This Weekend I’ll Mostly Be Listening to… The Baby Snakes February 2, 2013
Posted by irishelectionliterature in This Weekend I'll Mostly Be Listening to....trackback
Recently whilst browsing on Soundcloud I found this gem recorded by the brilliant Irish band The Baby Snakes
“Just Say Yes” live BBC GLR 1993.. “Irish underground legends The Baby Snakes in their last live radio performance at BBC GLR 1993 ”
The song gives an indication of the talent the band had, Rynnes super vocals with a great tune to back him up. There is more of their unreleased material here too.
The Baby Snakes were yet another fantastic Irish Band that never got the attention they deserved. A profile of them on IrishRock.org
I have their Sweet Hunger LP (which I recorded and posted below) and a friend had their other vinyl release ‘Rebel Radio’ which he now cant locate. Its a pity because ‘Rebel Radio’ is possibly the better of the two with the song ‘Cabra West’ a particular standout for myself with Rynnes snarling vocals dripping with bitterness.
Rynne himself has since gone on to all sorts of musical and personal adventures, this 2005 article by him details some of it.
They also produced a number of cassette releases, including a live recording ‘This City Sucks’ which came after their move to London.
Their ‘Sweet Hunger’ album which featured none other than Brian Downey on drums! Apologies for the sound quality as its recorded off vinyl, so there are a few crackles here and there. ‘The Sixties’ is probably my favourite track on the album.
Prior to being in The Baby Snakes Rynne was a member of Dublin Rockabilly band Those Handsome Devils (their myspace page)
and then the few youtube clips of the band I could find.
The Cedar Lounge Revolution 
Is that that place beside Christchurch Cathedral in the first clip? The Baby Snakes were such a fixture live in those years. Seemed to be everywhere.
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Yup, that’s the Cathedral Club in the Synod Hall (now Dublinia). I remember Frank vanishing from the scene with a psychobilly haircut to return a few months later with shoulder-length locks! He possibly met the devil’s hairdresser at a crossroads somewhere. Joe Ambrose, their manager, has become something of a local historian of the War of Independence and has published a few books on various personalities in the Tipperary Brigade. And now that I think of it, didn’t he write a book about the Babysnakes on their rock’n’roll glory march through a succession of squats in sarf London?
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thanks for posting,
haven’t heard sweet hunger in a long while, boy those drums are loud.
BTW Phil Chevron (Pogues, Rads from Space) did the voice over on The Prophet http://www.pogues.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=4500
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Thanks Colin
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Drop me a line Colin joujouka@gmail.com, best frank
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Great article.
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Drop me a line Colin joujouka@gmail.com, best frank
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thanks for the article I will scan a few election flyers I have tucked away, Frank Rynne
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Great thanks Frank.
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and your email me an address for Rebel Radio
there is a box of them knocking around here somewhere.
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I was just looking everywhere for this song trying to look up the band after hearing the song in the documentary Destroy All Rational Thought. Thanks for posting the soundcloud link!
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I went to see the Baby Snakes when they brought out Rebel Radio, i have both Sweet Hunger and RR on vinyl….i would love to get hold of “this city sucks” anyone got a copy to sell…
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