Stretchheads
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Defunct | 1991 |
| Headquarters | Erskine , Scotland |
| Products | Punk and noise rock music, albums, EPs, singles |
Stretchheads were a punk and noise rock ensemble hailing from Erskine, Scotland, active between 1987 and 1991, and they produced two full-length albums during their career.
History
The group was established in 1987, featuring Andy Maconald ("Dr. Technology") on guitar, Phil Eaglesham (known as P6 or "Fat Bastard") handling vocals, Steven MacDougall (Mofungo Diggs) on bass, and Richie Dempsey on drums. They became visually distinctive through their use of asbestos protective clothing, gas masks, vibrant shirts, and balaclavas during live performances. Early in their trajectory, they supported acts such as Happy Mondays, The Wonderstuff, and The Shamen. Their initial recording appeared on Moksha Recordings with the EP Bros are Pish, a satirical take on the popular band Bros. This was followed by their first album in 1989 titled Five Fingers, Four Thingers, a Thumb, a Facelift and a New Identity. After Dempsey departed to join Dawson, Jason Boyce (Mr. Jason) took over drumming duties, coinciding with the band's signing to the independent label Blast First.
Their debut release under Blast First was the 1990 EP Eyeball Origami Aftermath Wit Vegetarian Leg, succeeded by the single 23 Skinner in early 1991 and their sophomore album Pish in Your Sleazebag. They embarked on a European tour alongside Dutch group Revenge of the Carrots and Dog Faced Hermans before disbanding in 1992. Before their dissolution, they recorded a session for John Peel's BBC Radio 1 program. Posthumously, the Barbed Anal Exciter EP was issued in 1994.
Following Stretchheads’ breakup, Phil Eaglesham and Richie Dempsey became members of DeSalvo, which included musicians from Idlewild. DeSalvo’s debut album was released in 2008 via Mogwai’s Rock Action Records. Eaglesham remains musically active with Joe Ahmed under the name 'Security' and has overseen solo and collaborative projects through his Naloxone Sounds label, including a retrospective box set dedicated to Stretchheads. Meanwhile, Dempsey rejoined former Dawson colleagues in Sumshapes and continues working as both a musician and sound engineer.
Musical style
Stretchheads’ sound was heavily influenced by American independent hardcore bands such as Butthole Surfers and Killdozer, as well as UK indie groups like Big Flame and Bogshed, intensifying these influences to an extreme degree. Comparisons have also been drawn between them and Japanese noise rock outfits including Boredoms and Ruins. P6’s vocal delivery has been described as "inhuman," with their music regarded as among the most bizarre, rapid, and intense ever emerging from the British Isles.
Albums
- Five Fingers, Four Thingers, a Thumb, a Facelift and a New Identity (1989) Moksha Recordings (limited to 1,000 copies)
- Pish In Your Sleazebag (1991) Blast First
Singles and EPs
- Bros Are Pish Etched 7" EP (1988) Moksha Recordings (limited to 500 copies)
- Eyeball Origami Aftermath Wit Vegetarian Leg 7" EP (1990) Blast First
- "23 Skinner (Have a Bang on This Number)" 12" single (1991) Blast First
- Barbed Anal Exciter 10" EP (1993) Blast First (1,000 copies)
Additional rarities
- 'Three Steps to Heaven' – Cassette EP (1987) (only 50 copies)
- 'Asylum Suck' – featured on A Pox on the Poll Tax Compilation LP (1988) (Revolt)
- 'Collectivisation of Breasts In Moscow' – Media Pack release (1989) (3 copies produced)
- 'Groin Death' & '3 Pottery Owls' included on Pathological Compilation (1989)
- 'Spanish Castle Magic' contributed to 'If 6 Was 9' Hendrix Tribute album (1989) (Imaginary)
- 'Jimi's Magic Spanish Castle (Live)' – Flexi disc distributed with Catalogue Magazine (1989)
- 'Manic Depression (Live)' – Flexi disc included with Ablaze! Magazine (1989)
- 'Born to Be Wild (In the Style Of Bogshed)' – Unreleased Steppenwolf Tribute track from 1989 (Imaginary)
- 'Eyeball Origami Aftermath Wit Vegetarian Leg' VHS promotional video (1990)
- John Peel BBC Radio Session recorded June 1991
- Limited edition P6 Lyric Booklet released in 1998 (23 copies)