Manchester, UK. (Top40 Charts/ Sonic Boom Six Official Website) - Following a successful tour of the East Coast earlier this year, U.K.'s Sonic Boom Six expand their reach on their U.S. return, bringing their updated brand of ska-punk to the nation. The Manchester-based quartet (Laila K, vocals and raps; Ben C guitar and vocals; Barney Boom, bass and vocals; Neil 'Madfish' McMinn, drums and samples; Nicholas Horne, horns) is expanding more than their touring schedule. Called 'one of the most inventive U.K. punk bands,' the classically-trained members of SB6 are known for mixing a wide range of diverse influences, taking ska to another level while staying true to the art form's traditions.
Few bands can so smoothly mix dancefloor-savvy elements of reggae, jungle and ska with the rigorous commentary of hip-hop whilst retaining enough grit and aggression to be an active fixture of the UK's punk scene. 'We have the advantage of being exotic,' says bassist Barney Boom. 'I definitely think there's a part of our sound that's uniquely British. There's still a lot of the reggae and dance hall tradition that's come up in the U.K. There's the drum-and-bass that we're pulling in there that's a lot more authentic in the sense that that's something we've grown up with first hand and we're adding it into punk. It's exotic in the sense that it's something that comes from a genuine place.'
These influences and those drawn from American ska are evident in SB6's current full-length, 'Arcade Perfect,' released on the band's own imprint, Rebel Alliance. Sonic Boom Six released their first two EPs on Moon Ska Europe before signing to Deck Cheese Records in the UK for their acclaimed debut album, 'The Ruff Guide to Genre-Terrorism,' which they promoted with a Radio One Punk Show session and followed up with festival appearances at Glastonbury, Rebellion and the Lock-Up Stage at Reading and Leeds festivals.
During their last tour, the response was immediate; the intensity building even quicker than it had for the band on their native soil. They expect nothing less on their return trip, seeing the American market through a decidedly positive lens and with a challenging message for their new fans. 'While it's all good to be part of a scene with the idea of people being together at a gig, we personify the idea that your own ideas and your own direction, looking at the world for yourself, is the way forward,' says Barney Boom. 'Question everything! And be your own person.'
Sonic Boom Six - Fall Tour
Oct 23 CMJ Music Festival New York, NY
Oct 25 YMCA Norwich, CT
Oct 26 Ukrainian National Syracuse, NY
Oct 27 Dubland Underground Rochester, NY
Oct 28 Club Diablo Buffalo, NY
Oct 29 The Haunt Ithaca, NY
Oct 31 Middle East Downstairs Cambridge, MA
Nov 1 Knitting Factory New York, NY
Nov 2 Knitting Factory Hollywood, CA
Nov 4 Tudor Pub South Lake Tahoe, CA
Nov 6 Heart Attack Palmdale, CA
Nov 7 Channel Twelve 25 San Diego, CA
Nov 8 Hogue Barmichael's Newport Beach, CA
Nov 9 Bunkhouse Saloon Las Vegas, NV
Nov 11 The Sets Tempe, AZ
Nov 12 Zeppelin's El Paso, TX
Nov 13 Rock Bottom San Antonio, TX
Nov 14 The Prophet Bar Dallas, TX
Nov 15 High Ground New Orleans, LA
Nov 17 Pastimes Pub Sarasota, FL
Nov 18 Churchill's Miami, FL
Nov 19 Masquerade Atlanta, GA
Nov 20 The Muse Nashville, TN
Nov 22 Middle East Downstairs Cambridge, MA
