Effectively written out of history by the immediately subsequent media-friendly circus that was Britpop, Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine were significantly more successful in the early 90s than almost anybody seems, or possibly cares, to remember. From humble indie roots, the shorts and cycling cap-sporting duo enjoyed a five-year overnight success that took them from tireless toilet-circuit slogging to the top of the UK album chart.
Dangle-fringed beanpole Jim Morrison (yes, really) (aka Jim Bob) first met cheeky-chopped Angus Young aficionado Les ‘Fruitbat’ Carter in a Streatham rehearsal studio, and before you could say ‘Sarf London indie-squindy apprenticeship’ they’d manned the boiler room of Jamie Wednesday. When they were the only two band members to turn up for an ’87 London Astoria charity gig, inspired by the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy and Age Of Chance the pair got up to play the show as Carter USM with a tape recorder rhythm section.
