The Fire Engines

A short-lived but no less influential band, The Fire Engines formed in Edinburgh in 1979 around Davy Henderson (vocals, guitar), Murray Slade (guitar), Graham Main (bass) and Russell Burn (drums). Named after a track by the American band 13th Floor Elevators, the quartet drew inspiration from New York no-wave and British punk to create their own style with sharp guitar tones on the single "Get Up and Use Me", released in 1980 on the independent label Codex Communications (of which this is the only reference). Wrapped in a plastic bag, the debut album Lubricate Your Living Room (1981) featured the inaugural title among other instrumental tracks, before becoming a cult classic as rare as it is collectible. After two invitations to John Peel's BBC Sessions, The Fire Engines disbanded on December 31, 1981. Henderson briefly formed the band Heartbeat and reunited with Burn in Win in the mid-1980s, while the influence of their former formation was felt by a number of British bands. Over the following decade, Henderson returned with the band Nectarine No. 9 until 2004, when he decided to reform The Fire Engines for a few concerts and a single shared with Franz Ferdinand. Released in 2004, the unreleased album Buddhist Monk on Fire Stickers was followed by the compilations Hungry Heart (2007) and Chrome Dawns (2024).

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