The combination of laser ablation with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy for the study of short-lived metal-containing molecules in the gas phase is reviewed. Results for two free radicals derived from the alkaline-earth metals, MgCCH and BaOH, have been chosen to illustrate these experiments. The information available from vibrationally-resolved LIF studies of these molecules is described and the prospects for future work on metal-containing species is discussed.