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Author Archives: Mr Phibes
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:
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/265827270″ params=”color=01cdee” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
Further information: Kings Place, .Tickets and Booking
Crimewave hits Luton
Sat 7 May, Russ CrimeWave performs UK Decay lyrics in front of Luton Town Hall.
There wasn’t exactly a crowd but a series of puzzled onlookers who thought they were watching a priest or some sort of crazed politician. The mayor with his gold chain was sat there looking quite unsure for a while before moving on. When he read out the lyrics for “Killer for the USA” , a bemused asian youth shouted out “what do you mean?” “Killer for the USA” . After a moment of explanation and on receiving a free “God So Loves Decay” lyric book, the youth and his pals walked away puzzled.
All in all , it was a really surreal experience, the poet enjoyed his performance and so did a group of us, the public registered a strange happening under the statue of liberty by the town hall for two hours.the point had been made! Heavy Metal Jews in mind of all the anti-semetism stuff that had gone down, was a bit nerve racking but, I think in the name of punk and poetry , it prevailed!
It was actually really interesting hearing the songs, read out in this way, could this be the start of something new in a similar vane perhaps (sic) ‘punk poetique?’
Finally a confused and indignant looking raconteur priest type chap arrived , apparently he was the regular bible basher for that spot, he had to wait his turn, he turned out to be good humoured thankfully!
Rising From The Dread -Re release!
Rising From The Dread EP: 2015
UK Decay’s 1982 mini-album on clear vinyl and reformatted insert written by Dave Jennings available here for just £13.50 including shipping to the UK
The classic twelve inch recording includes the hugely influential eleven minute track Werewolf which occupies the whole of Side 1 and was described in The Guardian in 2010 as the scariest song ever. Side 2 contains Jerusalem (over the White Cliffs of Dover), Rising From the Dead and Testament. The record was the first release of the Corpus Christi label, an offshoot of Crass Records, and made the Top 10 of the Independent Chart in 1982.
1. Werewolf
2.Jerusalem
3.Rising From The Dead
4. Testament
Terror and Wonder
Spon at the The Face of Punk Gothique
“Terror and Wonder: The Gothic Imagination”
British Library until 20th January
A giant size poster of the seminal Sounds article “The Face Of Punk Gothique” and The Black 45 appears at the British Library, both shown as exhibit’s in the Terror and Wonder: The Gothic Imagination exhibition.
Visit the Luton Community heritage site to find out more ..Spon investigates….
Wonderful Town Update
Here is an update for the Wonderful Town Project.
Wonderful Town black-vinyl
£5759.83 has been raised so far to SoLYD and Lutonfoodbank
To date over 850 physical copies and over 1000 downloads have been sold to Hatters and Decay fans throughout the UK and Ireland and Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the USA.
The Hatters Hatters video has had over 12,000 views on the Club’s You Tube channel.
The release attracted local, regional and national radio, press and TV interest, including features on Diverse FM, 3CR, Anglia news, 5 Live and The Luton News and the Daily Telegraph.
There is still remaining stock for sale in the Luton Town FC club shop in the Mall or in Kenilworth Road. The EP is still available for download on I tunes and check out www.ukdecay.co.uk for very limited edition t shirts, hand pressed orange vinyl singles and screen prints.
The band are overwhelmed and grateful for the support from Hatters and UK Decay fans, and townsfolk and we hope to reach our target of £7000.
Many thanks again, more updates to follow.
UK Decay
Meet Justin “Justinhio” Saban
Some of you may be wondering who is the new guitarist that has recently replaced ‘Johnny G’ who departed earlier this year. Justin “Justinhio” Saban has made appearances at the recent ‘Scum’ and ‘Rebellion’ Festival’s in the UK. Passport issues prevented his appearance at the ‘WGT Festival in Leipzig.
“We were all disappointed that guitarist Johnny G decided to quit the band for ‘personal reason’s’ earlier this year – we would like to wish him all the best for his future plans.
Justin will now help fill out our sound, he has great technique and with the feedback energy of the Decay sound together, will help ignite our performance”
say’s guitarist Steve Spon
So meet Justin “Justinhio” Saban
Justin-Saban at Rebellion Festival 2014
Well known on the Luton scene as a recording engineer, Justin has also worked at studios such as Fortress and Southern in London, being heavily influenced by the techniques and punk ethic of John Loder and Steve Albini. As well as championing Luton bands through his Latent Lemon label, he has also recorded many alternative/post hardcore/punk bands.
Justin was re-introduced to UK Decay’s music while working on the Wonderful Town EP, and was hooked, he just had to join the band!
Although discovering in his teens the joy of experimental guitar noise and building fuzz boxes, Justin bizarrely started off gigging properly by playing jazz and big band with folks from Ronnie Scott’s and Humphrey Lyttelton’s bands. However it wasn’t long before the need to make a healthy distorted din enticed him into playing with Luton band Walking On Ice. After leaving WOI he mostly retreated into the studio, producing and playing guitar on many recordings.
Justin owns Latent Lemon Audio and also designs and builds effects pedals, and is an all-things-guitar-and-ampy boffin. You can stalk him at: www.latentlemon.co.uk and
Wonderful Town LTD Editions
In April 2014 UK Decay released the Wonderful Town EP, paying homage to their home town and football club and raising money for two Luton based charities; Luton Food Bank and SoLYD (Supporters of Luton Youth Development).
We now have some very special and limited collectors items for sale and offered exclusively to UK Decay fan groups. These include an extremely limited run of 45 hand pressed coloured vinyl EP. Each one is individual and unique with Perry from Diamond Black pouring orange onto clear vinyl and then adding small quantities of blue and orange after each press.
We also have three numbered hand pulled silk screen proofs (from an edition of 10) of the front and rear sleeve artwork brilliantly done by A Thin Place. One set was recently auctioned for a £1000! Each proof is slightly different . This is truly a one-off opportunity to secure a rare piece of original punk artwork.
Interested? View items here
Remember, all profits go to Lutonfood bank and SoLYD.We will update you on how much has been raised, with cheque presentations to the charities planned before a Luton home game at Kenilworth Road. Be part of the wonderful Town Story!!
With love and gratitude
Che, Abbo, Spon, Ed and Ray.
Mid-Summer Latest
Rebellion Punk Festival Saturday August 9th 2014 @ 11pm in Bizzare Bizaar
Follow the below link to view the Rock Palast interview with Abbo and UK Decay at the recent Wave Gotic Treffen Festival in Leipzig.
Rock Palast Germany WGT 23 2014
Gigs Gigs Gigs!
Wave Gotic Treffen 2014 Germany
Leipzig Sunday 8 June : Agra Hall 7.35pm
Wave Gotic Treffen – June 8th 2014 – 1935h
“FOR MY COUNTRY” at the recent Whitby Goth Weekend
Sunday 25 May 2014, Scum Festival, ~London
June 6-9th, Wave Gottic Treffen – Leipzig
Saturday 9th August, Rebellion Festival
Further gigs to be announced.
LTFC Champions! Wonderful Town – See UK DECAY Live
LTFC have been crowned Conference Premier Champions 2013/14 !
LTFC 2014 Meet the Players – Luton Town Football Club Press Release..
 |
The Town are aiming to help Lutonian punk band UK Decay hit the top of the charts and raise money for Solyd with the release of the group’s new EP Wonderful Town.
To help celebrate the release of this fantastic album and the news that LTFC have been crowned Conference Premier Champions 2013/14, four of your favourite Luton Town players will be in Smith Square in the Mall on Thursday 17th May between 3.15 and 4.15pm.
This is a great opportunity to meet your stars and get Mark Tyler, Steve McNulty, Luke Guttridge and Andre Gray’s autographs on your copy of the Wonderful Town EP.
You will be able to buy your copy from the stall and then have it signed instantly by the heroes that have helped us secure promotion back into the Football League.
The CD can be bought for as little as £5 or why not go old school and pick up the 7 inch Vinyl for just £10.
You can also buy the individual tracks on itunes from as little as 79p and remember that every copy you buy counts towards our push for another title: The charts title.
If you cant make it down to the Mall on Thursday, you can still buy it online at www.hattersworld.co.uk
 |
end of hatters press release….
Why not come and see UK Decay and Bowfinger Live in Luton on May 3rd….
UK Decay and Bowfinger live at the Hat Factory Arts Centre. Sat May 3rd
Saturday 3 May 2014, Luton Hat Factory, Luton Tickets available here
Wonderful Town Vinyl, CD and Download…information..
The Wonderful Town Ep – is now available on iTunes from Monday April 7th
UK Decay’s new WONDERFUL TOWN EP is available in shops and download stores now. The EP is available as a limited edition 7” vinyl gate-fold sleeve with art print insert, limited edition CD gate-fold single with lyric sheet and as a download.
‘I had the idea for a song about the town I love when walking back to the train station after a Luton game 2 years ago . It dawned on me that it is the common aspiration to live in the countryside , but I thought about the generations of my family that had walked the same streets I was walking , and how , even unbeknownst to me , they had probably helped shape the town in both physically contributing to building the environment around me and as spirits that drank in these pubs , rode their bicycles through these streets , came back from 2 world wars ,I wouldn’t have wanted to be from anywhere else ’ says singer Abbo. ‘ Luton educated me about how to get along with people , their cultures , their music and it gave me probably the biggest interest and thread in my life , Luton Town Football Club . I’ve lived in New York and London for most of my life now , but this powerful magnet brings me back . “
The band worked closely with others in the town to produce the EP, using local recording facilities, design studios and pressing plants. Luton Town Football Club also got involved, with the full first team and manager joining the band in the recording studio to put down cover versions of LTFC fan favourites Bring Me Sunshine and Hatters Hatters. The fourth track is a second version of the lead track, but with lyrics linked directly to LTFC. WONDERFUL TOWN is also available to pre-order and buy through the club shop.
‘Luton moulds and shapes anyone who lives there, it gives you a sense of identity that is rarely reflected in the wider media,’ says guitarist Spon. ‘But the production of this shows how wrong those assumptions can be; everyone involved in this has done it for love and a wish to show that the town is not as it is viewed by others.’
All the proceeds from WONDERFUL TOWN will be split between two charities: Luton Foodbank and SoLYD – a supporters’ initiative that helps fund the club’s youth development. Its production has received the kind support of Latent Lemon Audio, ATP Media and Diamond Black, in addition to Love Luton and LTFC.
Digital Download through iTunes
Wonderful Town EP Vinyl Version
Wonderful Town EP CD Version
Direct Order Links below
Rough Trade
http://www.roughtrade.com/albums/82607
Hattersworld
http://www.hattersworld.co.uk/
iTunes
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/wonderful-town-ep/id850357245
Amazon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wonderful-Town-UK-Decay/dp/B00JBROLTE/
New four-track EP WONDERFUL TOWN Now available
LTFC have been crowned Conference Premier Champions 2013/14 !
LTFC 2014 Meet the Players – Luton Town Football Club Press Release..
| |
The Town are aiming to help Lutonian punk band UK Decay hit the top of the charts and raise money for Solyd with the release of the group’s new EP Wonderful Town.
To help celebrate the release of this fantastic album and the news that LTFC have been crowned Conference Premier Champions 2013/14, four of your favourite Luton Town players will be in Smith Square in the Mall on Thursday 17th May between 3.15 and 4.15pm.
This is a great opportunity to meet your stars and get Mark Tyler, Steve McNulty, Luke Guttridge and Andre Gray’s autographs on your copy of the Wonderful Town EP.
You will be able to buy your copy from the stall and then have it signed instantly by the heroes that have helped us secure promotion back into the Football League.
The CD can be bought for as little as £5 or why not go old school and pick up the 7 inch Vinyl for just £10.
You can also buy the individual tracks on itunes from as little as 79p and remember that every copy you buy counts towards our push for another title: The charts title.
If you cant make it down to the Mall on Thursday, you can still buy it online at www.hattersworld.co.uk
| |
end of hatters press release….
Why not come and see UK Decay and Bowfinger Live in Luton on May 3rd….
UK Decay and Bowfinger live at the Hat Factory Arts Centre. Sat May 3rd
Saturday 3 May 2014, Luton Hat Factory, Luton Tickets available here
Wonderful Town Vinyl, CD and Download…information..
The Wonderful Town Ep – is now available on iTunes from Monday April 7th
UK Decay’s new WONDERFUL TOWN EP is available in shops and download stores now. The EP is available as a limited edition 7” vinyl gate-fold sleeve with art print insert, limited edition CD gate-fold single with lyric sheet and as a download.
‘I had the idea for a song about the town I love when walking back to the train station after a Luton game 2 years ago . It dawned on me that it is the common aspiration to live in the countryside , but I thought about the generations of my family that had walked the same streets I was walking , and how , even unbeknownst to me , they had probably helped shape the town in both physically contributing to building the environment around me and as spirits that drank in these pubs , rode their bicycles through these streets , came back from 2 world wars ,I wouldn’t have wanted to be from anywhere else ’ says singer Abbo. ‘ Luton educated me about how to get along with people , their cultures , their music and it gave me probably the biggest interest and thread in my life , Luton Town Football Club . I’ve lived in New York and London for most of my life now , but this powerful magnet brings me back . “
The band worked closely with others in the town to produce the EP, using local recording facilities, design studios and pressing plants. Luton Town Football Club also got involved, with the full first team and manager joining the band in the recording studio to put down cover versions of LTFC fan favourites Bring Me Sunshine and Hatters Hatters. The fourth track is a second version of the lead track, but with lyrics linked directly to LTFC. WONDERFUL TOWN is also available to pre-order and buy through the club shop.
‘Luton moulds and shapes anyone who lives there, it gives you a sense of identity that is rarely reflected in the wider media,’ says guitarist Spon. ‘But the production of this shows how wrong those assumptions can be; everyone involved in this has done it for love and a wish to show that the town is not as it is viewed by others.’
All the proceeds from WONDERFUL TOWN will be split between two charities: Luton Foodbank and SoLYD – a supporters’ initiative that helps fund the club’s youth development. Its production has received the kind support of Latent Lemon Audio, ATP Media and Diamond Black, in addition to Love Luton and LTFC.
Digital Download through iTunes
Wonderful Town EP Vinyl Version
Wonderful Town EP CD Version
Direct Order Links below
Rough Trade
http://www.roughtrade.com/albums/82607
Hattersworld
http://www.hattersworld.co.uk/
iTunes
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/wonderful-town-ep/id850357245
Amazon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wonderful-Town-UK-Decay/dp/B00JBROLTE/
Live Dates 2014
Live Dates so far confirmed.
Friday 25 April 2014, Georgian Theatre, Stockton-onTees.
Saturday 26 April 2014, Whitby Goth Fest, Whitby
Saturday 3 May 2014, Luton Hat Factory, Luton
Saturday 10 May 2014, Unpleasant Meeting, Paris
Sunday 25 May 2014, Scum Festival, ~London
June 6-9th, Wave Gottic Treffen – Leipzig
Saturday 9th August, Rebellion Festival
Further gigs to be announced.
The Decadents are back in Town..
The decadents burn up Latent Lemon in the ‘Wonderful Town’
So it’s been a busy week for the band. Monday and Tuesday were spent recording four tracks for the Wonderful Town project at Justin Saban’s Latent Lemon Studios in Luton.
On the Wednesday we then spent the day filming the live sequences for a video that will support the above, before Spon and Ed headed back to the studio to lay down final overdubs.
In between all this, Abbo also managed to squeeze in the time to sing with some very special guests at the Hat Factory (thanks Fahim and Paul for sorting out the venue and recording at such short notice!).
We’ll be sending out more updates on the Wonderful Town project over the next few weeks – see you then.
Gigs for 2014
Whats new in 2014!
We are booking gigs for 2014 and can announce a number of dates
Georgian Theatre Stockton
Unpleasant-Meeting
Friday 25 April 2014, Georgian Theatre, Stockton-onTees.
Saturday 26 April 2014, Whitby Goth Fest, Whitby
Saturday 3 May 2014, Luton Hat Factory, Luton
Saturday 10 May 2014, Unpleasant Meeting, Paris
Friday 23 May 2014 Scum Festival, ~London
There are further dates to be confirmed shortly, we shall fill in with further information in due course. So you have kept your New Years resolution (you have – haven’t you?) and embarked on a torturous legging it through sodden bogs, swamps and lakes that our wondrous country has become, vegan turkey, plum pudding, rum, pipe slippers and onesie now fully digested, let your New Years resolution enable your dancing shoes to trim up for further nights of celebration.. shaping up!..coming soon Whoa-hey!
Also…
The brand new revitalised UK Decay Communities archive site – now online!
A Poker Soundtrack of Rockin’ Proportions
Music to get you pumped up at poker games
Whether people are aware of it or not, music has a profound effect on people’s moods. One need only watch any of the recut trailers littered on the Internet – most notably the one where Stanley Kubrick’s seminal psychological horror film The Shining gets turned into a romantic comedy – to see how the power of music can affect the overall atmosphere.
Many poker players have taken to wearing headphones while playing their rounds. Some might argue that having music blaring at your ears might affect your concentration. On the flipside though, players who do sport headphones see music as more of a secret weapon of sorts, putting them in the right frame of mind when the game calls for it. In fact, this “mood control” method might even help them in misdirecting their opponents if they’re really good at taking full advantage of music’s capabilities.
Poker is a game that requires keeping close tabs on its progress, even if you’re playing online. Betfair Poker’s many tournament challenges like the Jackpot Sit&Go and the VIP Club Bonanza may not have quite the same atmosphere as playing on the floors of the MGM Grand, but the discipline of maintaining composure all throughout a game session is still an imperative; and music might just be your key towards learning that discipline.
If you’re looking to add the element of music to your poker-playing, the following musical cues could come in handy for your inaugural session soundtrack:
1. Ratatat’s “Loud Pipes” has that blues guitar touch to an electronic-based percussion whose synth isn’t too overpowering; just subdued enough to let the melody shine through. It gives the listener that laid back feel without being too relaxed. In other words, it’s the perfect musical opener to a soon-to-be-heated poker session.
2. Although Modest Mouse has since achieved some semblance of mainstream fame in recent years, many fans still remember their earlier days when their sound was rawer and more intimate in an acoustic hall sort of way. The track “Polar Opposites” from their 1997 indie album classic The Lonesome Crowded West probably best sums up the whole feel that they were going for: taking it easy while on a long journey. That’s “in-between mood” in poker terms.
3. As the game wears on, and the stakes get higher, the competition is sure to heat up. To get your gameface on, post-punk band UK Decay’s “Decadance” should do the job. Its steady cadence is backed by a guitar riff that gradually increases in intensity and provides just the right amount of rush to pull you through towards the clutch.
4. Finally, any track from now-defunct band Rage Against the Machine’s debut album should psych you up into giving 110% to come out with the win. “You gotta take the power back,” as Zack de la Rocha puts it, and take it back you will with this alternative metal classic bringing out your A-game.
The relationship between music and mood has long been known by adherents of the art form, and this psycho-aural connection is a major factor that great masters consider when crafting their work. This connection can be utilized by poker players to their advantage. All that’s needed is in figuring out which ones fit which occasions.