Fruitbat

{{About|the musician|the animals|Megabat|other uses|Fruit Bat (disambiguation)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox musical artist  | name = Les Carter | image = lescarter01112008.jpg | caption = | image_size = | landscape = no | background = solo_singer | birth_name = Leslie George Carter | alias = Fruitbat | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1958|12|12}} | birth_place = London, England | instruments = Guitar, vocals | genre = Rock | occupations = Musician, songwriter | years_active = 1970s–present | label = | current_member_of = {{hlist|Abdoujaparov|Smokin' Donuts}} | past_member_of = {{hlist|Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine|Ferocious Dog}} | associated_acts = Carter USM<br />Abdoujaparov<br />Ferocious Dog | website = }}

'''Leslie George Carter''' (born 12 December 1958), also known as '''Fruitbat''', is an English musician who was a member of Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine.

==Career== Carter played in a number of bands during the late 1970s, before meeting Jim Bob (James Robert Morrison) at The Orchestra Pit in Streatham, where their bands The Ballpoints and Dead Clergy used to rehearse. When The Ballpoints' bassist quit at the end of 1980, Les joined the band, who went on to change their name to Peter Pan's Playground. When Peter Pan's Playground split, Carter and Morrison continued to write together and formed the band Jamie Wednesday.<ref name="gjb1">{{cite book|last=Morrison|first=James|title=Goodnight Jim Bob|date= 1 May 2004|publisher=CHERRY RED BOOKS|isbn=978-1901447231}}</ref>

Jamie Wednesday broke up in 1987 after limited success. Jim Bob and Fruitbat stuck together and formed Carter USM, a band in which the two both played guitars and sang while a sequencer and drum machine played backing music.<ref name="wp1">{{cite news|title=England's Carter Era|last=Brown|first=Joe|date=23 October 1992|newspaper=Washington Post|pages=n.15}}</ref> Carter USM had 14 Top 40 singles, one number one album and played over 800 gigs all over the world.<ref name="gjb1"/> A cycling enthusiast, he wore a cycling hat on stage in the early years which became a strong visual trademark for the band.<ref name="gjb1"/> He would often take his bike with him on Carter tours, much to the annoyance of Jim Bob, as detailed in the book, ''Goodnight Jim Bob''.<ref name="gjb1"/>

One of Carter USM's most talked-about moments was when Fruitbat rugby tackled presenter Phillip Schofield on live TV, in front of millions of viewers at the Smash Hits music awards. Schofield made some remarks about the band's performance and Fruitbat has said he was "severely hammered" after drinking a crate of beer supplied by The Farm.<ref name="wn1">{{cite news|url=http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/archive/2002/11/01/Worcestershire+Archive/7675931.When_Philip_met_Fruitbat____and_was_totally_bowled_over/|title=When Philip met Fruitbat... and was totally bowled over|date=1 November 2002|work=Worcester News|accessdate=11 October 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Moore |first1=Sam |title=Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine recall Phillip Schofield rugby tackle: "It was quite violent" |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/carter-the-unstoppable-sex-machine-recall-phillip-schofield-rugby-tackle-2733385 |work=NME |date=20 August 2020}}</ref> The incident made the front pages of many national UK tabloids, and generated infamy for the band.<ref name="gjb1"/>

Carter USM split in 1997, but continued to play semi-regular gigs until bringing the band to a close in 2014. Carter still runs the Carter USM website and fan club and sells band merchandise. He currently lives in Folkestone, and has one current band: his own, Abdoujaparov,<ref>{{cite news |title=Abdoujaparov at the Roadhouse - 7/10 |url=https://www.bbc.com/manchester/content/articles/2005/04/25/210405_abdoujaparov_live_feature.shtml |work=BBC |date=21 April 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Abdoujaparov Biography |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/abdoujaparov-mn0001402617#biography |website=Allmusic |access-date=5 September 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Carter USM's Fruitbat leads 90s revival |url=https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/3840422.carter-usms-fruitbat-leads-90s-revival/ |work=Basildon Canvey Southend Echo |date=12 November 2008}}</ref> and left Nottinghamshire folk/punk band Ferocious Dog in 2019, for which he played guitar.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ferocious Dog interview|url=http://www.nottinghamlive.co.uk/live/interview-ferocious-dog/|accessdate=4 June 2015|publisher=Nottingham Live|date=5 March 2015}}</ref> He plays bass in Keith Top Of The Pops & His Minor UK Indie Celebrity All-Star Backing Band. He also performs as Leslie George Carter, singing and playing acoustic guitar. In 2018 he formed Smokin' Donuts a short-term project with long-time friend Doozer. This ceased in early 2020 pre lockdown. Leslie George Carter currently plays in Abdoujaparov, in a duo with Richy Abdou and can occasionally be found performing cameos with Nick Parker and the False Alarms.

Carter presented a weekly music show on Brentwood radio station, Phoenix FM between 2001 and 2011, and again in 2021.<ref>{{cite news|title=Getting Fruity On The Radio|url=https://www.phoenixfm.com/category/getting-fruity-on-the-radio/|accessdate=19 September 2021|publisher=Phoenix FM|date=17 September 2021}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.carterusm.co.uk/ Carter USM family] *[http://www.abdou.co.uk/ Abdoujaparov homepage]

Category:Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine Category:1958 births Category:Living people Category:English male singers Category:English rock guitarists Category:English male guitarists Category:Musicians from London