vanilla chainsaws - side projects
PAST
Chernobyl Babies
After the Vanilla Chainsaws returned from Europe in 1991 Simon started this inner city "supergroup" with members of other well known groups. The Band was together for approx 3 months, recorded a 3 track demo and played 1 gig before disbanding due to "musical differences".
The band featured Simon Drew Vocals, Tony Robertson Bass (ex- New Christs, Screaming Tribesmen, Hitmen), Paul Styman Drums (ex Trilobites), Andy Kent Lead Guitar (pre You Am I) and Steve Beavis Guitar (ex Rattle Snake Shake, Naked Lunch)
There is talk of the Divine Rites label in France releasing these demos on a "pebbles" compilation album of rare/unreleased/unusual tracks from Australian Bands.
Greg Brady Overdrive
Alex…………… bore an uncanny resemblence to Greg Brady from the TV show "the Brady Bunch". His whole life he had been teased with Greg Brady taunts so when he grew up he decided to cash in on it…….. and as singer of the GBO….cash in he did!!!!!!
G.B.O. were on the Sydney music scene for about 5 years from about 1990 with a constantly changing line up. The group took great rock songs (ala smoke on the water, whole lotta love) and changed the words to fit the Brady theme ie whole lotta Brady…., trashy chart busters (Samantha Fox’s Touch me, Bros’s when will I be famous) and punked them up rewriting the lyrics into sexual themes and crap top ten partysongs like My Sharona and totally destroying them.
The group featured Al Scott from Zen Studios firebreathing into the audience on onto Alex’s crotch (on one occasion he caught fire and ran around the stage until it went out…….we caught this on video tape!!!!!!!!)
Both Simon and Sabina (bass from Chainsaws) played in GBO for about 8 months in 1993. November 1998 saw GBO reunite with Sabby back on Bass.
Other Members included Brendon…….. drums from Downtime
Celestial Panelvan ftg. Chainsaw Mutherfuker MC
Once apon a time there was a group called Celestial Panelvan playing pop song with satirical lyrics. Guitarist Paul Holden and Simon (as Chainsaw Mutherfucker MC) got the idea to transform the act into a Barry White meets Bodycount style affair. The result was an instantaneous success and every gig the theme changed. Simon would dress as an arab or IRA terrorist, as Jason from Friday 13th, as a hawiian shirt, terrytowling hat and big Camera wearing American tourist to name just a few of the costumes. Nothing was sacred, from "Remember me Dismember me" (a song about making love in an abatoir during which the group would throw McDonalds hamburgers into the audience…..and the audience would throw them back). …to the classic Barry White style slow groove love song "Love Feels Like You" (which was all about a guy wanting to have anal sex with his girlfiend)…. to "Kurt" a song about Kurt Cobain where Simon, with the use of a fake gun and sampled gun shots would shoot himself in the mouth and drip pints of fake blood all over himself and drop to the ground lie there motionless while the group played 2 songs around his "dead body" and then suddenly spring to life to get all irreverent again.
The combo recorded a 6 tracks but felt that the songs just didn’t live up to "live" experience and thus were never released. There is continued talk of reunion shows but as yet there is no definite plan.
CURRENT
Chainsaw Men
In Jan 1999 Simon went to the USA and recorded a CD with old friend and Ex Gamma Men Drummer Steve Gardner. Steve used to produce on paper but now maintains the Noise for heroes fanzine web site. The CD is 12 blistering tracks of great aussie detroit surf punk. The group is currently canvassing for a major release with tours and a follow up CD in the pipeline.
Simon Chainsaw (solo)
As "Simon Chainsaw", singer Simon Drew is recording his first solo album in Chicago mid 1999. It will be a rockin’ affair like his previous bands but will also have some more subtle overtones. A follow up solo album is planned be recorded in Germany and France late 1999.
Simon Chainsaw’s Badass Roadshow
Simon has put together a live band featuring Al Creed (New Christs, Hey Charger) on lead Guitar and ex Chainsaws bassist Henning Worner to tour Europe and Australia in late 1999. The band will feature the best songs of the Chainsaw Men, Simon Chainsaws solo material, Vanilla Chainsaws and a couple of rockin’ covers thrown in for good meaure.
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