The Amoebas

Bio
The Amoebas started in Farmington in 1993 when singer/guitarist Christopher Neal (formerly of Crayon) joined forces with drummer Aaron Gill (late of Groping Testicle) and bassist Paul Meng. Within three weeks they had a setlist of original material worked up, and held their debut performance in the basement of the Executive Diner in Lewiston. Shortly afterward, they recorded their first EP, Happy Punk Workout. A home recorded effort, it was never intended to see the light of day. However, they were pleased enough with the results that they set about recording their first full length, Not Quite Human. All of the "Happy Punk" songs made it onto NQH, some re-recorded, some taken directly from it.

A series of local gigs in backyards, barns, legion halls and the like followed, and in spring of 1994, The Amoebas released their first professionally recorded album, Narcissism. For shows in support of this album, they supplemented their sound with Chris' brother Robbie Neal on rhythm guitar.

In fall of 1994, the band recorded the three song single "So Do i"; on the ride home from the studio, Paul quit the band. He was replaced by Todd Daigle (formerly of The Latter Day Saints), and Robbie was replaced by Justin Riley (who used to play with Chris in Crayon). By this time, Aaron had moved to Boston to attend college, Chris followed shortly afterward. After a few gigs in spring of 1995, Todd and Justin had both fallen by the wayside.

Chris and Aaron continued as duo, starting work on their next project, the Towel EP, in early 1996. During the recording process, they were found by Boston area bassist Mike Rubin, who brought along his childhood friend Jamie Gunn as the new second guitarist.

With this lineup, the band spent nine months recording More., their final album. Beleaguered by internecine bickering, financial troubles, and Chris' escalating drinking problem, the album was fraught with difficulty. Chris ended up quitting before its completion, though Aaron did finish it and pressed up limited copies for family and friends.

The original lineup reunited in fall of 2003, and in 2007, Chris oversaw the remastering and release of the limited edition No Celebrity Box Set.

Members

 * Christopher Neal - Lead vocals, lead guitar
 * Aaron Gill - Drums, backing vocals
 * Paul Meng - Bass, backing vocals (1993-1995)
 * Robbie Neal - Rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1994)
 * Todd Daigle - Bass, backing vocals (1995)
 * Justin Riley - Rhythm guitar (1995)
 * Mike Rubin - Bass, backing vocals (1996-1997)
 * Jamie Gunn - Guitar, backing vocals (1996-1997)

Albums

 * Happy Punk Workout (1993)
 * Not Quite Human (1993)
 * Narcissism (1994)
 * So Do i (single) (1994)
 * Towel EP (1996)
 * More. (1998)
 * No Celebrity Box Set (2007)