Lightyear were a UK
7-piece
ska punk band. They formed in
1997 in Derby
, England
.
They signed to
Household Name
Records in 2001, and the band released two full-length albums
via the label. During their career, Lightyear also released a split
EP with friends
Evil Macaroni, a 'demo' and contributed to
several international
punk compilation
CDs.
Biography
Lightyear mixed punk, hardcore and pop influences into their songs
and rapidly became one of the most dynamic and unpredictable UK
bands. The Lightyear live experience was described as "a bouncing,
energy driven orgy of jumping brass, diving vocalists, more than
frequent nakedness, underpinned by infectious tunes that leave
every foot tapping" , although it wasn't always that way according
to vocalist Chas Palmer-Williams:
"
Our first gig was at the Victoria Inn in 1998. We
were atrocious. I can't believe they even allowed us to
play."
Lightyear released their debut album '
Call of the Weasel Clan' in October
2001.
Although Lightyear were committed to the independent ethos of punk
rock , they also gained fans and a reputation in the underground
scene for their riotous antics . Since their first gig in their
hometown of Derby in 1998, the band have been on tour with
Capdown,
Mad Caddies,
Goldfinger,
Slow Gherkin,
311,
Mustard Plug,
Save Ferris,
Nerf
Herder,
The Peacocks,
Link 80 and
Suicide Machines. They also played at the
infamous 'Holidays in the Sun' for two years running (alongside
The Business,
The Exploited and more). Lightyear's summer of
2002 finished with appearances at the
Carling Weekend Festivals with such modern
punk luminaries as
Sick Of It All and
Alkaline Trio; one of the career
highlights for the band:
"
At Reading and Leeds there were banners and all these people
singing along - that has to be up there,"
In contrast, Lightyear have also played with one hit wonders
OPM, and in February 2003 they were
invited to support
Steve-O from MTV's
Jackass show on a sell out UK
tour. They were later kicked off this tour by a promoter whom
vocalist Chas described as 'the absolute bonehead' in an interview
with
Punktastic.
Second album and 2003 split
Tiring of the rock business, and with extensive touring taking its
toll on inter-band friendships, Lightyear made the decision to
split in early 2003. They decided that the split would take place
after recording a second album of original material and touring
twice more; once in support of the album, and a farewell tour in
August / September of the year. All of the members maintained that
they had no regrets about the band, and simply wished to end the
experience remaining as friends with one another.
Chas Palmer-Williams stated in an interview with The Week Out, an
entertainment column in the Derby Evening Telegraph:
"
We have spent most of the last three years touring - 180 shows
last year, 150 the year before. We have been almost
constantly away from family and friends. We also felt that
we had hit a glass ceiling. It seems that you have to be
American and have a big label plugging you to go any further.
It's hard to make headway on an independent label above the
level we have reached.
It's important to us that we finish as friends and look back on
it all as good times. When you sit in a van with the same
group of people day in, day out, there are bound to be
tensions. We could have done another year and made a bit
more money but if that's all we were doing it for, would we have
still been friends?"
Lightyear
entered the studio in April 2003 to begin work on the highly
anticipated second album - oddly entitled Chris
Gentlemens Hairdresser and Railway Book Shop (named after
the establishment in Derby where band
member Neil Draycott in particular - who is bald - supposedly has
his hair cut) - with top UK producer Dave Chang (Capdown, 4ft Fingers,
Consumed, earthtone9).
Chris
Gentlemens Hairdresser and Railway Book Shop was released in
July 2003 to
critical acclaim and accompanied by a
seventeen-date tour with long-time friends
Captain Everything! and
Jerry-built (whom bassist Bars joined following
Lightyear's split), running from 14 July to 2 August.
Last 'Ever' Gig!
Lightyear
played what was supposed to be their last show on Friday 26
September 2003 at the Assembly Rooms in Derby, UK. They
were supported by Evil Macaroni,
Captain Everything! (who appeared
onstage with a
polystyrene
gravestone that read
R.I.P.
Lightyear, lightheartedly stating that it was their
intention to "dance on Lightyear's grave") and
Adequate Seven. The set for this gig ran as
follows:
- Nuff Cuts
- Three Basics
- A Twat Out of Hell
- Life Jacket, Water Wings
- Blindside
- Old Acquaintance
- Data's Double Chin
- Ooh No, Not Me Arteries!
- On
this occasion, the vocals on this song were in fact performed by
three friends of the band hailing from Darlington
.
- That's the Way it Goes, Big Nose
- Shortly after performing this song, Neil Draycott treated
the audience to an abridged rendition of
Lisa Loeb's 1994 hit, "Stay ".
- Positive Outlook
- Pre-teen Propaganda
- Spot Check
- Whispering Ron Vs. Maz
- Kid Dynamite
Encore:
- Uri Geller Bent My Heart
- During the performance of the notoriously long bridge of this song, some friends of the band
and members of the support bands took place in an onstage game of
"Naked Kabaddi".
- A Pack of Dogs
Lightyear ...Would Like to Apologise in Advance
On May 9 2006, DJ
Mike
Davies announced on the
Radio 1 Lock
Up Show that Lightyear would be reforming for a fortnight long tour
around the United Kingdom, finishing in their hometown of Derby.
Originally dubbed the “Twelve Days of Chaos” tour, it was renamed
the “Lightyear ...Would Like to Apologise in Advance” tour as more
promoters took interest.
Davies, a personal fan of the
band, went so far as to invite them to play a set on his
Radio 1 Lock Up stage at the
Carling Weekend Festivals at Reading and
Leeds.
During their Reading set, Chas spent the majority of the set naked
and Mark Wood surfed across the crowd during "Kid Dynamite",
eventually scaling the centre pillar of the circus tent and about
50 feet above the crowd where he played his trumpet. Chas later
recounted his delight in making friends with rapper
Ice-T.
Lightyear
split up on stage for the second time on Saturday 26 August 2006 at
the CarlingWeekend Festival at
Bramham
Park
, Leeds
.
During the set, bassist Bars approached the microphone and
addressed the crowd:
"We're splitting up today. We were really emotional
the first time... but this time we don't give a shit!"
Shortly
after their Carling Weekend performances, Lightyear performed a
final 'friends & family only' gig at The Vic Inn,
Derby.
On the 19th of July 2007, Chas announced via bulletins on both his
personal and Lightyear's official MySpace pages that Lightyear
would be playing another 'one-off' show, with proceeds going to
help former member Kraig's mother. The venue was the Darwin Suite
of the Derby Assembly Rooms, and the benefit show took place on
Friday the 2nd of November 2007.
Members
Guest Musicians
Discography
Albums
EPs
Singles
External links
Wikis
Map
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