Thank You, Internet: The Honeycombs, One the Juggler, and the Chris Holmes Pool Interview

Last Updated on April 21, 2026 by Black Sunshine Media

I’m interested in music stories that rarely get told, artists that nobody’s listening to, and details that fall through the cracks.

It’s fairly safe to say the only place on the planet left unmolested by the internet is North Sentinel Island. Thirty-some-odd years into our worldwide web experience, we’re all familiar with falling down the music rabbit hole of obscure knowledge. And some of us have turned it into a hobby.

The original search started for banned, censored, or otherwise prohibited music. Most of the results were commonplace. Elvis got banned for shaking his hips. Most rock bands…were never banned for anything. So it gives me a chance to brush up on my 2 Live Crew, heh.

Somehow, I wound up on a Small Faces jam, next thing you know I’m listening to “Telstar”, and in the sidebar, I saw the band name – The Honeycombs – and thought, “I’ve never heard of these cats.” For a second, I thought it might be one of Ronnie Lane’s earlier bands. And so I clicked and watched for a little while, which I heartily suggest you do, without any context whatsoever.

The Honeycombs – Eyes

At about 0:38, you might have a question, as I did. “Is that…a…?” At the 1:22 mark, you will definitely have a question, and it might take a little time for it to be answered. I didn’t know exactly what I was looking at until I opened another tab and searched “The Honeycombs”.

A female drummer in a British Invasion rock band? If Ann “Honey” Lantree isn’t the first female rock drummer, she’s the first one before Moe Tucker of the Velvet Underground.

I read another Buzzfeed-style blog list that named Lantree the most noteworthy drummer in rock history.

About the Honeycombs

Here’s the skinny on the Honeycombs. Formed in London in 1963 by hairdresser Martin Murray (rhythm guitar), the five-piece hooked up with songwriters Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley. The group auditioned for record producer Joe Meek, recording Howard and Blaikley’s “Have I the Right?”, which went to No. 1 in the U.K. and No. 5 in the U.S. in late 1964.

Soon after their first record hit the charts, the Honeycombs went on an international tour, becoming huge stars in Australia and Japan. Despite maintaining an association with Joe Meek, none of their follow-up singles – including “Eyes” – made much of an impression, and the band limped along until the main core of founding members split in 1966. According to their Wikipedia page, variations of the band have continued to perform under the Honeycomb banner, but Honey Lantree is reportedly retired from the music industry and enjoying her life as a grandmother in Essex.

To be honest, I couldn’t find a reason why “Eyes” was banned. But then again, I didn’t try very hard.

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One the Juggler – Passion Killer

The second clip is from another obscure British band, decades removed, called One the Juggler. This song (“Passion Killer”) was originally released as a single in 1983, but was included on their major label debut album, Nearly a Sin, RCA Records, 1984.

In 1984, I was at a record store in Downers Grove, Illinois, to pick up the new Cure record (The Top). As I was paying for the purchase, the clerk took the opportunity to upsell me. “Hey, listen…if you like the Cure, then you might like this band.”

And that’s how I wound up buying Nearly a Sin. Fortunately, it’s not a bad record, but don’t take my word for it.

“Though their appearance was that of a band of gypsies, One The Juggler were a musical marriage of Bowie-esque glam, eccentric folk and melodic pub rock (with a bit of The Only Ones thrown in for good measure). This, their debut album, was recorded over two years and featured all of their single A-sides up to that point, plus some brand new tracks. “Passion Killer”, “Damage Is Done”, “Django’s Coming” and “Are You The One?” were all fantastic singles and fit perfectly in amongst plenty of other like-minded tracks. “Enjoy Yourself” is a great album opener, kicking into “Mr. Wolf”, which careens into “Passion Killer”, and then the album never really lets up.”¹

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The Chris Holmes Pool Interview

The last clip is sort of the grandpa of the group, in that I’m sure some of you might be familiar with it, from The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years, a documentary film directed by Penelope Spheeris about the Los Angeles heavy metal scene from 1986 to 1988.

Haha. Where I came from, if you liked W.A.S.P., there was a 100% chance that I didn’t like you.

But here’s the backstory. Chris Holmes was the lead guitarist of W.A.S.P., a Southern California heavy metal band that found moderate mainstream success. At the time of the documentary, Holmes was an infamous, raging alcoholic. The pool scene is one of several segments with rock stars talking about drugs and alcohol. The most chilling part of the above clip is the look on Holmes’ mother’s face as she watches her son pour vodka down his throat.

Holmes left W.A.S.P. in 1989 and continued his music career in a series of heavy metal bands. He rejoined W.A.S.P. from 1996–2001. In the meantime, he got sober, got married, stayed out of trouble, and eventually settled in France with his wife, Catherine.

In 2017, Chris and Catherine Holmes recreated the pool scene for a French television program. It’s pretty funny. The clip opens with Holmes on the pool floatie, and he says, “Hey, guess what? I’m still here after 30 years [chuckling, gives a thumbs-up]. Pretty good, huh?”

Unfortunately, Holmes was diagnosed with throat and neck cancer in 2022. Based on his recent blog activity, Chris is still among us. Rock on!

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Thanks for reading! Do you have any music stories we should hear? Let us know in the comments!

1. Review by Steve “Spazz” Schnee. http://www.allmusic.com/album/nearly-a-sin-mw0000848631 ↩︎