The Jesus Figs

The Jesus Figs

The Jesus Figs were a band around E. Lansing Michigan in the years 1985 to 1987 consisting of a loose band of musicians. The core musicians were:

  • David Strachen, percussion and drums
  • Jim Ashel, vocals and vocal processing, guitar
  • Kelly Hirai, electronics, tapes, engineering, guitar
  • Marc Shaheen, keyboards

    • Additional members included:

  • The Industrail Elves, percussion
  • David Campbell, percussion, trumpet
  • Arron Vanderpool, bass
  • Steve Shohaw, guitar

    • The later Figs included the team of John Porter and Tom Bryant running lights and projectors. Later this team of projectionists became Intermission and had a few more shows and a couple of gorilla art attacks. More on them later.

    Other bands playing around that time were,

    The Crucifucks, Acid Sex Death Kick, Trial by Dreath, Oange Doughnuts, Laughing Hyenas, The Doe Boys, Army of God, Star Power, Boom and the Leigon of Doom,

    I'm still looking for some original sources for some of the recordings, the actual names of the Industrail Elves, hmm hmm what am i forgetting?

    Thanks to:
    Lani Ferris, Charles Names for bookings, Chris Soderman and his room mate for lending the pa on the first gig. Castle Grayskull. Morgan Pope, the Daher Sisters, Stewart Smith, Melessa Georgapoulos, Marty Koenig, Andrew Campbell, Morgan Blackledge, The DoeBoys, Kevin Colando now at http://www.minds-eye.org, Kevin Hewitt, Bruce Hutchenson, Chuck Mertz now at WNUR 89.3 FM This is Hell! , Laura Saff, Luke Breckon, Phil Grandstaff, Farm Vicky, Kyla, Allen Ginsburg, Kirk Reedy, Norm Halsey, Tracy Lake (was Hankins), Craig Ploof, Simon Sharp, Clarence Song, Marty Koenig, Shawn Smith, Jenny Mitchell. Raffael, Heath Brunner, now V-max Records. Doug Hilbert Michael Taft, Molly Morrow, Steve Duda, Michael Ninachuck, Patrick Philbin, Mise Martin, Kirk Reedy, Norm Halsey, Joel Kuzai, Chris Fonzak, Scott Cortez, Tom and Carol, Kelly, Chuck, Eric, Morgan Blackledge, Chris Waite, Campus Corners II for the benches. FBC and Wazoo for cheep musical inspiration, Faruk Gallery, Bagel Fragel for the free double wrapped dumpster food! Oh! the days, the daze,

    What else am I forgetting? Those of you who knew me back then know i can't have that many brain cells left now. Help me out. email me at bakanonaka_at_yahoo_dot_com.
    Ah, I remember the smell of friburs...

    Recordings in mp3 format

    These recordings are found on a mix tape i made to play at work. The original sources have yet to turn up. Frustrating is poverty. Many times in this era i had to record over old material for lack of media. Labeling hadn't been invented at Hirai Studios either...

  • Entire first show from original
  • Fragment from the first Show on Bailey and Ann St. Who has this original? I seem to remember it being on a green metalic foil labeled cassette
  • Field Recordings with Dave Strachen
  • Excerpt from show at Charles Names place. Steve Shohaw, guitar; Arron Venderpool, bass
  • Some personal rantings from the period by yours truely
  • Paul Charles' Wake Fairly complete but not first generation.




    • Last Updated July 22, 2003 by Kelly Hirai