The SWINGING CURTISES

BIOGRAPHY:

Act formed by 15 year old Distant Life members Eddie McKenzie (guitar / keyboards) & Stephen Smith (guitar) in August 1985, by recruiting Lisa McFarlane (drums), Les Makin (keyboards / guitar), Alison Smith (vocals) & Gordon Wood (bass) through an advert in The Falkirk Herald. Within a month Stephen Smith had left to concentrate on his other act The Field, whilst McFarlane was replaced by Willie Moffat (drums, ex-Excess). In November Makin & Wood left the band (turning up a year later in The Scream), so Moffat returned to his first instrument guitar, whilst McKenzie took up bass. These two, along with remaining member, Alison Smith, played their debut at the Grange Centre, Redding, in January 1986, before recruiting Grangemouth drummer Michael Davidson. Splitting, then immediatly reforming under a new name to get rid of Smith (a move which earned them the name "The Backstabbing Bastard Band" amongst friends), Davidson, McKenzie & Moffat worked with several vocalists as The Munchy Cousins, Chainsaw Dance & Johnny Was over the next few months, whilst Smith joined The Sunrise Set. In June they reverted to The Swinging Curtises, with new vocalist Val Marshall, and played a few dates over the next couple of months, including the Grangemouth Rock Festival (organised by McKenzie). McKenzie was also playing with Crystal Religion during this period. After sacking Marshall, the trio played one final date before changing their name to Outlaw Tribe in October.