Biography
British rock band Beachbuggy shares with Welsh group McLusky a direct lineage to the eccentric, peak-era punk sound of the early Pixies, though the two acts diverge in emphasis: while McLusky leans into the predecessors’ revved-up psycho-sexual venom, Beachbuggy channels the same source toward a mutated blend of punk and surf rock.
The group earned notoriety for arriving in a trailer and staging unannounced street performances. Formed in the early 1990s by a circle of friends who began casually jamming and composing together, Beachbuggy ended up with two drummers—Danny Sicks and A.D.—after both insisted on playing the kit, resulting in identical beats performed in tandem. Their lo-fi debut, Unsafe…At Any Speed!, appeared in 1998 on Sympathy for the Record Industry; with Al B. Kirkey anchoring the rhythm section in full bombast, guitarist Jack Straker delivered punchy riffs and Black Francis-esque vocals over the top.
After receiving virtually no attention from the British press, the members pooled resources, traveled to Chicago, and financed a second album with Steve Albini. The resulting Sport Fury, tracked in six days, was issued by Poptones once the label witnessed one of the band’s frenetic live shows.
Killer-B, again cut with Albini in Chicago and again featuring the two drummers seated side by side, arrived in April 2003. Regarded as Beachbuggy’s finest work, the record refines the group’s loose, wild surf-punk approach into a set of concise, memorable hooks.
The group earned notoriety for arriving in a trailer and staging unannounced street performances. Formed in the early 1990s by a circle of friends who began casually jamming and composing together, Beachbuggy ended up with two drummers—Danny Sicks and A.D.—after both insisted on playing the kit, resulting in identical beats performed in tandem. Their lo-fi debut, Unsafe…At Any Speed!, appeared in 1998 on Sympathy for the Record Industry; with Al B. Kirkey anchoring the rhythm section in full bombast, guitarist Jack Straker delivered punchy riffs and Black Francis-esque vocals over the top.
After receiving virtually no attention from the British press, the members pooled resources, traveled to Chicago, and financed a second album with Steve Albini. The resulting Sport Fury, tracked in six days, was issued by Poptones once the label witnessed one of the band’s frenetic live shows.
Killer-B, again cut with Albini in Chicago and again featuring the two drummers seated side by side, arrived in April 2003. Regarded as Beachbuggy’s finest work, the record refines the group’s loose, wild surf-punk approach into a set of concise, memorable hooks.
Albums