Slouch was Ming, Mr S, Herbert and Spud or Spuo as his bass drum had emblazoned across it.
The band set about obliterrating ears in rehearsals as every genuine rock 'n' roller should do, sometime in 1991.
Slouch soon moved across New Cross to rehearse in Music City the Promise-land of vege burgers and death defying leeky studio roofs (the fish should have been here) and brain dead hippies and gormless, slow-motion, tye-dye casualties with pony tails. But enough singing the praises of Music City. Songs about cathedrals, drug taking, surrealist poetry and more drug taking quickly evolved and once tuned up (well almost) Slouch played all the local haunts. The first gig was at the White Swan in Greenwich (I think?) for a friendly promoter who dressed a bit like Andy Pandy. Then it was onto North London's much ventured toilet circuit and every rat infested shite-hole near by that would put up with the band for the obligatory 30 mins set. Slouch got as far as Bristol once in a bizarre band swap scenario which was never to be repeated as the other band were really middle of the road. Why-something I think they were called, just Why would have done.
One of the most memorable/bizarre gigs was perhaps the one at the Maudsley 'Mentalist' Hospital in Denmark Hill. A staff christmas do the band were invited to play. Staff and patients fled leaving the band to play to their mates. Not quite sure what that says about the mental stability of the bands mates.
Slouch made a record on their own label they called Cesspit Records. It was called Back To The Parents a stinging, thumping, garage tune written by Mr S. Lyrically it became an all out attack on the irritating crusty scene which was stinking out most of the venues at the time. It sold a few and it even got a bit of pirate radio play on the now defunct London FM.
Slouch were never a band who could ever have been accused of trying to cash in on their good looks, as they didn't have any, so in (about) 1993 they got some in the form of Ms Elenor Wynder. She was also a mean fiddle player. After a few bit part appearences and a sworn blood promise never to attempt to persuade Slouch to try and cover the Charlie Daniels Band's fiddlin' epic The Devil Went Down To Georgia, Elenor joined the band full time. Sadly Spud/Spuo left around this point to further a carear wearing hardhats and wandering around building sites telling people what to do, so the band chose to use a drum machine instead of a Foreman and in MtM's opinion wrote some of their best stuff. Absolutely nout to do with Spud/Spuo leaving just coincidence that. Most of this stuff appears on the Ming Bands compilation CD in fuzzy Fostex 4 track form. Mr S was on fire (not literally of course, well maybe actually, you never knew with those constantly smouldering blim burns in his jumpers) as Slouch shifted from Music Shitty to his St Mary Cray bunker (his gaff). He was shot at in the comfort of his own living room one night. Not suprisnig really the racket the band subjected his neighbours to each week. Giblet Master, M-Way, Personal Armageddon, Bobby Davro's Worst Nightmare were among the pick of material written at this time which probably lead to the failed assassination attempt.
Sadly Slouch's live form suffered with the drum machine and they became the stereotypical bedroom type band, only ever able to perform well in the bedroom (as a band that is). All to often the plot was lost when confronted by a live (or dead) audience, sometimes amusing for them, sometimes for the band and sometimes not amusing at all.
Ming would have described Slouch as Rizla 'n' blues with a bit of rant 'n' roll thrown in, but don't worry about that 'cause he's always been a bit of a twat really.
The band died a death at McMillans venue in Deptford, as good a place as any, mid 90's.
Slouch had many glorious nights which included playing along side the likes of Brain Of Morbius,The Pushkins, Custard Gun, her royal highness Princess Molly and her very colourful Beat Molls, Carnero and of course our amiable (resisting the temptation to say 'albeit slightly jaded') old chums the Probing Cranks.
Scribbles/lyrics? there were quite a few so they've got their own page click here for all the classics/nonsense.
Slouch were:
Julian S undisputed guitar genius
Spud drums
Herbert bass fuzz
Elenor Wynder violin and guitar and keyboards
Ming The Mong guitar noise and vocals
Pointless hindsight musing at the bottom of the page
Favourite Slouch throw(n) away line: 'If I drank six cans of Tennants Super could I sing like Cyndi Lauper'
and the least: 'Victoria I love you better than London Bridge Station, I am a train spotting person'