Bus Station Loonies
The Bus Station Loonies are a 'cabaret punk' band from Plymouth, England. They have been described as a cross between Dead Kennedys, Undertones, Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias and the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.
The band formed in 1995 in an attempt to put fun into the anarcho-punk movement. Original Loonies Tony Popkids (drums) and Chris "Felcher" Wheelchair (real name Chris Willsher b.1971 in Ilford, London) (vocals, keyboards, kazoo; ex-drummer with Oi Polloi, Disorder (band), Riot/Clone and DIRT, among others), sharing a mutual love of such U.S. punk outfits such as The Dickies, still continue with the band today, having recruited approximately 30 other band members over 15 years.
During their initial UK tour of April 1996, with contemporary punk bands PMT and The Filth, The Loonies were billed as "a vicious headbutt between Johnny Moped and Jello Biafra".
The band was featured in the UK's Channel 4 documentary, Punx Picnic. The Bus Station Loonies were the first band to set the official world record for the most concerts/gigs performed in 12 hours (25 different shows) on 29 Sept 2001 in and around Plymouth, Devon, UK raising money to buy musical equipment for pupils of the Dame Hannah Rogers (special needs) school in Ivybridge, Devon.
The band featured in the Guinness Book of World Records, until 2006, when the record was beaten.
Music journalist Mick Mercer's 1997 book The Hex Files: The Goth Bible, references The Bus Station Loonies for their 18-minute reggae rendition of The Sisters of Mercy composition, "Temple of Love". In October 2008, said version (from their debut album) was nominated on a live broadcast on BBC Radio 6 as 'one of the best cover versions of all-time' (The Music Week with Julie Cullen and Matt Everitt).
The Bus Station Loonies recently completed recording their second full-length album. Entitled Midget Gems, it is due for release on their own Ruptured Ambitions record label in Summer 2010 and features eighth guitarist Angus Old (real name Phil Cawse) and recently recruited ninth guitarist Chris "The Machine" Mildren.
The band's frontman, Chris Wheelie, is currently involved in a solo project Harakiri Karaoke, as well as drumming with several friends' bands on a stand-in basis (including Eastfield, Anarcho Folko, HIV and The Positives, and his old band, originally formed in 1989, C.D.S.).
Read more about Bus Station Loonies: Discography
Famous quotes containing the words bus station, bus and/or station:
“In the dime stores and bus stations,
People talk of situations,
Read books, repeat quotations,
Draw conclusions on the wall.”
—Bob Dylan [Robert Allen Zimmerman] (b. 1941)
“David: All the reporters are on the bus.
Lucas: Okay, start the bus then. And drive them over a cliff.”
—Jeremy Larner, U.S. screenwriter, and Michael Ritchie. David (Chris Prey)
“With boys you always know where you stand. Right in the path of a hurricane. It’s all there. The fruit flies hovering over their waste can, the hamster trying to escape to cleaner air, the bedrooms decorated in Early Bus Station Restroom.”
—Erma Bombeck (20th century)