Long Fin Killie

Long Fin Killie was a Scottish experimental rock/post-rock band formed in 1993, which released three albums and several EPs on the British avant-rock label Too Pure. Long Fin Killie's core lineup consisted of Luke Sutherland (vocals, violin, guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, saxophone, hammer dulcimer, thumb piano, etc.), Colin Greig (electric and upright bass), David Turner (drums/percussion), and Philip Cameron (electric guitar). Sutherland had previously been in a band called Fenn, based in Glasgow, who played many support gigs, including Ride and Catherine Wheel. Their name was taken from a family of ornamental freshwater fishes known as killifishes, noted for their interesting drought survival and reproductive habits. Their debut EP Buttergut was released in 1994, with debut album Houdini following the next year. The band's sound, though diverse, was influenced by the likes of dream pop mainstays A.R. Kane, Cocteau Twins, and Slowdive, 1970s German krautrock groups like Can, and labelmates Moonshake, Pramand Laika. Mark E. Smith of The Fall contributed "guest rants" to the song "Heads of Dead Surfers," which appeared in 1995 on the EP of the same name, as well as on Houdini. While driving from Sweden to Norway in late 1996, the band's tour bus was involved in a major accident on a patch of ice, causing Sutherland to suffer a collapsed lung, broken ribs and collar bone, and other injuries. He began writing his first novel while recuperating from the crash. In 1997, Turner was replaced by Kenny McEwan on drums. Subsequent album Amelia (1998) featured songs of shorter lengths and more conventional structures, but it proved to be their last. The group disbanded shortly afterwards, to little mainstream notice, in 1998 or 1999.

Links To Peel
Peel discovered the band through the Too Pure record label and played tracks from their first single called Butterbelly. When the group joined with one of Peel's all time favourite singers, Mark E. Smith on "The Heads Of Dead Surfers" single, Peel immediately fell in love with the track. However Peel mentioned on his 30 December 1995 (BFBS) show that he would still have played the track, even if Mark E. Smith wasn't there:


 * "I think I would have played that record even if it hadn't had Mark E. Smith on it: of course, having him on there makes all the difference."

After 1995, Peel rarely played tracks from subsequent material from Long Fin Killie, but did vote the "Heads Of Dead Surfers" as his Peelenium 1995.

Festive Fifty Entries

 * 1995 Festive Fifty: Heads Of Dead Surfers #10

Peelenium

 * Peelenium 1995: Heads Of Dead Surfers

Other Shows Played
(The list below was compiled only from the database of this site and Lorcan's Tracklistings Archive. Please add further information if known.)

1994 1995 1997 2000
 * 01 October 1994: Lamberton Lamplighter (12" EP - Butterbelly) Too Pure
 * 08 October 1994 (BFBS): Lamberton Lamplighter (12" EP - Butterbelly) Too Pure
 * 26 May 1995: Heads Of Dead Surfers (7") Too Pure
 * 21 July 1995: 'Homo Erectus (LP-Houdini)' (Too Pure)
 * 30 December 1995:  'Heads Of Dead Surfers (7 inch)' (Too Pure) FF #10
 * 30 December 1995 (BFBS):  'Heads Of Dead Surfers (CD-Houdini)' (Too Pure)
 * 21 July 1997: Homo Erectus (LP - Houdini) Too Pure
 * 11 January 2000: 'Heads Of Dead Surfers (7 inch)' (Too Pure) Peelenium 1995