My Little Funhouse Heavy Metal / Co. Kilkenny

MY LITTLE FUNHOUSE were a rock band from Kilkenny that first formed in 1989 by brothers Brendan and Anthony Morrisey, as well as bassist Gary Deevy and vocalist Alan Lawlor. After winning the Carling Hot Press band competition in late 1991, they got signed to Island Publishing and went on to sign what was Geffen Records’ largest deal to that date: $2 million (around the same time, Geffen signed with NIRVANA for $60,000). Geffen saw them as the next GUNS’N’ROSES, and even included them in the video of ‘November Rain’.

They picked up drummer Derek Maher and recorded their debut album “Standunder” in 1992. The album which comprises heavy rock’n’roll and slower, more intimate songs was well received. Guitars are prominent, as was typical of the early 1990s. Alan Lawlor’s vocals are very distinctive and make a strong impression. The album enjoyed some success and several songs were released as promos and singles: ‘I Want Some of That’, ‘Wishing Well’, ‘Destiny’, ‘L.S.D’ and ‘Raintown’.

The band toured extensively and supported the likes of THE RAMONES, FAITH NO MORE and even GUNS’N’ROSES. The band’s most successful European concert was undoubtedly their opening slot at Slane 1992. Drummer Derek Maher left in 1993 and the band moved to LA and began writing a second album which was to be called ‘Balance’.

According to Lawlor, none other than Matt Sorum (G’n’R, THE CULT, VELVET REVOLVER, and more…) drummed on the recording for this still unreleased album and guitar legend SLASH also guested on a re-recording of the song ‘B.T.A.B.’, which was originally released on the “Destiny/L.S.D.” EP. But their A+R guy left Geffen before it was released and his replacement didn’t like the record so it was shelved. A third album was recorded with the drum stool being filled by Graham Hopkins (who later joined THERAPY?) and Joe Doyle (who later joined THE FRAMES) on bass. This album was also shelved by the label and remains unreleased, like so many others at the time. NIRVANA had just broken through and the whole music scene changed. The band eventually changed their name to TRIPSWITCH but it never really took off. Some unreleased tracks did find their way online through the bands myspace page, as well as a few others sent on to us here at the Irish Metal Archive by Alan Lawlor, but which of the two unreleased albums these are from or if they may have been recorded afterwards as TRIPSWITCH is unclear.