BASTI

Paul Thompson (Vocals/samples), Ian MacGregor (Drums), Steve Appleton (Guitar), Mark Wernham (Bass), Mark Howe (Guitar), David Clark (Drums), Karin Abram (Vocals/ Saxophone)

An industrial rock band incorporating early sampling and dance techniques – we toured extensively across the UK.

Entire performance

Filmed from the desk of the University of Warsaw 1988

Have Found X-Ray Machine

Filmed from the stage of the University of Warsaw 1988

Promo Vid

Cut by Ian and Mark in Brighton 1989

Cub Crush

Video filmed in Nottingham University 1989

Sound City

1992

 

Live at Lion Street (Oakengates, Telford)

8th March 1991

Transmission TV interview

1990

Basti Selection International

1992

Spongey

1990

Culture

Photo by Simon Couzens taken in Salford 1989

SPAG BSPFC

1999

City Girl

Photoshoot in Bermondsey 1992

Basti 'B'

1991

Buddy

2012

New York Seltzer

2012

Anytime

1990

Culture

1991

Headshot

1991

Buddy

1991

Reunion

2012

Reunion

2012

 





























































































































 

















































mr_pearls_brain Feb 15 2019

I saw Basti live in 1991, supporting Curve, with whom they totally wiped the floor. They had 2 drummers, which almost always equals awesome: even 2 drummers playing in unison rock harder than just the one. They had skronking sax and equally skronking guitars and they kicked it up a storm. Twenty five plus years later it occurs to me they had probably heard James Chance and the Contortions. No Wave plus samples is a not unfair description.

The album is not perfect but has some really good highlights. It starts strongly with "Culture" based on the quote from Goebbels "When I hear the word culture, I reach for my revolver", sax is prominent, a lot of samples and quite a thick mid-range mix so you really need to turn it up. The next highlight is NYS, with a riff that begins by copping Peter Gunn, but then goes its own way. "Tangle with the caped crusader / lemonade and baked potato" they wurble, nonsensically.

Over on side 2 "Buddy" has menacing synthy noises and repeats "He's my buddy / he's my buddy/ he's my buddy with the three box hat" over and over until you'd believe it has meaning (it doesn't). Could be they're saying "boks"? I dunno…

One of the other tracks on side 2 (might be "Zombies") has the vocal exchange "I had a dream / You bastard!" while the two drummers and the guitarist treat us to some polyrhythms.

The rest of the album isn't quite as good as the above highlights and it fizzles out on side 2, although the closing "Soap Opera" is pretty strong. Well worth it for the highlights if you can seek it out.


From Last.fm

Biography
From the sleeve notes of the DVD 'Basti, Norwich, England':
Like some kind of hideous mythical creature bred in the wild flatlands of Norfolk, Basti emerged into the underground pop scene of the late 1980s like a virulent pox of straight-edge, vegetarian, party-spoiling motherfuckers. Pleasant bands with jangly guitars ruled the roost back then, but Basti, with their fierce punk stomp, sampled chainsaw noise and bad attitude, didn't fit in.

The band was an unwieldy seven-piece. They had two drummers - a form of madness not witnessed since the Glitter Band in 1974 - two guitarists, two singers, one of whom played sax, while the other hit a sampler with his fists, and a bass player. They made a truly head-splitting racket that harnessed a frantic celluloid-inspired faux rage, with songs inspired in part by their favourite films, the rest a by-product of living together in an isolated bungalow on the outskirts of Norwich where they rehearsed, wrote songs, made films and lifted weights.

This weird art school/redneck isolation led to songs like New York Seltzer, which would become their first, self-financed, release. Its mangled hard-boiled Peter Gunn riff gave more than one critic the idea that Basti was a product of the ghettos of America. The song was actually about a brand of fizzy drink then being marketed in the UK. Another song sharing this penchant for apparently mundane subject matter was the early live favourite Sticky, a song about things that are sticky, like Sellotape, taco mixture, warm Tarmac and "situations". Further detailing of skewiff domestic minutia came with Soap Opera, a song about a typical day in the Basti household ("…always had to go to the bank first…") The rest were mostly inspired by films: Ro Ro Ro was a paean to Dirty Harry, E.E. was a delirious reading of disaster movies, specifically The Towering Inferno, and Zombies paid homage to George A. Romero's Dawn Of The Dead. Politics and cultural hysteria also provided material for Basti songwriting; Man At CIA concerned itself with American foreign policy (and Arnold Schwarzenegger), while Cub Crush predicted the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and sampled the Islamic call to prayer for good measure. The political insight may have been simplistic ("That mad bastard sees only what he wants to see…" they screamed about Ayatollah Khomeni, going on to ask listeners what would happen if the west came under Shariah law; "…ever wondered what would happen if the lights went out and the advertising stopped?"), but it was delivered with an urgency that gave Basti unstoppable momentum.

In 1988, still without a record deal, Basti toured Poland. When they got back to Norwich, they were quickly signed first by a management company, and then by Way Cool Records. All of Basti's mental chaos was thrown into their debut album, enigmatically entitled B. It was recorded in 1989 at Suite 16 in Rochdale, the studio formerly known as Cargo, where The Fall, Joy Division and The Stone Roses had all made records, and Basti were rubbing shoulders with studio owner Peter Hook, buying Joe Bloggs clothes in Manchester and were on the guest list at the Hacienda.

In the end, none of it got them anywhere. John Peel played their records from time to time, they toured relentlessly, first in their ex-local authority high-top yellow Ford Transit with a tail-lift for wheelchairs, later in Cambridge United FC's former Ford Transit. They shared bills with the likes of Richie-era Manic Street Preachers, The Shamen, Mudhoney, The Prodigy and then-darlings of the indie scene Curve. The NME and Melody Maker pretended to like them and various major labels threatened to sign them for a while, having mistakenly imagined them to be another cute Brit pop group in the mould of Jesus Jones and EMF (two UK bands then enjoying the Number 1 and 2 spots in the US charts). But after four years or so, Basti ground to a halt. With Way Cool Records folding, and no major label coming in to pick up the pieces, morale collapsed. Despite Radio 1 airing an entire 30 minutes of Basti live the night before, three members unspectacularly quit the band one Saturday in April, 1992. A four-piece incarnation of Basti hobbled on for another year, recording some demos for Island Records and touring with Meat Beat Manifesto, but the band they called Basti was finished.
Basti - no one ever really knew what it was all about, least of all the members of the band themselves. May the blessing of Allah be upon them.




dokka.chapman 8 Nov 2020

Edited 2 years ago

Forming in Norwich in the late 80's as something of a local indie supergroup Basti's sole album 'B' is a cacophony of styles that ultimately walk the fine line between the US Alt. Rock scene and the Grebo sound that was prevalent around the Midlands. Leaning on the experimental roots of the Indie genre the band were able to create a record that where each song offers something different, weaving their way around both pop & underground vibes with extraordinary ease. 
From the rawcus introduction with 'Culture' that appears Industrial in its tone, to the college radio cult classics 'Sticky' and 'Have Found X-Ray Machine' the album cuts an anarchic edge that is rarely rarely seen. There are also elements of the Seattle Grunge scene sported in the track 'Soap Opera', a hint of rockabilly in the spy fuelled 'N.Y.S.', a ripping Post Punk groove on 'Ro. Ro. Ro.' and even a pinch of Groove Metal seen in the erupting chant laden 'Buddy', all coming together to showcase a fantastic overview of early 90's music & culture in 15 catchy tunes.
Though the band have been largely lost to time this record is certainly something to check out if you're looking for something a little edgier from the Indie sound. If you love the likes of Butthole Surfers, Gaye Bykers On Acid, Killing Joke and Zodiac Mindwarp this is a record that is certainly worthy of a reissue sometime in the future (perhaps adding some of their rare b-sides on the end as a bonus).

 



189 CURVE, Basti, Oxford Venue, Saturday 1 June 1991

My first and hopefully last time at this horrendously dilapidated venue, packed to the gills with the converted and the curious (i.e me, and also Richard Branson who was here tonight!). A dank wooden firetrap of a place doesn't inspire confidence at the best of times, but it certainly gives you a bad feeling when you're crammed in with sweaty punters. Also, had an interminably long wait for the support band!

However, when they arrived, Basti were worth the wait; an aggressive, "in your face" style of guitar funk rock made for a loud, chunky and enjoyable set enhanced by an energetic frontman. Ady reckoned they were like, "the Poppies with a slapper." So much better than that sounds, though!

Curve kept us waiting until 11.30. They are the media "press darlings" at the moment, but honestly sound like Lush cast-offs with a heavier, funkier base. Vocalist Toni Halliday projected an untouchable "ice maiden" image no doubt borrowed from Siouxsie Sioux, as the band played the same song 10 times. I actually quite enjoyed it, in a perverse way, but new? Groundbreaking? Give me a break, people...

Posted by David Rose at 20:29




Norwich Music Wiki

Biography
One of Norwich's few "Supergroups", Basti was formed in the late 1980s by members of The Herman Herd and Eva Valve. The two bands used to share a rehearsal space and were both very active in the Norwich Venue Campaign at around that time. Most of the members were also involved in The Waterfront. When Basti split up in 1993, four of the members went on to form Globo.
From the sleeve notes of the DVD ‘Basti, Norwich, England’:
Like some kind of hideous mythical creature bred in the wild flatlands of Norfolk, Basti emerged into the underground pop scene of the late 1980s like a virulent pox of straight-edge, vegetarian, party-spoiling motherfuckers. Pleasant bands with jangly guitars ruled the roost back then, but Basti, with their fierce punk stomp, sampled chainsaw noise and bad attitude, didn’t fit in.
The band was an unwieldy seven-piece. They had two drummers - a form of madness not witnessed since the Glitter Band in 1974 - two guitarists, two singers, one of whom played sax, while the other hit a sampler with his fists, and a bass player. They made a truly head-splitting racket that harnessed a frantic celluloid-inspired faux rage, with songs inspired in part by their favourite films, the rest a by-product of living together in an isolated bungalow on the outskirts of Norwich where they rehearsed, wrote songs, made films and lifted weights.
This weird art school/redneck isolation led to songs like New York Seltzer, which would become their first, self-financed, release. Its mangled hard-boiled Peter Gunn riff gave more than one critic the idea that Basti was a product of the ghettos of America. The song was actually about a brand of fizzy drink then being marketed in the UK.

Personnel
Paul Thompson (vocals and samples)
Karin Abram (vocals and saxophone)
Steve Appleton (guitar)
Mark Howe (guitar)
Mark Wernham (bass)
Ian McGregor (drums)
Dave Clark (drums)

Discography
Basti Is Fantastic
12 Inch - UK - Submerge - 1992
4 Track Incl A Tribute To Norwich City Fc Pic Sleeve (SUB01TS)

Spongey
Way Cool Records - Way 7 - Vinyl, 12" - 1990
A1 Spongey
A2 Anytime
B Anytime (Submerge Mix)
Remix - DJ Checks , Paulo Apollo

Bleach / Basti - Wipe It Away / Man At C.I.A.
Way Cool Records - Way 12 - Vinyl, 7", Single, Limited Edition - 1991
Tracklisting:
A Bleach - Wipe It Away (Demo Version)
B Basti - Man At C.I.A.

B
Way Cool records UK 1991. WAY009LP
15 track CD

BSPEP
Way Cool Records UK 1991
Tracklisting:
East River:
Headshot:
Reach Out:
Crash Team

New York Seltzer Basti Records 1989:
Tracklisting::
New York Seltzer:
Cop Cars & Insects:
Tango:
Have Found X-Ray Machine
Backs - BA 001 - 4 track EP

 







The above is a lovely quote from Karen Reilly of the Neutrinos taken from
Robin Fullers brilliant 'Hatching Crows' podcast

 

Join The Singles Club
by Adam Green

essential advice on pressing your own record

You've written a song to guarantee mega-stardom, but the record companies won't listen to your demo. Adam Green explains how to beat the majors at their own game, and release your own single.
EVERY WEEK A hundred new albums and singles are released. Only between five and ten actually chart, and countless numbers of bands (more often than not putting out their first release) pour their hard-earned cash into a product that ultimately ends up in the bargain bin at their local record shop. Making your own record is about 10% fun and 90% expense and aggravation. It gets even worse after you've left the studio. Then you have to deal with the hassle of actually getting the thing out so that people can buy it. But has this ever stopped anyone? Not on your life...

No-one can deny that the idea of having something that you can stick on your stereo and play to your friends is still appealing, but first you've got to decide what you want the record for, and crucially how much you can afford to spend. If you want to sell it at gigs or end up with something a bit like a souvenir, think about whether the cheaper options of a flexi-disc or a decently recorded tape would do. If you want to promote yourself amongst the A&R barons of the majors, you might still get away with a (brilliant) tape and a lot of hustling, although it's widely accepted that some record companies will pay more attention to a band who are committed enough to splash the cash on some vinyl product. If you genuinely want to flog some copies, then it looks as though the 12" single is your best bet — distributors won't settle for anything less. Whatever you decide to do, it's a long journey from having the idea in the pub to finally getting the record on your hi-fi...
HANDS ON HEADPHONES, ROCKSTAR AT WORK
THE EARLY '80s saw a spate of punk bands release singles that sounded like (or even had) been recorded on a cassette recorder, or had been taken live off the mixing desk at gigs. Nowadays most bands will use some form of multi-tracking whether in a home or commercial recording studio. Normally each individual performer is allocated a separate channel on the tape, and once it's all been recorded, all of the constituent elements are readjusted both in terms of tone and volume. This "mix" is then transferred, in stereo, to an open-reel tape, 1/4" wide.

Whether you decide to use a four track portastudio or opt for the full power of a 24-track commercial set-up will depend on what sort of sound you're looking for and how your band is made up. Broadly speaking, bands who have standard acoustic drums tend to use studios providing at least 24 tracks when they record a single. It is difficult to get a decent drum sound unless each piece of the kit (hi-hat, crash and ride cymbals, kick, floor, snare and tom tom drums) is given its own track. Going to an eight track studio would leave three channels for the rest of the band!

If you're in a band that uses an electronic kit or drum machine/sequencer, it is quite possible to get away with using less tracks. Each drum sound can be pre-mixed and a signal fed through one channel (two if the equipment has a stereo output). Having said that, most successful engineers prefer to record keyboards in mono because the sound is invariably cleaner. Similarly, rappers using record decks can often take advantage of this configuration; the most celebrated example being Bomb The Bass who recorded their chart hit 'Beat Dis' on four track.

Before you go into the studio, decide generally what sort of sound you want. Perhaps you'll need to record "live" and just overdub the vocals. Some bands prefer to record each element completely separately at different times. A compromise between two approaches does exist: the band plays each song together, but only selected elements are actually recorded while the other parts merely act as "guides".

Although many bands will have experience of some recording through doing demo tapes, it is often tempting to try and use all of the extra equipment offered by a larger studio. Basti, a Norwich seven-piece who have recently released a debut 12" single, warn against this.

"Unless you've got endless time in the studio, don't start using the technology for the sake of it. I don't think anyone's got enough time to learn how to master it in two or three days. Although it's worth checking out a studio's range of effects, don't inadvertently end up paying for gear you don't need through higher studio rates."

While you are in the studio, it's often difficult to distance yourself and be able to tell whether something genuinely sounds good or not. It is often a good idea to bring someone sympathetic along to lend a pair of unbiased ears. Failing that, you can also spread the recording and mixing sessions over different days.

A studio is really only as good as its engineer. Spend a fair bit of time asking around, and if possible, listen to samples of previous work.

It is fairly standard for bands to expect two or three days' recording to yield enough material for a four-song EP. How much it'll cost all depends on which route you take. Budget on £250-£350 for 16-track, and in excess of £400 for a 24-track studio.
NOT THE RECORD PRESSING STAGE
SO YOU'VE DONE the recording and you emerge into the daylight, clutching your tape in hand. You want to turn it into a record, and the pressing company seems the next logical step, but steady on! There may be a better option. If you just want to sell your product at gigs or give them to your friends, start looking for somewhere that'll do the job you want. If you're looking at "shifting some units" (man), go and see a record distributor before you press anything.

"Bands often come and see us when it's too late", Derek Chapman, of Backs Distribution explains. "They turn up with something complete, that doesn't fit our requirements. If you aren't bothered about having a thousand copies of your record sitting under the bed, then fine, but if you are, come and see us first."

Distributors come in two main varieties; ones that are linked to major record companies, and others — like Backs — who operate independently but group themselves into a national network called The Cartel. Very basically, without the help of a distributor, you're unlikely to get your record stocked anywhere outside your town and it definitely won't find its way into the likes of HMV and Our Price. As Basti put it: "getting a distribution deal is the next best thing to getting a record deal," and to a certain extent, distributors have the same outlook as record companies.

"Ultimately, you've got to sell your record to retailers", Derek continues. "And if you turn up with something that looks awful or sounds terrible, we're wasting our time."

Generally, distributors will want to hear a tape and see at least some rough artwork to gain an idea of what your record's going to look like, before they'll consider doing anything. They won't distribute cassettes or flexi-discs, and the poor old 7" single seems to have fallen from favour. Derek Chapman: "As distributors, we get virtually nothing back from seven inchers. We sell the record to retailers for a fixed price and they'll charge whatever they can for it, but we only get 35% of the price we charge the dealer in the first place. For a 7", after we've taken off our costs we'll be lucky to see 5p profit. We also can't export 7" singles to the Continent, where there's a demand for them, because we'll lose even that 5p in export tax."

Independent distributors prefer to deal with established record labels. One way unknown bands have managed to overcome that particular hurdle has been to set up or get involved with a local label (Subway in Bristol, and Bite Back in Portsmouth are good examples) who consistently put out records and have built up a sort of brand loyalty.

There are six distributors associated with The Cartel across the country (and that doesn't include specialists who deal in jazz, world music, and the like) so how do you know which ones to approach? Most of them retain a bias towards their own regional area, but not to the exclusion of others. You'll also find that certain distributors will tend to deal with certain styles of music. Check these out in a magazine called The Catalogue (available from independent record shops) which lists the sort of material each company is dealing with at the moment.
THE HARD COPY
COMING UP WITH a finished record involves coordinating a lot of different processes, from physically producing the record — along with everything that entails — to ensuring the whole package is complete with inner/outer sleeves and labels. A lot of bands are surprised to discover just how important (and expensive) this last part can really be. Mark of Basti explains: "Doing the sleeve and the label may seem as though it's not important, but it is. Distributors will want to make sure you've got things like a catalogue number and 'Made in England' written on it somewhere. Even if you decide to do a simple cover, you can easily find yourself spending as much on that as you might on the rest of the record."

Basti's 12" sleeve consists of one extra colour (blue) printed on black and white, and seems to be the option that most bands doing their first single go for. It's up to you whether you pay someone to design it for you, but even if you don't, you'll find yourself shelling out for typesetting (a commercial version of "Letrasetting"). Finally, the finished artwork has to be assembled so that it can be printed. If you manage to get it right, you'll be looking at about £180 plus VAT (Indie Pressing Service in London) for printing outer sleeves and labels, and providing inner sleeves for a 12" single. Basti, though, have no hesitation in recommending a graphic designer.

"Designers are expensive (about £150), but you can really tell the difference between something a professional has done and something your mate has. We had a problem with the company who were doing our sleeves. They basically made a mess of it and were trying to make out our artwork was to blame. So we got our designer to give them a ring; a bit of chat in designer language and it was sorted."

Most record pressing companies will accept cassettes, but the industry standard remains a quarter inch open reel tape, and this should be what you're aiming to provide them with. Very briefly, your recording will go through the following stages en route to becoming a record. Approximate costs provided by Vinyl Cuts, London, are indicated.

i) Your recording is transferred from your tape, electro-mechanically, by creating grooves in a piece of plastic called a "lacquer" (the "cutting stage") — £120 plus VAT.

ii) The records are physically produced, via stamping, at a cost of 40p each. At this stage, the labels are put on.

Once the original recording reaches the first stage, there is not much you can do to change its sound. It is possible to opt for a loud cut that increases the volume the record will play at, and a small amount of tonal adjustment can be performed at the cutting stage. Paying less doesn't necessarily reflect itself in reduced sound quality. Instead, you might find the quality of service is lower.

Darren Murphy of Vinyl Cuts identifies three areas where bands tend to go wrong: "Sometimes tapes aren't of sufficient quality to get a good cut, but more often than not, we have problems with getting the tracks in the right order, making sure there's the right gap between them and so on. The thing that holds us up the most though, is the late arrival of artwork for the label and the sleeves themselves. Sometimes people even forget about the labels entirely."

Although it is perfectly possible to negotiate separate deals with pressing and cutting plants, sleeve printers, etc, there are quite a few firms who specialise in arranging everything for you. For example, the Indie Pressing Service offer 1,000 12" singles with black and white plus one colour covers, labels and inner sleeves for about £950 plus VAT. If you're after a flexi-disc (remember most only give you six minutes and thirty seconds in which to get yourself across) it'll cost you about £270 plus VAT from the Flexi-Disc Company in London, including polythene record sleeves. It's possible to do photocopied black and white paper covers for around £70-£80.

When your singles are finally winging their way from the pressing plant, you can't sit around and wait for them to sell themselves. Some distribution companies will even insist that you play gigs around the time of your record release. Again, the knack is to get everything that needs to happen happening at the right time. Make sure all the relevant media (radio, newspapers, music press, etc) get copies and prepare for stardom. Well, it worked for the Wedding Present, didn't it?

HEADSHOT.

One to the body and one to the head,
That way you make sure that he’s really dead.

BREAKDOWN.

Worldwide global and it’s over to you
Another track back, another dream come true
But the numbers are down from seven to four,
This town was pumping but it’s pumping no more.
Years causing commotion, emotion,
While everyone else was doing dance explosion.
I repeat: there was seven, now there is four
We created, related, but not anymore.

But the B experience goes on from here,
We got more shit down and it’s crystal clear.
We intention, a mission, our reason is strong
We never stop - go on and on
To the dizziest heights, the greatest excess,
Measured by failure or destroyed by success.
Some of it we stole, we created the rest
Cleared it out so there’s nothing left.

Breakdown, it’s alright
Breakdown, we just might
It’s gonna break, it’s gonna break.

Better, stonger, leaner, faster
You’ve heard it before, there’s no servant, no master
But that’s just bullshit we all know that,
Everybody pays for a little payback.
Time international, T.V. is pap,
There’s always bigger issues than the biggest hard rap - we still try
But we’re financially gagged,
Like so many others, like my friend Raff here:

To be in the picture is my responsibility
I’m here with the white crap rap we call it Basti
100% beat money back guaranteed
If it’s lightweight then it’s not what it oughta be

So read my lips, yeh, just for fun,
There’s a soundbite here for everyone,
Too vital to handle, too important to miss,
So get you’re mind in gear
And get your head around this one.

ONWARD.

It’s easy to fly
I know, I’ve tried
I’m gonna get more next time
If you’re lucky, you’ll climb.
It’s easy, I know
But it’s harder to show
I have to win,
I have to go...

Onwards.

It’s easy to rise
And then, boy, to try
To get above this excess,
Plat AM Express.
This can get you anywhere you like
This can get you anything, alright.
I won’t be told
I have to flow...

Onwards.

You gotta fight, you gotta roll, you gotta go
out of control, into my zone.
Where in reality, well, I stand alone.
You can take a chance, save your face or go for gold.
Keeping clean, is that your scene?
Anyway, it’s not so good and it’s never been.
Well me I’m free, see I’ve got some property
Yeh, I’ve some cards, some cash, in fact that buys me liberty.
Don’t waste it
Just use it
Don’t fake it
You could lose it
This is my space where I face disaster
Heard it before there’s no servant no master.
Onward! Mr. Franklin,
Onward! With my man Jack.
I don’t believe, I don’t control
My intention is to roll...
Onwards.

ARE YOU WITH US?

Too much money not much sense
Who’s left standing in the end
It’s a sure fire way to fall
It’s a long time coming and it comes to us all.
Rest assured, it’s guaranteed
I was lucky it could have been me.
God knows what Wernham knows and he knows and I don’t know how;
Knocking out what’s going down, us around
You can bank, you can bet
We won’t back down, not just yet
You’re no-one, you’re not real
I’m someone and I can feel.

Come and get us
Are you with us?

My man Chris, he might be right
Makes everybody come alive
He’s reached the top before his time
Like a star he shines. He’s bright.
It’s like this is crystal sharp
Diamond head and diamond heart.
Tells it like it is like us
Goes the distance shaping up
Knows it’s all he’ll ever do
We’re like that, we feel that way too.
There’s no limit, there’s no time
Twist your soul and twist your mind.

CITY GIRL

She’s got the suntan, she couldn’t be sweeter,
Like to meet her, clean and eat her
Above the average beyond the top
This baby sometimes wants the lot
Baby loves her there is no question
Instant fit without exception
Gets inside when no-one mentions why.
This girl, she got everything
And what do they know?
They don’t know anything.
They’re feeling militant, getting sucked in
We’re so sorry, we don’t know why.

City girl
Wanna be, some kinda pearl
Designer heaven
Soaked in pleasure
Bathed in light
Made just right
Industry standard
Hard to handle

Super structure rich and treasured
Over and over for ever and ever
I want it all what’s coming to me
Deaf and blind just when it suits me
Satisfied it’s all cosmetic
Sees misfortune as pathetic
Didn’t make what she expected
And now there is no sympathetic
Shape of things to come
A Wanna be there when we all get some
She wants respect without deserving
Wanna get paid for doing nothing
Cos this girl, gota free ride, free ride
Got an all time high
She moves with the times.

I AM AMERICAN BULLSHIT MAN.

Security one and much more than that
Ever wondered why America is mad?
That’s just the good stuff, carve it up bad
Now you understand why.
Gotta get my team together
Yeh, this is my team
But mean doesn’t mean a puritanical breed
Cos a racist is the lowest piece of shit on the scene,
Know what I mean? Let’s fuck it up.

Yo, Oh no
I am the man
Me I’m now The One
I’m free and I’m gone,

This is not a fine time these are not good days,
This thing is stupid - time to throw a hand grenade
It’s a stupid thing, but stupid is OK
As long as it’s made in the USA UK
Glory is bullshit, I don’t know what’s worse;
Best dressed no mess, we’ve got to come first.
Nothing gets solved, nothing gets learned
It’s not alright.

Fuck it up bad, you know you can
You’ve done it before, you’ll do it again
But not anymore, my superior friends
You’re culture is dying, it’s coming to an end
It’s our turn now, we’ll take it from here
It’s paradise found and it’s insincere
To our hearts only ignorance and frightened and dumb
What do you expect when you’re time has come?
Fuck it up bad, you know you can
American Bullshit Man.

TOGETHER: LEAGUE.

We’ve got to get ourselves together.
Standing, we should be standing.
Instead we’re paying. Oh no no, and that’s not right.
People’s sport, people’s culture.
Hover over, it’s gonna get ya.
Who’d have thought it would affect ya?
Gonna get ya, gonna get ya.

Let’s all, Yeh now,
Release first time,
Together too
Together!

Business empire misinformation lies
Disguise the fact and penalise the real lives
Heroes immortalized and idolized
For cheap culture selection, tune to Sky.
Kicking the people, kicking them all
Don’t be stupid, leave them alone
Kicking the people, kicking them all.