It all started in the Summer of 1999 in an empty
flat above a chemist in Llanelli. Johnny Wishbone and
Pablo El Diablo (although
they hadn't taken their voodoo names then) would meet to write songs in the
hope of getting a band together with which to pull women. The first name
thought of by the band was Pablo & the Moog, named after two regulars at
the local pub. However after an extended coffee break at work the pair came up
with the name Johnny Wishbone & the Voodoo Starfish. The band's voodoo
reference coming from the book 'Dance of the voodoo handbag' by Robert Rankin
which Pablo was reading at the time.
The original line-up also occasionally included, Papa Midnight on bass, who played in Johnny's previous band, Talkie Toaster. The three members played their first gig on 8th July 1999 in the Masons Arms, Llanelli. It was here that Johnny first discovered that bands playing at pubs get a free bar. A fact which has given him the unique style he maintains to this day. The set consisted of 10 songs and opened with the songs Tangerine and Summer's Song, two songs which have been played at every gig since.
Unfortunately shortly after the
gig Papa Midnight moved to Cardiff and so a new member was sought for their
next gig. This new member was to be guitarist Darth Paul, also from Talkie
Toaster. However due to time constrictions and the fact that he'd just bought
a new house, Darth Paul was not ready by the time of the next gig on 19th
August. The gig, again in the Masons did however feature guest guitarist,
landlord of the Masons, the Ninja Starfish, for the last track, the
Fish Song.
The set this time consisted of sixteen songs, many of which have since vanished
into the ether with all the lost socks.
The next line-up change after Darth Paul had left was the acquisition of a new vocalist, the artist know as R.N. Thomas. This didn't work out due to musical differences and the band went through a quiet period due to the chemist shop being sold. The band was brought out of this quiet period when friend of the band, Gruntmeister McCoracle managed to collect enough money back on empties to buy a drum kit. It wasn't long after that Grunt persuaded ex-Hepburns guitarist, the King of Wales, to join. Within a fortnight of the band's first practice together a four-track EP was recorded. They really should have taken longer over it. Two songs from this EP were used on the compilation CD, Smells like the Masons vol. II, which in turn lead to Johnny Wishbone & the Voodoo Starfish being asked to open the Springboard concert for BBC music live week in front of 250 people.
By the time of the concert in May 2000, Johnny Wishbone & the Voodoo Starfish had expanded their ranks to include backing singer, Hefty Mama Black. It was from this gig that Johnny Wishbone & the Voodoo Starfish had their first review in the press when the Llanelli Star stated that the band had "a great name". Then disaster struck, the band got lazy. Despite plans for gigs and to record a demo, this time using their whole arse, it was eight months before the band's next gig.
