Following his stint with the legendary Bonzo Dog Band, Neil Innes played a pivotal role in forming GRIMMS, a rather eclectic supergroup that emerged from London’s alternative comedy scene. The band’s moniker cleverly borrowed the first letters of its founding members’ surnames, with Innes providing the ‘I’.

After the Bonzos wound down, Innes maintained his creative partnerships by touring with a collective dubbed ‘Freaks’ or ‘Bonzo Dog Freaks’ in 1971. During this period, he and fellow Bonzo alumnus Vivian Stanshall moonlighted with The Scaffold, contributing to their single ‘Do The Albert’ and the soundtrack for the rather macabre film ‘Burke And Hare’.

Within GRIMMS, Innes served as a key instrumentalist, handling keyboards and guitar whilst lending his distinctive vocals to the group’s peculiar blend of pop rock, comedy, and poetry. Whilst juggling his GRIMMS commitments, he managed to knock out his debut solo album, ‘How Sweet To Be An Idiot’ in 1973, backed by his GRIMMS bandmates.

Despite his central role, Innes was notably absent from several gigs during the band’s autumn tour of ’73, though he returned for their final incarnation. He stuck with the group through their last hurrah, the ‘Sleepers’ LP in 1976, where he remained one of just seven members in what had previously been a rather unwieldy ensemble.

His time with GRIMMS effectively bridged the gap between his Bonzo Dog days and his later success with The Rutles, exemplifying the interconnected nature of Britain’s comedy-music scene of the era.