Suburbia
About The Band
Compared to the likes of REM and Radiohead, and hailed as "one of Scotland's fastest rising new bands" by the Scottish Sunday Mail, Suburbia were riding on the brink of mainstream success.
In June 2001, they played a gig at the Viper Rooms in LA in front of important record company bods at Capital Records. A&R men from such labels as RCA and Interscope were also interested in the group; a record contract remained a distinct possibility.
After returning to Scotland, they turned their hand to playing the likes of the Edinburgh Festival in August 2001, with a live webcast broadcasting their performance to a worldwide audience. Interest in the band continued to grow, with local television appearances and requests to play in premier live music venues such as Edinburgh's Liquid Rooms were forthcoming.
Returning to the gig scene, the band were increasingly frustrated at their inability to get the attention of record company A&R reps. Feeling they were neglecting their song-writing, the band decided to take a break from the gig scene in October 2001.
Six months later, their record company went bust. In March 2002, the band posted a notice on their website announcing their split - rather ominously, they "decided to try different approaches of chasing the dream"
"It has been an amicable split and the guys remain friends and still drink together and putting the world to rights, however, they will be finding their own way into the public eye.
"So keep an eye on the papers and TV and listen out on the Radio and in the charts. Ainslie, Pete, Chris, Simon and Crooksy will pop up somewhere, somehow..." band members
Line Up
Like most bands, Suburbia's lineup changed throughout their four-year lineup. Here's a little about the five members that remained until the bitter end...
Alasdair Crooks (Bass) - DOB 23/06/75
Co-founder of the band with Ainslie, Alisdair ('Crooksy') originally played rhythm until a departure from the band forced him to try his hand at bass.
Described as laid back and easy going, he provided the balance to the impassioned anger of Ainslie.
His musical influences are varied, ranging from the likes of the Rolling Stones to modern hip hop.
Chris Plews (Guitar) - DOB 31/10/79
Replacing original guitarist Peter Deane, Chris brought new and fresh ideas to Suburbia.
Influenced by early 90s American Grunge and drum and bass, he used his dirty riffs to revitalise the band's sound.
Ainslie Henderson (Vocals) - DOB 28/01/79
Founding member of the group with Alasdair, Ainslie complemented his angelic appearance with an anger and frustration which turned "this cherub-like innocent, into a spiteful angry young man, spitting out his music to dramatic effect."
His musical likes of The Beatles, Smiths, Radiohead and so on are evident in the sound of Suburbia, yet Ainslie's energy ensured they were more than introspective whingers.
Peter Deane (Guitar) - DOB 12/01/80
The youngest member of group, Peter left the band for a short while before returning early in 2000.
His dour personality led to nicknames such as 'Miserable Git' and 'Smuggy'. He was influenced by the likes of Jeff Buckley, New Order and the Smiths.
Simon Usher (Drums) - DOB 13/06/75
Simon was the elder of the band and, like most drummers, was the "resident nutter". His musical tastes varied from Pink Floyd to Phil Collins.