Chumbawamba at the Komedia
Published 29th Feb 2008 by Editor

Wednesday 19 March
Chumbawamba are back on tour, armed with acoustic guitars, accordion and trumpet, five-part harmonies, a bucketful of attitude and a new 25-track album called The Boy Bands Have Won. Anyone who knew Chumba before that “I get knocked down” song took over the world will be only too aware of the band’s folk heart, and these days they are wearing that heart on their sleeves.

Chumbawamba aren’t like other bands - evident by their first album, released nearly 20 years ago, called Pictures of Starving Children Sell Records which was a response to Live Aid. Chumbawamba began with a mission to be interesting and arresting, to be literate and understanding. Anarchists, entertainers, anti-war crusaders and cherished punk activists, this is a fantastic opportunity to catch Chumbawamba acoustic. A mix of traditional English folk, a-capella song, twisted pop and the stripped down beauty of pure vocal harmonies and acoustic instruments.

The new album is a collection of such ideas; some are just passing thoughts, others are fully-formed songs. The album is gentle and warm in tone, but caustic in intent. The band clearly believe there’s nothing worse than being wishy-washy; nothing worse than just sounding lovely and providing a backdrop for a gentle, pleasant, warm-weather pleasantness. The Boy Bands Have Won is Chumbawamba playing with culture, with the idea of recycling our own culture.

Having written all these tunes and words and mixed them up with ideas about culture, they mixed in samples of themselves from the past, mixed in a bunch of different musical styles and messed around with the Chumbawamba formula. Because that’s what too many bands do – stick to the formula. And that’s boring after a while. So here they go again, only this time it’s different again. And again. And again.

The album features guests the OysterBand, Roy Bailey, Robb Johnson, Barry Coope… and a hundred others, give or take a few. Some of its 25 songs tackle all the important stuff like poetry, war, death, knickers and Lord Bateman’s motorbike accident whilst others take a look at heavyweight wrestling with WH Auden, Bertold Brecht and Lord Bono.

Chumbawamba visit Komedia on Wednesday 19 March at 8.30pm. Tickets are £14/£12 available from the Box Office on 01273 647100 (booking fees apply). Ends 28. 2. 2008

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