UK-Decay-at-Taubchenthal-WGT
UK-Decay-WGT-2019
WGT-2019-ukdk: photo courtesy of Oliver Krapp 2019
UK-Decay-in-the-Dark-at-WGT-2019
Big thanks to Oliver Krapp for the video’s
UK Decay 40 Anniversary Line-up
UK Decay will headline Wave – Gotik Festival in Leipzig on Friday 7th June.
The band gave one of their best live performances at this very festival in 2014 and form for a concert packed with songs ranging right from their debut releases to the “New Hope From The Dead” album (on CD here, or on vinyl here , and on all streaming platforms )
Hope you can come along and catch what is one of the best festivals in the world , in a city packed full of historical buildings , culture and the delights of the night .
The WGT venue is Täubchenthal and we are headlining the Friday night, that’s Friday June 7th on stage at 2200hr.
Settings don’t come much better than this – one of the largest music festivals in Europe , held in Bolkow Castle . Decay will be rocking a set on the main castle stage early on Saturday evening with other acts like Atari Teenage Riot .
The Castle Party Festival is at Castle Bolkow in Poland on Saturday 13th July
UPDATE: For those seeking news of UK Decay shows……….It now seems we may have to plan our UK gigs for later in the year. The shows we have confirmed are Wave Gottic Trefen , Leipzig, Germany. Friday June 7th and Castle Festival , Wroclaw, Poland Saturday 13th July. Rebellion was sadly messed up and nothing else suitable yet has been found that works with various members calendars. I know those two gigs are a hell of a long way from home but I have heard that some from the UK will be going to WGT.. We are on a rehearsal schedule and are beginning to fire on all four cylinders once again for the summer gigs mentioned and we had hoped the right UK gigs would turn up but for one reason or another it has just not yet come together. we thank you for your patience and hopefully we will soon have some better news soon! Adios Comrades!!
The WGT venue is Täubchenthal and I am told we are headlining the Friday night, that’s Friday June 7th. The Castle Party Festival is at Castle Bolkow in Poland on Saturday 13th July
Matt Hudson and Steve Spon discuss life in punk Luton back in the day.
Steve Spon was featured recently in an Anglia TV special marking 40 years since the punk movement. This two part mini documentary series is about punk in the Eastern Counties and is hosted by Anglia TV’s Matt Hudson who was a big punk fan and UK Decay fan.
Also featured are Steve Ignorant from Crass, Charlie Harper from UK Subs and author and university lecturer Matt Worley whose new book No Future is an in-depth look at the effect punk had on politics and culture.
There are also some still shots of early 1980’s Luton Punks featured on the show taken from our very own UK Decay Communities web archive.
It comes in two parts…
Marking 40 years since the punk movement
Punk memories: Looking back at legendary venues in our region
Spon (left) Abbo (right) at DV8 2012
Abbo and I will be at Luton’s Hat Factory Art’s and Media Centre on Friday 25th November to talk about Punk in the Luton area back in the late seventies. This is part of the “40 years of Punk” celebrations going down over November at that venue and widely across the country. I am hoping to put together a few slides of various characters, bands, venues, fanzines from Luton and the surrounding are during the late seventies early eighties period. Hopefully this inspire discussion among ourselves and the audience.
Then Justin Saban will join us and we shall perform a couple our punk platters ‘unplugged’ style. So after I have written this I had better dust off the cobwebs of my guitar and get practicing!
When are UK Decay returning for more gigs and recordings? – As part of the talk we shall be hosting a questions and answers session hopefully this question and many others will be answered!
Tickets are just £5.00 bookable in advance from here
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
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 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
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 black-vinyl
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
Justin-Saban at Rebellion Festival 2014
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
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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
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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
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
http://www.roughtrade.com/albums/82607
http://www.hattersworld.co.uk/
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/wonderful-town-ep/id850357245
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wonderful-Town-UK-Decay/dp/B00JBROLTE/
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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
| |
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
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
http://www.roughtrade.com/albums/82607
http://www.hattersworld.co.uk/
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/wonderful-town-ep/id850357245
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wonderful-Town-UK-Decay/dp/B00JBROLTE/
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.