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered... Position |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| December | 1983 | "You're So Fine" / "Rock 'n' in My Coffin" | #19 |
| May | 1984 | "The Cave" | #6 |
| March | 1986 | "See Through" | #4 |
| July | 1986 | "I'm on Fire" | #5 |
| May | 1987 | "Rock This Town" | #8 |
Albums
| Year | Title | UK Indie Chart Position | |
|---|---|---|---|
| August | 1985 | Held Down to Vinyl... At Last | #1 |
| November | 1986 | Lone Sharks | #3 |
| June | 1987 | Live over London | #5 |
| March | 1988 | Rough Edges | #6 |
| 1990 | Electra Glide in Blue | ||
| 1994 | Get Around (demos) | ||
| 1998 | The Peel John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004... Sessions |
||
| 2000 | Can't Take The Pressure | ||
| 2001 | The Very Best of The Guana Batz | ||