The Ha Ha Men

(c’89-’94) Jason Applin (vocals), Adrian Barry (guitar), Paul Harle (bass), Patrick Bingley (drums).

The bands first London gig was at a rather empty Rock Garden in Covent Garden (the booker was Jo Bartlet of Buzz Club fame), at which the Manic Street Preachers played first with Nicky Wire spitting at Bingley, and their drummer refusing to lend The Ha Ha Men his snare as it was too new. Other than London venues, the band were a regular feature at The Cricketers, Westfield and The West End Centre, Aldershot.

The band released a number of Cassette EP’s, notably ‘Face’ (This is what I knew it as, do let me know the official name) featuring “Like A Train”, “FishyHead”, “Falls Into My Lap” and “Crusin’ In My Terranova”; and the corduroy wrapped/covered “Power Cords”. In October 1990 they supported Blur at the Buzz Club, West End Centre, Aldershot and based on the success of that event were invited to support again in November at the University of London.

The Ha Ha Men’s ‘You Call Me The Daily Mirror’ was #2 and ‘I Love My Wife’ was #5 in Soundscene’s Top Ten Local Songs 1990. Jan ’91 saw the band contracted to Flat Records and the beginning of work on the ill-fated “Love Burger” album, that just never appeared.

That December that put out the ‘Jim Bowen is Dead’ EP carrying “1000 Tooled Up Children”, “I Want Your Baby”, “Minds That Expand” and “See Her Fly” and were reinvigorated after bumping into The Sundays drummer, Partrick ‘Patch’ Hannan, and getting some airplay on Gary Crowley’s show on GLR. In ’91 or ’92 the “Uncle Saps” 4 track cassette EP was self-released by the band.