Blakfish
Encyclopedia
Blakfish were a mathcore
band, also described as 'death pop' by the NME
, The band from Birmingham
, England
formed in the year 2000 after meeting and becoming friends at school, contrary to their frequent fabricated claims that they all met in juvenile prison
.
The band were perhaps best known for their live shows and relentless touring schedule, which led to them being labeled by many as one of the hardest working bands in the country. In 2007 Blakfish became the full-time job of the members, and in 2008 they went on to play over 200 shows in over 10 countries topping that in 2009 with another 200 shows in 16 countries. They played shows with, amongst others, Hell Is For Heroes
(on their farewell tour) and Tubelord
. In 2010 they achieved a support slot on the Biffy Clyro
European tour, which ultimately lead to the demise of the band, which they announced on their myspace blog. The band split up mid-tour following the departure of guitarist and vocalist Sam Manville. They had been scheduled to play shows in Tokyo
and Osaka
later in the year with 65daysofstatic
. Plans were also shelved to record their 2nd album, again in Seattle with Chris Common. Only 7 instrumental demos were recorded in Lewes with producer Nick Kinnish, never to be released.
, as well as receiving airplay from 4 different presenters on BBC Radio 1
.
2009 saw the release of their one and only album, Champions, recorded by Chris Common at the Redroom Studios Seattle. The band were stopped at an airport along the way and were questioned about the content of their lyrics book, which contained the dark lyrics to "9th Base". This experience was visited in the album track "Randy Sage - True American Hero" (Randy Sage was an airline pilot they met at the airport). The album for the most part was widely praised; Kerrang!
rated the album 4/5, and Rock Sound
gave it a 9/10, whilst NME
was amongst the minority that did not enjoy the album, giving it a 1/10 rating, despite naming the band as "ones to watch" in 2009. The album was later re-released in a limited edition known as 'French Champions'. Each unit was hand made and utilised real gold leaf for the cover art.
They also recorded a Christmas
single for Christmas 2009 once again with Nick Kinnish, named "Missing You (The True Meaning Of Christmas)", in which Rich and Wiz both sang as well as Thom and Sam. The single was released for free download on their website, along with an accompanying video. The band handed out wrapped up CD-Rs at their Christmas show at The Flapper in Birmingham, claiming it to contain the single; however, the discs instead contained hardcore pornography
. They performed the song live for the first and final time at this show.
with Biffy Clyro
, playing shows in Germany
, Switzerland
and Spain
. In Bilbao, Sam announced he felt he could no longer continue as a member of Blakfish, and left the band with immediate effect. The remaining three members decided they would continue as a band - but this band would not be Blakfish. The band pulled out of the remaining shows in Bilbao
and Barcelona
, and canceled a UK-wide tour scheduled for March, as well as shows in Japan
with 65daysofstatic
later in the year.
A 'Blakfish and Friends' farewell show took place on March 19, 2010 at The Flapper in Birmingham
, with friends of the band filling in for Sam's vocals and guitars. Guest performers included Toby Hayes of Shoes And Socks Off and Meet Me In St. Louis (band)
, Steven Bachelor and Richard Buckley of Shapes, and members of Soni~Quella and The James Cleaver Quintet Jack Saunders (vox) Jimmy Diego (bass) Maud E Licious (guitar) Mackerel Skarrington (drums). Tickets for the event sold out on the first night they went on sale. Support came from Shapes, The James Cleaver Quintet and Conquistadors. Fifty screen prints of the poster for the show were made available, as was a re-issue of See You In Another City containing 9 additional tracks of b-sides
and rarities. At the final show, Thom, Rich and Wiz debuted a track named "You're A Guy", the first public performance of their new material for a new three-piece band.
After the band broke up, Thom, Rich and Wiz officially formed "&U&I" and released EP 'Kill the Man that Shot that Man' on ondryland Records. The band has since begun demoing further material. Sam has created 2 bands, one called "Vietwow!" with Toby Hayes (Meet Me In St. Louis, Shield Your Eyes, Shoes And Socks Off), Alex Wiezak (Youves) and Bob D'Mello (Super Tennis) and a 2-piece named "Hymns" with former SOS drummer Peter Reisner. He also continues to work on his solo project "Greatest Hits".
This was not the only inspiration for songs though, some other song meanings include:-
01. Economics
02. Ringo Starr - 2nd Best Drummer in The Beatles
03. Your Hair's Straight but Your Boyfriend Ain't
04. If the Good Lord Had Intended Us to Walk He Wouldn't Have Invented Rollerskates
05. We Beg, We Borrow, We Steal
06. I Saw a Car on Fire There Once
07. The Closer to the Bone, the Sweeter the Meat
08. Randy Sage - True American Hero
09. I'm Laughing Now... But It's No Joke
10. 9th Base
11. Scotland's Worst Invention
01. Preparing For Guests
02. My Stomach Feels Like My Throats Been Cut
03. Jeremy Kyle Is A Marked Man
04. Make Your Bed And Lie In It
05. Carnival Of Carnivores
Bonus tracks:
06. Leaving Home (Dirty import, 2002)
07. 22nd (myforteistimetravel, 2005)
08. Death of a Soap Star (myforteistimetravel, 2005)
09. Captain Burns (Gold, Live, 2007)
10. The Curriculum Vitae of Uri Gagarin (Carnival of Carnivores demo, 2008)
11. Sh*t On My Face and Tell Me I'm Simon Cowell (Ringo Starr - 2nd Best Drummer In The Beatles demo, 2008)
12. Jeremy Kyle Is A Marked Man (Game version, 2009)
13. Charmer (Kings Of Leon
cover - Rollerskates b-side, 2009)
14. A Day In The Life (un-used b-side, 2009)
01. Preparing For Guests
02. My Stomach Feels Like My Throats Been Cut
03. Jeremy Kyle Is A Marked Man
04. Make Your Bed And Lie In It
05. Carnival Of Carnivores (listed in some places as 'Carnival Carnivore')
01. Captain Burns
02. Merry Fucking Xmas
03. Planes, Trains And Obese Women
01. 22nd
02. Superpowers
03. Death Of A Soapstar
04. Cooking Can Be Child's Play
01. Leaving Home
02. Senile
03. Clifton
Mathcore
Mathcore is a rhythmically complex and dissonant fusion style of hardcore punk and Metal. It has its roots in bands such as Converge, Botch, and The Dillinger Escape Plan. The term mathcore is suggested by analogy with math rock. Both math rock and mathcore make use of unusual time signatures...
band, also described as 'death pop' by the NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, The band from Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
formed in the year 2000 after meeting and becoming friends at school, contrary to their frequent fabricated claims that they all met in juvenile prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
.
The band were perhaps best known for their live shows and relentless touring schedule, which led to them being labeled by many as one of the hardest working bands in the country. In 2007 Blakfish became the full-time job of the members, and in 2008 they went on to play over 200 shows in over 10 countries topping that in 2009 with another 200 shows in 16 countries. They played shows with, amongst others, Hell Is For Heroes
Hell Is for Heroes
Hell Is for Heroes may refer to:*Hell Is for Heroes , a UK band** Hell Is for Heroes , a 2007 album released by the band of the same name*Hell Is for Heroes , a 1962 film starring Steve McQueen and Bobby Darin...
(on their farewell tour) and Tubelord
Tubelord
Tubelord is an Alternative Rock band from Kingston upon Thames, England, formed in 2006. The band consists of Lead Singer and Guitarist Joseph Prendergast, Backing vocalist and Drummer David Catmur, Bassist Tom Coulson-Smith and Keyboardist and Sampler James Elliot Field.In 2009, the band signed a...
. In 2010 they achieved a support slot on the Biffy Clyro
Biffy Clyro
Biffy Clyro are a Scottish rock band from Kilmarnock, comprising Simon Neil , James Johnston and Ben Johnston...
European tour, which ultimately lead to the demise of the band, which they announced on their myspace blog. The band split up mid-tour following the departure of guitarist and vocalist Sam Manville. They had been scheduled to play shows in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
and Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
later in the year with 65daysofstatic
65daysofstatic
65daysofstatic are an instrumental post-rock and math rock band from Sheffield, England comprising Paul Wolinski, Joe Shrewsbury, Rob Jones and Simon Wright...
. Plans were also shelved to record their 2nd album, again in Seattle with Chris Common. Only 7 instrumental demos were recorded in Lewes with producer Nick Kinnish, never to be released.
Formation (2000–2010)
Blakfish recorded their first EP, Dirty Import, in 2004, and followed this up a year later with the 4-track myforteistimetravel. In 2007 they recorded a gapless 3-track EP named Gold. After this they signed to Big Scary Monsters, and in 2008 their fourth EP, See You In Another City was released, to a largely positive reception. The track "Jeremy Kyle Is A Marked Man" featured on the computer game Colin McRae: Dirt 2Colin McRae: Dirt 2
Colin McRae: Dirt 2 is a racing game released in September 2009, and is the sequel to Colin McRae: Dirt. This is the first game in the McRae series since McRae's death in 2007. It was announced on 19 November 2008 and features Ken Block, Travis Pastrana, Tanner Foust, and Dave Mirra...
, as well as receiving airplay from 4 different presenters on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
.
2009 saw the release of their one and only album, Champions, recorded by Chris Common at the Redroom Studios Seattle. The band were stopped at an airport along the way and were questioned about the content of their lyrics book, which contained the dark lyrics to "9th Base". This experience was visited in the album track "Randy Sage - True American Hero" (Randy Sage was an airline pilot they met at the airport). The album for the most part was widely praised; Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
rated the album 4/5, and Rock Sound
Rock Sound
Rock Sound is a British magazine which champions rock music. The magazine aims at being more "underground" and less commercial, whilst also giving coverage to more well known acts.-History:...
gave it a 9/10, whilst NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
was amongst the minority that did not enjoy the album, giving it a 1/10 rating, despite naming the band as "ones to watch" in 2009. The album was later re-released in a limited edition known as 'French Champions'. Each unit was hand made and utilised real gold leaf for the cover art.
They also recorded a Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
single for Christmas 2009 once again with Nick Kinnish, named "Missing You (The True Meaning Of Christmas)", in which Rich and Wiz both sang as well as Thom and Sam. The single was released for free download on their website, along with an accompanying video. The band handed out wrapped up CD-Rs at their Christmas show at The Flapper in Birmingham, claiming it to contain the single; however, the discs instead contained hardcore pornography
Hardcore pornography
Hardcore pornography is a form of pornography that features explicit sexual acts. The term was coined in the second half of the 20th century to distinguish it from softcore pornography. It usually takes the form of photographs, often displayed in magazines or on the Internet, or films. It can also...
. They performed the song live for the first and final time at this show.
Post-Blakfish (2010-Onwards)
In February 2010, Blakfish were touring EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
with Biffy Clyro
Biffy Clyro
Biffy Clyro are a Scottish rock band from Kilmarnock, comprising Simon Neil , James Johnston and Ben Johnston...
, playing shows in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. In Bilbao, Sam announced he felt he could no longer continue as a member of Blakfish, and left the band with immediate effect. The remaining three members decided they would continue as a band - but this band would not be Blakfish. The band pulled out of the remaining shows in Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
and Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, and canceled a UK-wide tour scheduled for March, as well as shows in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
with 65daysofstatic
65daysofstatic
65daysofstatic are an instrumental post-rock and math rock band from Sheffield, England comprising Paul Wolinski, Joe Shrewsbury, Rob Jones and Simon Wright...
later in the year.
A 'Blakfish and Friends' farewell show took place on March 19, 2010 at The Flapper in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, with friends of the band filling in for Sam's vocals and guitars. Guest performers included Toby Hayes of Shoes And Socks Off and Meet Me In St. Louis (band)
Meet Me In St. Louis (band)
Meet Me In St. Louis were a post-hardcore band from Guildford, Surrey. They were signed to Function Records & BSM Records in England and Denovali Records in Germany, the band's name originates from the 1944 film of the same name....
, Steven Bachelor and Richard Buckley of Shapes, and members of Soni~Quella and The James Cleaver Quintet Jack Saunders (vox) Jimmy Diego (bass) Maud E Licious (guitar) Mackerel Skarrington (drums). Tickets for the event sold out on the first night they went on sale. Support came from Shapes, The James Cleaver Quintet and Conquistadors. Fifty screen prints of the poster for the show were made available, as was a re-issue of See You In Another City containing 9 additional tracks of b-sides
B-Sides
B-Sides is an iTunes-exclusive album from the Coventry Trio The Enemy, consisting of ten songs that were B-sides to the single releases from their debut album We'll Live and Die in These Towns.-Track list:#Fear Killed the Youth of Our Nation...
and rarities. At the final show, Thom, Rich and Wiz debuted a track named "You're A Guy", the first public performance of their new material for a new three-piece band.
After the band broke up, Thom, Rich and Wiz officially formed "&U&I" and released EP 'Kill the Man that Shot that Man' on ondryland Records. The band has since begun demoing further material. Sam has created 2 bands, one called "Vietwow!" with Toby Hayes (Meet Me In St. Louis, Shield Your Eyes, Shoes And Socks Off), Alex Wiezak (Youves) and Bob D'Mello (Super Tennis) and a 2-piece named "Hymns" with former SOS drummer Peter Reisner. He also continues to work on his solo project "Greatest Hits".
Band lineup
In interviews and media, the band generally were generally referred to by their stage names.- Thomas Peckett ('Thomas Rock') - GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals - Sam Manville ('Sammy Vile') - GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals - Richard Lee ('Richard Hollywood') - Bass
- Robert 'Wiz' Wisely ('Robert Fruit') - Drums
Song Meanings
The lyrics to Blakfish songs were generally about things which annoyed them. Some examples include:-- At shows they said that "Economics" was "about money, cos we've got none"
- "Ringo Starr - 2nd Best Drummer In The Beatles" is about their disdain for the music industry and nightclubs
- "Your Hair's Straight But Your Boyfriend Ain't" is about fashionFashionFashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
- Sam Manville said "clothes are just there to keep you warm, people take it so seriously. I guess it's just another jibe at the British public." - "I Saw A Car On Fire There Once" is about the band's hatred of driving through LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
- "Randy Sage - True American Hero" is about the band's struggle with officials at an American airport when trying to enter the country to record their album
- "The Closer To The Bone, The Sweeter The Meat" is about their dislike for vegetarianismVegetarianismVegetarianism encompasses the practice of following plant-based diets , with or without the inclusion of dairy products or eggs, and with the exclusion of meat...
- "Preparing For Guests" is about the process of tidying the house for visitors, and how "it's like we're lying to all of our friends"
- "Scotland's Worst Invention" is about dislike for televisionTelevisionTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, and includes the line "What's with all these f***ing soaps, I want Ray MearsRay MearsRaymond Paul "Ray" Mears is an English woodsman, instructor, author and TV presenter. His TV appearances cover bushcraft and survival techniques, and he is best known for the TV series Ray Mears' Bushcraft, Ray Mears' World of Survival, Extreme Survival, Survival with Ray Mears, Wild Britain with...
not HollyoaksHollyoaksHollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill...
This was not the only inspiration for songs though, some other song meanings include:-
- "...Rollerskates" is about a friend of the band, whose girlfriend went travelling
- "I'm Laughing Now... But It's No Joke" is about the film Into The WildInto the Wild (film)Into the Wild is a 2007 American biographical drama film directed by Sean Penn. It is an adaptation of 1996 non-fiction book of the same name by Jon Krakauer based on the travels of Christopher McCandless across North America in the early 1990s. The film stars Emile Hirsch as McCandless with...
- "9th Base" is about being sexually perverted
Albums
- Champions (2009)
01. Economics
02. Ringo Starr - 2nd Best Drummer in The Beatles
03. Your Hair's Straight but Your Boyfriend Ain't
04. If the Good Lord Had Intended Us to Walk He Wouldn't Have Invented Rollerskates
05. We Beg, We Borrow, We Steal
06. I Saw a Car on Fire There Once
07. The Closer to the Bone, the Sweeter the Meat
08. Randy Sage - True American Hero
09. I'm Laughing Now... But It's No Joke
10. 9th Base
11. Scotland's Worst Invention
EPs
- See You In Another City (Re-release, 2010)
01. Preparing For Guests
02. My Stomach Feels Like My Throats Been Cut
03. Jeremy Kyle Is A Marked Man
04. Make Your Bed And Lie In It
05. Carnival Of Carnivores
Bonus tracks:
06. Leaving Home (Dirty import, 2002)
07. 22nd (myforteistimetravel, 2005)
08. Death of a Soap Star (myforteistimetravel, 2005)
09. Captain Burns (Gold, Live, 2007)
10. The Curriculum Vitae of Uri Gagarin (Carnival of Carnivores demo, 2008)
11. Sh*t On My Face and Tell Me I'm Simon Cowell (Ringo Starr - 2nd Best Drummer In The Beatles demo, 2008)
12. Jeremy Kyle Is A Marked Man (Game version, 2009)
13. Charmer (Kings Of Leon
Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion, Oklahoma but formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill , Ivan Nathan Followill and Michael Jared Followill Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion,...
cover - Rollerskates b-side, 2009)
14. A Day In The Life (un-used b-side, 2009)
- See You In Another City (2008)
01. Preparing For Guests
02. My Stomach Feels Like My Throats Been Cut
03. Jeremy Kyle Is A Marked Man
04. Make Your Bed And Lie In It
05. Carnival Of Carnivores (listed in some places as 'Carnival Carnivore')
- Gold (2007)
01. Captain Burns
02. Merry Fucking Xmas
03. Planes, Trains And Obese Women
- myforteistimetravel (2005)
01. 22nd
02. Superpowers
03. Death Of A Soapstar
04. Cooking Can Be Child's Play
- Dirty Import (2004)
01. Leaving Home
02. Senile
03. Clifton