Nightingales UK Tour 2026

 

Birmingham's original punk group The Prefects had been part of The Clash's 'White Riot Tour',recorded a couple of Peel sessions, released a 45 on Rough Trade and, years after splitting up, had aretrospective CD released by NY label Acute Records to allround glowing reviews-from RollingStone to webzines.The Nightingales was formed by a few members of The Prefects following that band's demise in1979.Described in John Robb's definitive book on post punk ("Death To Trad Rock") as "The misfits'misfits" and comprising an ever fluctuating line up, based around lyricist/singer Robert Lloyd, theNightingales enjoyed cult status in the early '80's as darlings of the credible music scene and werechampioned by John Peel, who said of them-"Their performances will serve to confirm theirexcellence when we are far enough distanced from the 1980's to look at the period rationally andother, infinitely better known, bands stand revealed as charlatans".The group recorded a bunch of critically acclaimed singles-pretty much always 'Single Of The Week'in the music press-and three albums, plus many radio sessions for their great supporter Peel. Theyalso regularly toured the UK and Northern Europe, as headliners and supporting acts as diverse as BoDiddley and Nico.In the late Eighties the Nightingales stopped working but, following the occasional gig betweentimes, they re-grouped in 2004.After fucking about with various part timers, starry eyed wastrels, precious sorts and mercenariesthe group arrived at a long standing line up, which featured Lloyd, Andreas Schmid from Faust onbass, ex Violet Violet wonder drummer Fliss Kitson and on guitar James Smith, who Lloyd hadspotted playing with Damo Suzuki.Since restarting the group have been more productive thanever-releasing seven vinyl singles, acouple of EPs, two 6 song mini albums, nine full length studio albums plus a movie soundtrack and adouble live LP. They have regularly toured UK, mainland Europe and also the USA numerous times,playing various festivals and recording many radio sessions along the way.The band continue to operate with no actual manager, booking agent, et al, but they get by. Andthey work equally well with pop musicians, rock n rollers and the avant garde. The group isindependent,maverick, diligent, daft, blah blah.Until recent times the Nightingales made one record for a label and then, by choice or otherwise,moved on. But in 2017 they started going steady with Tiny Global Productions.The first TGP release was the sold out "Become Not Becoming" 10" EP, followed in 2018 by a 45rpmcollaboration with Vic Godard-"Commercial Suicide Man"-and another critically acclaimed 'Galesalbum "Perish The Thought" and to support this album the group toured Europe extensively, fromScotlandto Serbia.2019 saw the recording of a new album plus filming of a feature length Nightingales documentaryfilm, "King Rocker"-written and presented by brilliant stand up comedian Stewart Lee, directed byMichael Cumming ('Brass Eye', 'Toast Of London',etc).The album, "Four Against Fate", was released in May 2020 but unfortunately the accompanying UKtour had to be postponed, several times, until late 2021 and pencilled European and U.S shows werecancelled until much later.