The Fire Engines

The Fire Engines formed in Edinburgh in 1980, Davy Henderson, Murray Slade, Russell Burn, and Graham Main developing a sound that drew on no wave, funk, and post-punk in ways that were genuinely radical. Their music was angular, rhythmically complex, and entirely uncompromising — a Scottish equivalent of the New York no wave scene, filtered through a distinctly Scottish sensibility.

They released a series of singles and the album 'Lubricate Your Living Room' (1981) on Codex Communications before dissolving in 1981 — a career of barely a year that nonetheless produced music of extraordinary originality. They were championed by Bob Last and Fast Product, the Edinburgh label that also released early Gang of Four and Human League records.

The Fire Engines reformed briefly in the 1990s and again in the 2010s. Davy Henderson went on to form Win and then The Nectarine No. 9. Their brief original run has been reassessed as one of the most important moments in Scottish post-punk, and their influence on subsequent Scottish acts has been considerable. Their recordings are essential listening for anyone interested in the wilder edges of British post-punk.