Those Nervous Animals

Those Nervous Animals from; Sligo Active; 1983 – 1989
Style; Funk/Dance
Line up;
Vocals; Barry Brennan*
Vocals; Susan Rowland (1983 – 84) 85 Blue Smiles
Guitar; Seamus McGowan
Guitar; Padraig Meehan*
Keyboards; John Tobin (Oct 1984 – 85)
Keyboards; Trevor Knight (1985 – 86)
Keyboards; Sid Keenan (Nov 1985)
Keyboards; Darragh Connolly (1986 – 87)
Bass & Vocals; Eddie Lee*
Precussion; Cathal Hayden* (!983 – 84)
Drums; Christy Behan* (November 1985 John Donnelly)

Line Up Changes

During their life span Those Nervous Animals went through many line up changes. I have tried to list them all here. The range from 5 members to 11 members. The core of the band were Padraig Meehan, Barry Brennan & Eddie Lee.

The Origins Of Those Nervous Animals

The story started in 1982 when Padrraig Meehan move to Sligo to study at the Art & Design Regional College. There he met Barry Brennan forming the bones of a band. They then recruited Eddie Lee., Cathal Hayden & Christopher Behan.

First Demo Tape

These Nervous Animals write all their own material. In those days they were playing a raw funk based type of music. After recording their first demo tape they made a conscious decision to be a band band.

Settling Down

After recording that first demo Susan Rowland & Seamus McGowen joined the band. “We were ambitious”. “No point in trying to make a living out of the Irish market alone”. So we sought out the name of the best producer in the country, Bill Whelan, and pestered him until he agreed to listen to some of our music” Bill was hooked and one thing lead to another.

Recording with Bill Whelan

Their first master tape was recorded at Windmill Studio in Dublin by Bill Whelan. The tape got airplay on the Dave Fanning Rock show. According to Hot Press the tape was also being played on a pirate radio station in London.

Debut Single

Their debut single “Just What The Sucker Wanted” is released Oct ’84.

The band also begin their first residency in Dublin’s Baggot Inn on Friday nights. The first two weeks were nearly sold out. They also made their first TV appearance on “Anything Goes” with the host David Heffernn lauding the single as “The best debut single from an Irish Band in a long time”. Backing vocals on the single are provided by Flo McSweeney & Maura O’Connell. Just what the sucker wanted Produce by Bill Whelan, engineered by Philip Begley recorded at the Windmill Studio Dublin. The single sold that well it was given a repress. In the Hot Press poll winners the single was voted in at number 4 by the readers.
January ’84 the band decided to borrow money and use it for recording sessions rather than live gigs. This lead to the releasing of their first single.
In 1984 the band recorded a demo tape at Slane Studios, this in turn lead to them recording a Fanning session (Tracks are unknown).
https://youtu.be/8gFmdbv0Uz8 The Business Enterprise “My Friend John” written by Brennan/Lee/Meehan feb 85 the first two singles were both on the groups own Dead Fly Label.
Show Some Concern was the Irish single for Band Aid. Written by Paul Cleary it featured Fastaway, Mary black, Those Nervous Animals, Christy Moore, Clannad, Freddie White In Tua Nua, Maura O’Cooell, Red Hurley, Linda Martyn, and Ray Lynam, Blue In Heaven, Toy With Rhythm, Chips.
For a short while Christy Behan was a model, he featured in the 1985 Wrangler Jeans fashion brochue.
19/04/1985 Anything Goes TV performance
TheSilver Swan Hotel Sligo holds a Band Aid style concert featuring Absolute Zero, Those Nervous Animals, Susan Rowland & The Strong Are Lonely.
Waterford 2nd Open Air Festival at the Peoples Park The 11th Hour, Kevin Cooney, The Flat Tops, Purple Haze, Jimmy McCabe, The Force, The Killing Fields, Wallbeck Border, Defiant Pose, Time I The Shade
Hyperspace album is released in October 1985. Tony O’Brien Evening Herald “This album won’t shatter world markets, but it does show a band of promise and potential which some major label would do well not to neglect for much longer”. Roderick O’Connor Evening Press Those Nervous Animal’s debut album is most welcome in my collection but I hope that now after showing us how sophisticated they can be, the band will work on getting a little more raw emotion back in the songs.
All songs are written by Eddie, Padraig & Barry, ecept Insomnia which was written by Barry & Padraig.
In November 1985 the band start there first national tour of Ireland. At this time the band are now a 9 piece with Susan Rowland rejoining on backing vocals also on backing vocals is Helen Walsh, Carl Geraghty on Sax, Steve McDonnell (Trumpet).
How Does The Shopper Feel Feb 1986
In 1987 Padraig and Eddie produce two tracks by Boomshanka, recorded at the Landsdowne stdio The tracks are “Thank God For Angels” & “Look Inside”.
28/02/1987 Support for Chris De Burgh at the RDS
In 1987 vocalist Susan Rowland joined The Last Picture Show
In September 1987 former drummer Christy Behan joined Haniganns Blooze Band