The Poetry of Punk:

Tenderness and Rage

After the recent hiatus in the bands live appearances both Steve ‘Abbo’ Abbott and guitarist Steve Spon will be taking part in the 40 years of punk celebrations later in the year. Further details to be announced soon.

What we can announce is that following the recent ‘Lutonia’ poetry and spoken word festival,  Abbo is curating a festival of punk poetry at the Kings Place , an independently funded arts and music venue in Kings Cross, London.

Hosted by BBC 6 Music’s  Steve Lamacq,  8pm on Saturday 11th June 2016,  Hall One at Kings Place 90 York Way, London N1 9AG

Amongst the frenzied rage of the punk era are some of the most romantic lyrics in the English language. How has punk weaved love, social commentary and uprising so successfully?

Hosted by Steve Lamacq, our festival finale celebrates the poetry of punk with musicians who birthed the movement and transformed the landscape of lyrics with their blistering new approach.

Join The Adverts’ TV Smith, Pauline Murray of Penetration and Crass’ Penny Rimbaud as they discuss Punk’s lyrical heart, and for a unique opportunity to hear them perform some of their hard-hitting classics.

Curated by Steve Abbott, whose early punk playlist and interview with us about the event you can listen to below:

Further information: Kings Place, .Tickets and Booking

UK Decay on BBC twice in 24 hours.

Decay have experienced something of a a double whammy on the Beeb early this week.

TV

UK Decay on BBC twice in 24 hours. First on Monday evening just before East Enders, BBC journalist Sarfraz Manzoor returned to his hometown Luton on ‘Inside Out – East’ at 7.30pm. He talked to people in the town about the recent years of bad press the town and it’s inhabitants have endured. The town has often appeared in the national news for the wrong reason’s and this has somewhat ingrained itself on to the national psyche – how does this effect Lutonians? In complex ways it seems to say the least! Sarfraz wanders about meeting students with mixed opinions and later he talks to artists and musicians associated with the town.

Cue to a meeting and an interview by Sarfraz with “school classmates” – Fahim Qureshi the chief at The Hat Factory Arts Centre and Steve ‘Abbo’ Abbott, music impresario and lead singer with Punk band UK Decay. Both ‘Fame’ (Fahim) and Abbo were involved in the early Luton Punk scene either in bands or promoting gigs – both once spikey-haired do it yourself alternative revolutionaries. Now both matured with the years but underlining the same basic ethos underscoring their current positions. The discussion was about Luton and it’s musical and punk intercourse with the outside world. How in order to ‘make it’ you would have to leave the town for the capital and the outside world. Then it was all important to remember your special relationship with your hometown. Abbo pointed out that Decay were spawned out of Luton but were now an international band and everywhere the band plays, the audience is made aware of the bands hometown – Luton.

Sarfraz Mansoor interviews Abbo and Fahim

Safraz found optimism in this – he too had left Luton ‘Dick Whittington’ style and was now perhaps ready to think about returning and setting up home once more in the town.
The interview was interspersed with four or five seconds of live footage from UK Decays recent Hat Factory gig.

You can catch up on this on BBC Iplayer for the next few days….

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03flh9z/Inside_Out_East_28_10_2013/

Radio

A few hours later actually at 3am UK Decay’s 1981 Peel Session was re-broadcasted on BBC 6 Music’s ‘Live Hour’. This session was broadcasted earlier in the month on Gideon Coe’s October 10th Show.

Last nights ‘Live Hour’ also included The Sex Pistols live from Finsbury Park London in1996 and a another Peel session by Dawn of the Replicants.

The Gideon Coe show has now finished on Iplayer but for the next seven days you can catch up with the Live Show. Furthermore it seems you can link the individual tracks to a BBC playlist thingy (Not entirely sure how that works or whether it’s limited to seven days or permanent?)

Make of it what you will, here’s the link to the Iplayer and the playlist for the Live Show.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03fq44l

UK DECAY – FRANKO B COLLABORATION

It has been a month now since the album release, and thank you to everyone for their support and feedback; the band are humbled and appreciative and we do try to respond to all who tap the boards onto the various social network sites and forums. Keep spreading the Hot Sauce please!!

Franko-BAnd now perhaps timely to introduce Franko B, whose stunning artwork adorns the album.

 

 

Franko-B.com

 

On the eve of the band’s new release New Hope For The Dead, Uk Decay are privileged and humbled to announce the collaboration with artist Franko B, whose stunning artwork adorns the album sleeve and the Killer/Heavy Metal Jews single.

killerNe Hope For The Dead

Several themes run through the songs of the album and the band’s efforts to find artwork which would encapsulate these themes and be worthy of the new material and sound, the Decay legacy, the support of the Pledgers, justice to the UK Decay communities old and new was proving very, very difficult, until contact was made with Franko that is!

Che knew Franko through a mutual friend, art dealer Guy Hilton, and had actually missed out on purchasing Franko’s Black Stars and Stripes at the British Art Fair a few years back; and they say life has no regrets! Anyway, Che did a deal on one of Luton artist Clive Barker’s “Heart” sculptors from Franko around the same time.

When Che showed the band Franko’s art, it resonated with them immediately and here’s what the guys had to say.

Raymondo: ” There’s a horrible reality in those black flags; an end of the road feel to them. If you’re strapped to a chair in Bagram airforce base they’ll make a lot of sense.”

Spon: ” Is the ideology represented behind those flags, deserving of colour, given the acquisition of oil at the cost of truth?”
Eduardo: ” When I saw both the white and black Union Jacks and Stars and Stripes it left me speechless with such powerful imagery.”

Back to the story.  Che writes Franko a short note, leaving a number for Franko to contact him on. Within a short space of time, Franko responds and listens to what Che has to say. Franko was familiar with the band back in the day, having moved to London from Italy in 1979.  Abbo sends Franko a copy of the TDL mix of the album to listen to on his return from taking care of art matters in the North East.  A meeting is arranged at the steps of St Johns Church in Waterloo.  It is a bright, clear January.  The espresso is ordered and the collaboration begins.

As Franko explains, “I always love the opportunity to work with other artists. I don’t separate art forms and I am not precious about my own work. This collaboration is a good thing that allows each other’s work – Decay’s and mine – to reach out to each other’s audience.  I still believe in the spirit of punk and there is a common thread of our core ideals, but most importantly I love the new songs – Killer and Woman With The Black Heart especially, and the new material has made me listen to the old Decay too. I love it!”

The band are indebted to Franko for his love and generosity. Yes, its UK Decay as art critics!, and we leave you all with the continuing eloquence from Abbo,

“Franko B had made a statement so simple yet so profound and most importantly the most singular representation in my mind of the acknowledgement that the concept of the symbol of a nation now rests sadly in mourning in Britain and in the USA today, caused by the irresponsible, corrupt and immoral actions of those elected and empowered to represent it.”

One day we may claim it back!