This is a translation of the historical and preview piece that Pacopepe Gil wrote at Plastico Elastico earlier this year:
The Distractions are bidding farewell with a new album, "Kindly Leave The Stage", which will be their third and last album
THE PUNK PIONEERS WERE MANCHESTER'S NEW WAVE IN '77
By Pacopepe Gil
On May 12, veteran British punk band The Distractions will say goodbye with the release of a new album, "Kindly Leave The Stage". It will be the third album in the career of the Manchester group after its stunning debut in 1980 with "Nobody's Perfect".
The thing about these guys is truly a world record. Nothing less than 32 years happened between the publication of his first LP and the appearance of the second one, "The End of the Pier", released in 2012 via Occultation Recordings. Five years later and with the same label they publish a third work that suggest it's also their final farewell.
Formed in 1975 by two colleagues, singer Mike Finney and guitarist Steve Perrin, The Distractions plunged into punk rock from '77 with a punk rock sound with sixties influences. At the time and as was style, logically the group ended up rubbing shoulders with groups like Magazine, Buzzcocks and Joy Division. In 1978 they released their first record, an EP entitled "You're Not Going Out Dressed Like That", published by TJM Records.
After releasing a new single with the song "Time Goes By So Slow", released by Factory Records, they signed for Island Records, who released a couple of singles, "It Does not Bother Me" backed with"One Way Love" and the other, "Boys Cry" with "Paracetamol Paralysis" on the reverse. Then came the album "Nobody's Perfect", which contained some of the previous singles and a handful of new songs that featured an urgent band with a lot of fuss that made a restless mix of new wave and punk. As the album did not have good sales, that ended in separation.
Finney and Perry continued making music in different projects and at the end of the '90s they met and recorded some stuff. At the beginning of 2010 they got together to chat about the old days and revisited those tapes which resulted in EP through Occultation Recordings under the title of "Black Velvet". And as one thing led to another, they ended up in the studio recording a new EP, "Come Home".
Eventually they recorded an LP, "The End Of The Pier", which came to light in August 2012 and even toured the UK [well, August and September 2012 in Salford!]. A second youth.
Five years later, The Distractions have achieved much more. On the one hand, a retrospective entitled "Age + Geography" and covers practically their entire career and will hit the market under the umbrella of HiddenMasters. And also a new album, "Kindly Leave The Stage" by Occultation Recordings, with which also be their final album.
The new LP goes on sale next May 12 and will do so on 180 gram vinyl, CD and digital download. There will also be a limited edition of 250 copies that will include the LP and CD, plus a 10" mini-LP, "The Distractions Go Dark", with inner sleeve notes written by Steve Perrin. The first hundred copies will include a poster and a postcard. This deluxe edition will only be available through the Occultation Recordings label and its partners in the Southern Hemisphere, Fishrider Records.
Until always, The Distractions.
For our Spanish friends, here's the original article:
The Distractions se despiden con un nuevo disco “Kindly Leave The Stage” será su tercer y último álbum
FUERON PIONEROS DEL PUNK Y LA NEW WAVE DE MANCHESTER EN EL '77
Pacopepe Gil
El próximo 12 de mayo, la veterana banda punk británica The Distractions dirán adiós con la edición de un nuevo disco, “Kindly Leave The Stage”. Será el tercer álbum en la carrera del grupo de Manchester tras su impactante debut en 1980 con “Nobody´s Perfect”.
Lo de estos chicos es verdaderamente de record mundial. Nada menos que 32 años tuvieron que pasar entre la publicación de su primer disco y la aparición del segundo, “The End of The Pier”, publicado en 2012 a través de Occultation Recordings. Cinco años más tarde y con el mismo sello editan un tercer trabajo que, además, supone su definitiva despedida.
Formados en 1975 de la mano de dos colegas, el cantante Mike Finney y el guitarrista Steve Perrin, The Distractions se sumergió en la movida punk del 77 con un sonido de punk rock con influencias sesenteras. Por la época y el estilo, lógicamente el grupo terminó codeándose con formaciones como Magazine, Buzzcocks o Joy Division. En 1979 sacaron su primer disco, un EP titulado “You´re Not Going Out Dressed Like That”, publicado por Factory Records.
Tras publicar un nuevo single con la canción “Time Goes By So Slow”, ficharon por Island Records, que les publicó un par de sencillos, uno con “It Doesn´t Bother Me” y “One Way Love” y el otro con “Boys Cry” y “Paracetamol Paralysis” en el reverso. Entonces llegó el álbum “Nobody´s Perfect”, que contenía algunos de los singles previos y un puñado de temas nuevos que mostraban una banda urgente y con mucho desparpajo que hacía una inquieta mezcla de new wave y punk. Como el disco no tuvo buenas ventas, aquello terminó en separación.
Finney y Perry siguieron haciendo música en diferentes proyectos y a finales de los 90 se reunieron y grabaron alguna cosilla. A principios de 2010 se volvieron a juntar para charlar y trabajar sobre aquellas cintas que terminaron editadas como un EP a través de Occultation Recordings bajo el título de “Black Velvet”. Y como una cosa trajo otra y terminaron en el estudio grabando un nuevo EP, “Come Home”.
Al final le cogieron gustillo al asunto y grabaron un LP, “The End Of The Pier”, que salió a la luz en agosto de 2012 e incluso hicieron una gira por el Reino Unido. Una segunda juventud.
Cinco años más tarde, The Distraction han completado varias cosas. Por un lado una retrospectiva titulada “Parabolically Yours” y que cubre prácticamente toda su carrera y que sale al mercado bajo el paraguas de HiddenMasters. Y además un nuevo álbum, “Kindly Leave The Stage” mediante Occultation Recordings, con el que además dan por finiquitada su existencia.
El nuevo LP sale a la venta el próximo 12 de mayo y lo hará en vinilo de 10 gramos, en CD y en descarga digital. También habrá una edición Deluxe limitada de 250 unidades que incluirá el LP y el CD, un 10” mini-LP, “The Distractions Go Dark”, con notas interiores escritas por Steve Perrin. Los cien primeros ejemplares incluirán un poster y una tarjeta. Este pack Deluxe sólo estará disponible a través del sello Occultation Recordings y de sus socios en el hemisferio sur Fishrider Records.
Hasta siempre, The Distractions.
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