Lightyear: on tour in 2012
Posted by jamie on Mar 23, 2012
Yes, really. Lightyear are off on another last ever tour, which, of course, we have to hope isn’t actually their last ever “last ever” tour. They’ll be playing with Anti-Vigilante, New Town Kings, Above Them and Tyrannosaurus Alan.
Here’s what they’ve said:
In their time, LIGHTYEAR terrorized the European skapunk scene….. If you weren’t there but heard about it, it was probably all true.
They returning briefly for a hot sweaty, mostly naked Summer tour a few years back where they made friends with the rich and famous, Ice Motherfuckin T amongst others, if you weren’t there but heard about it, it was probably all true.
And now LIGHTYEAR are back, for just 5 shows. If they’re not in your town, carpool, hitch, get the megabus, bunk the train, but be there. You will hear about it, and it’ll probably all be true!!
“We know this might raise a few chuckles. It’s been 15 years since Lightyear began. We started it to simply to have fun. We stopped it because it became not fun. We wanted to stay friends. But we ended up not even seeing each other really. We want to hang out with each other again. Soooo…… we are doing 5 dates in June. It would be wicked to see old and new friends. (we haven’t played our instruments in 6 years, So we might have improved)”
JUNE
23rd DERBY OLD BELL w Anti Vigilante, Above Them
25th NEWCASTLE TRILLIANS w New Town Kings, Above Them
26th MANCHESTER MOHO LIVE w New Town Kings, Above Them
27th BRIGHTON THE HAUNT w New Town Kings, Tyrannosaurus Alan
28th LONDON ISLINGTON O2 ACADEMY w New Town Kings, Anti Vigilante, Tyrannosaurus Alan
enter at your own risk…..
See it on facebook here.
Like Bananatown on facebook here.
New Town Kings: Purple Turtle
Posted by jamie on Jan 30, 2012
New Town Kings, Anti Vigilante
Tyrannosaurus Alan, Upbeat Allstars
Purple Turtle, Camden
28th January, 2012
Jamie
A four-band bill of this quality, in central London on a Saturday night, needs scarce little introduction. All the same, it was amusing to see the show’s facebook page suggest that we “expect involuntary dancing from metallers who’ve come in by mistake”.
You do get a few at the Purple Turtle, of course, and the tunes in this place tonight are unrelentingly infectious, so there are decent odds on a flippant comment on facebook coming true for the first time ever.
As Upbeat Allstars get the party started, a few of us early punters are eyeing the last of the open spaces and itching to get our moves on. The sun’s still going down, and their infectious melodies quickly win over the last vestiges of self-consciousness: legs and then arms start to move to in time with the upstrokes in their vintage ska-punk sound.
There’s no horns, but, make no mistake, Upbeat Allstars are defiantly old-school ska-punk: Nick bangs seven shades out of his snare drums to the point where I actually winced for them, and there’s plenty of super-skankable upstrokes. It all comes together to make for some great, no-nonsense peppy little party tunes and they go down well.
Sure enough, it’s not long in to their short set before a few awkward long-haired metallers start to shuffle about their little space like scarecrows doing martial arts in slow motion. Mission accomplished, and with three bands still to go.
Medway’s Tyrannosaurus Alan, up next, are at their boisterous, surreal best. They’re almost bursting out of the small stage, over the front and at both sides, as they shift sheepishly between the ratatat-tat of their dirty, grime-core rap/punk/ska sounds and some brilliantly surreal stories about using a screwdriver to fail to fix a van’s cigarette lighter, getting splinters in your thumb, and “pubecising”, which, basically means going through puberty at speed. Or your voice breaking on stage. Poor Ollie only said it once, about Ben’s voice breaking, but the hilarity carries on for ages.If you’ve not seen Tyrannosaurus Alan play live yet, you really must: it’s almost always like this, funny, aggressive, and booty-shaking in equal measure. They put plenty of effort in, and they get it back from an appreciative room.
Anti Vigilante are in equally fine form: a flurry of shorts and muscly, sinewy little legs from start to finish, they’re forever buzzing around the little stage. They’re bang up for this, and their raw, uncompromising approach to skacore, and the speed at which they play it, mean they’re immediately a big hit in this room. There are a few stray moshers in, and they gleefully start circle pit after circle pit, each one sabotaged by rogue skankers sneaking in, or, at one point, someone just running through the middle. All of this, like the band’s set, is chaotic, but performed with fervour and huge smiles.
The chaos comes to an abrupt end, though, when the New Town Kings file on to perform. They’re here to get people dancing, but there’s a knowingly mischievous way to Chris’s teacher-style lectures on the subject, almost like he’s half telling us off, but at the same time enjoying it and finds the whole thing just a tiny bit silly.
By now the place is absolutely rammed, and everybody’s on the dancefloor. The New Town Kings glide through the gears like a well-oiled party machine, rolling out hit after hit with practised ease, while, in front of them, a packed floor try to move our feet in time, which is fine, and then our arms, which are for ever banging in to everyone else’s arms, and then, eventually, all the hips and bums down here are grinding in time.
It’s got hot down here, and their rich, smooth, soulful take on two-tone, uniquely movable at the best of times, is especially sexy this evening. A quick look around shows a few pairs who definitely didn’t arrive together and are now getting personal with each other, and there are surely a few more. All of a sudden, there’s a lot of love in here and a more than a few people eager to get it on.
Dynamite and then News Stand get them off to a bang, and, by the time they’re playing La La World, everybody’s joyously shouting, singing and swaying along. They wrap up with Take Hold of Me, my favourite, and Stay on Your Feet, and then encore the brilliant Fire in the Hole.
We’re breathless, by the end of it. I’ve managed to swap hats with someone, but dotted around, there are other sorts of swapping going on. Even ignoring all of that, it has become one of those shows where everyone loves each other: the atmosphere’s incredible: dog tired, deliriously happy, and everyone rushing around just to say nice things to each other. Wonderful.
Slackers: 2012 dates and tickets
Posted by jamie on Dec 13, 2011
Our mates, the ever dapper New Town Kings will take their swing-core two-tone sound on tour with The Slackers next Spring.
The brilliantly chaotic Tyrannosaurus Alan replace Broken Nose, and join in on all dates EXCEPT Bristol.
See it on facebook here.
Get tickets here.
APRIL 2012
13th LONDON ISLINGTON O2 ACADEMY *early show*
14th BRISTOL FLEECE
15th MANCHESTER MOHO LIVE
16th NEWCASTLE TRILLIANS
17th LEEDS COCKPIT
18th SOUTHAMPTON CELLAR
There will be more dates to come in August 2012
Dirty Rev: July tour dates
Posted by jamie on Jun 30, 2011
Our friends in Dirty Revolution have sent us a little reminder about their tour dates for July. A stunning array of support acts includes Random Hand, Tyrannosaurus Alan, Anti-Vigilante, Broken Nose and the Have Nots.
JULY 2011
2nd LONDON UNDERWORLD w Random Hand, Have Nots, Broken Nose, Tyrannosaurus Alan
4th LONDON VIBE BAR
9th CAMARTHEN PARROT MUSIC BAR w Broken Nose, Tyrannosaurus Alan
10th CARDIFF UNDERTONE w Broken Nose, Tyrannosaurus Alan
16th ASHTON UNDER LYME WITCHWOOD w Anti Vigilante, Broken Nose, Tyrannosaurus Alan
Tyrannosaurus Alan: 2011 dates up
Posted by jamie on Jan 8, 2011
Bonkers funk/hip-hop/punkers Tyrannosaurus Alan are on tour throughout February. All the dates are here.
Buried Treasure 2
Posted by jamie on Oct 5, 2010
Ska Mutiny Records are set to release the sequel to their download album Buried Treasure. It’s called Buried Treasure 2 and will become available on Friday the 8th October.
In exchange for the download, you’ll need to register for the mailing list - unless you signed up for Buried Treasure 1, in which case on Friday night you’ll receive the link for Buried Treasure 2 in your inbox automatically.
Ska Mutiny have chosen ten more tracks from ”ten awesome UK ska/punk bands”. No-one knows who they are yet, but Tyrannosaurus Alan look like a smart bet.
Stand Out Riot, TAlan and Kickback
Posted by chips on Apr 5, 2010
Stand Out Riot and the Apostates have been named as support to Tyrannosaurus Alan and Kickback UK at Deptford’s Bird’s Nest on 1st July.
You can join the facebook event here.
Tyrannosauras Alan: BOTB
Posted by jamie on Dec 28, 2009
Attention, Chatham: the lovely folk of Tyrannosauras Alan need your help in this battle of the bands on 9th January. You have to turn up to vote.
Details are here.
