The Fish Brothers

The Early Years



The Fish Brothers spawned many moons ago during a particularly heavy period of drinking. It was during the dark days when pubs shut for the afternoon and those long hours had to be filled via the off licence. Martin Fish (nee Edith Charnsworth) and serial drinking partner Chunky Charnsworth (no relation) had taken to visiting the magnificent Southover Wines and partaking of 'The FishBowl.'



The Fishbowl Recipe

Scrub a washing up bowl as clean as you can be bothered

Pour in 2 bottles of strong dry cyder

Pour in 1 bottle of dry sherry

Stir with finger

Take a plastic straw each (preferably pinched from scummy fast food

establishment)

Drink til merry

Repeat if hardcore



Usually after the first bowl was finished an album of old songs of the music hall cheaply purloined from a car boot sale would go on the stereo whilst Chunky and Edith sangalong with gusto. When finally 'The Eagle' - a notorious Brighton drinking hole - had re-opened the two runnies would stagger down the hill to annoy all and sundry. Then one day Gary the Landlord offered them a gig. Five quid and all they could drink. 'The Eagle' became the busiest pub in town on Sunday nights as people rammed in to sing-a-long to the Fish mix of music hall standards played in a very punk rock and drunken style which lead on to them writing their own material. Invariably one of the duo collapsed during the set but the whole idea was audience participation. Everyone joined in regardless of what state the band were in. Eventually the ungrateful landlord sacked the band for taking the all you could drink too far.



Chunky left for France to play covers in big stadiums. Edith - now plain Martin - concentrated on being annoying. Eventually Chesty Charnsworth became the new guitar hero, Mass Murder McGhee joined as drummer and the first bass player - Captain Sensible no less - joined to form the 'Fishtastic Four.' After Les Pubshitter took over the bass, 'The Levellers' offered them the chance to support on their 'World Freakshow' tour as the band released their first album 'Sergeant Shitters Lonely Club Foot Band' to no critical acclaim. To quote Martin Fish "Its easier playing those big stages. People can't lynch you like they can in our usual haunts." They proclaimed their motto' Fish Brothers are Carp' as bass players came and went.



Fish Brothers Bass Players (that we can remember):

Captain Sensible (still punk rocking hard with The Damned)

Les Pubshitter (pumped up Les runs his own barbers in Ch*ch*ster)

Al Jenkins (borrowed from hippy freaks Mandragora. He was a rare creature - a multi-talented Welshman. He left for the Alps. Too thin.

Niall (Fish music was too simple for the Prog Rocker to understand)

Blonde Wanton (the wee genius still tinkles the ivories on Fish Brothers recordings, his own band is much more famous)

Rumpy Stiltonkiltskin (known for his cheeky Scouse chops and kilt he went mad with an axe and had to go to New Zealand, Glover sacked him by email, now back and still contributes backing vocals occasionally, can be heard at end of Squeezy Ball)

Attila the Stockbroker (BHAFC's poet in residence stood in after Rumpy went bananas, still plays fiddle live occasionally)

Chuffa Charnsworth (the celebrated Didacoi Down's second resignation by text was finally accepted despite him being a smashing chap and dead ringer for Keanu Reeves)

Taff from Disorder (played one very drunken gig at Bath Hobgoblin, we were all atrocious and were never invited back)

Paul Beard (Anal Beard's frontman, Grebn, is bass player for Fish tribute band Number Two aka The Albanian Fish Brothers)

Baby David (current incumbent has graduated through the youth cistern and is sometimes forced to gig in a nappy)

Also Martin Fish occasionally bass meanders his way through Becoz I Luv U

& Glover (Fish Brothers' producer) contributed a dub bassline to Piss Party on the Difficult Turd Album.



Blonde Wanton played bass and keyboards on the 'Follow Thru' album and stuck to the keyboards for the next two offerings

Chuffa Charnsworth bassed on 'Number Two'

Baby David was bassist for 'The Difficult Turd Album'



In 1994 the 3 main Fish joined Attila the Stockbroker as his 'Barnstormer' band, primarily to drink lots of free German beer. They went on to release their own anti-nazi Oi single over there as the 'Rear Gunners' and appear in the German feature film 'Doppelpack' as 'The Legendary Fish Brothers. They also became the backing band for 'Seagulls Ska' (2005) reaching number 17 in the national charts (and Number 1 in the indie charts!)



After 1000's of gigs, releases, appearances and banishments the Fish Brothers are the band that - like a bad smell - won't go away. They gig where others fear to tread. They bring stupidity where there is seriosity. They have lead a long campaign for 24 Hour Drinking. They have their own occasional radio show 'Straight From The Fridge' on Radio Reverb and always have an annual Fishmas party. They do a lot of good work for charity but would prefer to be paid good hard cash.



GOOD LOOKING LADS!



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