LTFC Champions! Wonderful Town – See UK DECAY Live

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Mr Phibes

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. Saturday 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

Posted on April 2, 2014 by Mr Phibes

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.

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

‘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 . “

‘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.’

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

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Mr Phibes

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..

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Mr Phibes

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

Posted on February 8, 2014 by Mr Phibes

Whats new in 2014!

We are booking gigs for 2014 and can announce a number of dates

Georgian Theatre Stockton, 25th April, 2014

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!

2014 gigs

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Mr Phibes

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

A night to unwind at the O2

Posted on November 22, 2013 by Mr Phibes

Steve Ignorant’s – Slice of Life, Frankie B’s – At Night We Cry and Cambridge’s very own Freedom Faction and a wonderful crowd , joined us for a mega night to unwind at the O2 Academy, Islington, London last Saturday. Big thanks to all of the artist’s mentioned above, plus Frank Flag, Jason and the O2 technical crew and staff for making the show run pretty much glitch free. We really enjoyed ourselves and thought all the other bands and the audience were fantastic, the O2 is well set up technically for bands, apart from the countless flights of stairs between the stage and the dressing rooms.

The only regret is that we didn’t get chance to meet up with everyone afterwards, the management needed everyone out, so they could open the night club in time.

Video by puremania7777

Bring on 2014 and there is a plethora of back-scene activity of gig planning happening at the moment, we will bring further news of gigs in due course, but right now we can announce that we are appearing at the Whitby Gothic Festival on the April 26^th . There is talk of new material and further release’s, nothing definite to report at the moment but watch this space!

UK Decay live at O2 Academy

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Mr Phibes

Islington, London. This Saturday 16th November, doors open 6pm

SHOW TIMES

> Doors: 6.00pm

FREEDOM FACTION: 6.30 – 7.00

FRANKO B: 7.10 – 7.40

STEVE IGNORANT’s Slice Of Life: 7.55 – 8.35

UK DECAY: 8.50 – 10.00

>Curfew – 10.00pm strict!

Do you fancy getting your hands on a vinyl test pressing of New Hope for the Dead signed by the band?

If so we’ll be handing out raffle tickets to everyone attending Saturday’s Islington 02 show, with the winner announced by Franko B on the night.

Franko not only created the artwork, but will be appearing with his band At Night We cry.

This will be Decay’s last ‘Night of Celebration’ in London and the south for the foreseeable future. We promise a choice mix of our new songs and our old classics supported by an excellent line-up with a few surprises during the evening. Doors open 6pm – performances timed to enable the catching of as many last trains as possible – This is unmissable – Saturday’s show is fast filling up, but we still have some friends and family tickets available on the night at a concessionary rate. If you’d like one then email us at contact@ukdecay.co.uk and we’ll put your name down. You can then pay for the conc tickets on arrival at the door.

Also T Shirt-wise, we will have some brand new design’s based on New Hope For The Dead white and red text on a black shirt. This is a limited screen printed run and if there is anything left after the O2 gig, we will duly place on our website here. The will also be a selection of stickers buttons, badges, posters, some vinyl, CD’s and hopefully more, all available on our merchandise stall at O2 – Look out for us.

Many thanks and hopefully see you on Saturday

Abbo, Ed, Ray and Spon

Contributors Wanted for UK Decay Book Project! More
UK-Decay.Co.Uk
“NEW BETA” – Why not try out our UK-Decay SN Activity
Register for the new UK Decay network

UK Decay on BBC twice in 24 hours.

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Mr Phibes

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.

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 10^th 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

SGMFEST Madrid SÁBADO 2 DE NOVIEMBRE DE 2013

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Mr Phibes

UK Decay Live in Madrid

UK Decay Live at TheSGM-Fest, Madrid, Spain, Saturday November 2 - Tickets available here....

Click image for further information and tickets

The band head to Spain to perform live at ‘Semano Gotica de Madrid’ SGMFEST on 02/11/13.
This will be UK Decay’s first ever visit to Spain and the band are really looking forward to their visit.

The full itinerary is as follows..

GROTTO ROOM 77

Doors open: 23.00 hours

UK DECAY + SOROR DOLOROSA
TERMINAL GODS + PHANTOM VISION

DJs: Billyphobia + Jorge Rara Avis – 06.00 ntil

Advance Ticket price: 30 € – In door: 35 €

On sale in specialized stores
Rara Avis Store , C / de la Palma 40 and Diskpol , C / Jesús del Valle 8.
Also available online at Ticketea

live in London UK Decay, Steve Ignorant and Franko B – just two weeks to go

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Raymondo

UK Decay live in London..

So not long now until we’re joined at the O2 Academy Islington on Saturday 16 November by Steve Ignorant’s Slice of Life and at Night We Cry with FrankoB.

There’s a big connection with Steve, with Decay playing one of its first gigs with Crass and recording regularly at Southern Studios. Werewolf was also released with the help of Crass on the Corpus Christi label.

Also on the bill is Cambridge’s Freedom Faction. Doors are at 6pm and tickets are £14. available here

Hope to see as many of you there that can make it.

Cheers

Corby – Zombie Hut Gig Postponed

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Mr Phibes

Re: Saturday 26th October Zombie Hut, Corby

It’s with regret that we have to announce a rescheduling of our show in Corby to Spring 2014.

We have been looking forward to the show and playing again with our friends Hazard and – for the first time – Venus Fly Trap and Family of Noise. However, due to an unforeseen issue with the venue the local promoter and ourselves feel that everyone – you, us and the team on Corby – will be better served by a show in the early part of next year.

Apologies to everyone affected by the rescheduling, but our date in London on Saturday 16 November is unaffected, and so we hope to see you there.

All ticket holders should contact Gingerpig Promotions for a full refund here

Thanks,

Abbo, Ed, Jon, Ray and Spon

Note: It seems the reason offered by Gingerpig is poor ticket sales, due to a lacklustre campaign on behalf of GP and the band. It might have something to do with UK Decay doing the gig in good faith with an up and coming small promoter without the corporate contracts that sometimes stifle entrepreneurship. It seems had we have had a proper contract, we would still have been playing next Saturday regardless of a lack of ticketsales, ours and the sounds fee would have crippled the promoter. We didn’t want that. The date will be rescheduled and we can promise a maxed out campaign to advertise and gig for all to remember.

North American release

Posted on June 22, 2013 by Raymondo

New Hope for the Dead will be available in the US through Metropolis Records from 10 September 2013. The album will be in jewel case format only, with the embossed version only available through Earthquake in the UK.

http://www.metropolis-records.com
http://www.earthquakeltd.com

Gigs announced . . .

Posted on June 15, 2013 by Raymondo

We’re now in the process of booking shows that will see us visit Poland, Germany and Italy next year. This year is also sketching out and confirmed dates so far are:

Corby – Zombie Hut – 26 Oct 2013
Madrid – SGM Fest – 2 Nov 2013
London Islington Academy – 16 Nov

Tickets can be found via the gigs tab.

STOP PRESS – UK DECAY TO STAND IN FOR REVELATOR AND PLAY AT UNTOUCHABLE IN LONDON ON SATURDAY 8 JUNE 2013

Posted on June 8, 2013 by Mr Phibes

UK DECAY will replace REVELATOR and play in June’s edition of UNTOUCHABLE at The Flying Dutchman, Camberwell, London on Saturday 8 June 2013.

There was only one answer when Franko contacted the band to fill the gap left by mystery band REVELATOR, who pulled out of the show at the last minute without explanation.

Indeed, Franko will be spreading his own hot sauce fronting his band At Night We Cry in-between curating the event for performance s p a c e [, which concludes their I ♥ ]ps[ fundraising campaign.

Performance/ Live Art will start at 2pm sharp and run until approximately 8pm.

The live music will start at 6 pm with At Night We Cry, followed by UK Decay at 730pm

DJ sets by Franko B, Abbo’s alter ego, DJ Lovechild and DJ MU to finish the night..

Artists: Dani Ploeger, Kimberley Emeny, DUG (Ross Oliver, Joana Cifre-Cerdà and Kate Buckley), Season Butler, Verity Combe, Laura Dee Milnes, Elenor Hellis, Lorena Lo Pena,Valeria, Tello Giusti, Bruno Humberto & Abraham Winterstein, Fabiola Paz & Annalaura Alifuoco, Samuel Kennedy, Liz Sandford Richardson, E-SCIENCE

When: Saturday 8th June, 2pm – 1am

Where: The Flying Dutchman, 156 Wells Ways, Camberwell, London SE5 7SY

Transport: Burgess Park stop bus 343/N43 or nearby Wyndham Road stop 12, 35, 40, 45, 68, 148, 171, 176 or Vestry Road stop 36, 345, 436

Website:

http://www.flyingdutchmanlondon.com/

http://www.performancespace.org/

ukdecay.co.uk

Twitter: @Fly_Dutch_Lon @aplaceofaction @Franko_B_artist

]performance s p a c e[ aims to cultivate live work that critically and physically pushes the boundaries of body and space. It is a place where work can unfold without restraints of censorship, duration or space; committed to supporting challenging and difficult work that embraces performance art as an ever-evolving medium.

Entry: suggested donation.

All the money raised will go to ]performance s p a c e [ to support the continued delivery of ]performance 1 0 1 [. This part of the ]performance s p a c e [ programme runs across 2013 offering artists open platforms to present live work, discuss & develop their work and participate in dynamic research events. ]performance 1 0 1 [ is open to all and free of charge. It does not receive financial support or funding.

Franko b man-handles New Hope For The Dead!

UK DECAY – FRANKO B COLLABORATION

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Mr Phibes

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!!

And 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.

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!