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Twenty years in, and top of their game, West Yorkshire, Keighley-bred ska punk icons Random Hand are coming in hot with their fifth album! Their bodies may be creaking with grey hairs beginning to show, but the vitality and relevance of their music isn’t changing one bit. Refined and confident, the band’s new album, due September 29th via Bomber Music, is set to redefine their place as one of the UK’s most significant and dependable punk bands.
Today, the band release new single ‘The Cycle’; a joyous, high-energy three-minutes-and-forty seconds of rampant ska vigour that masks a deeper meaning…
“Lyrically, ‘The Cycle’ is inspired by the instability of the world we live in,” explains singer Robin Leitch. “There seems to be something of an epidemic in recent years in regard to how secure we feel our environment is. One minute everyone seems to be getting on, and the idea of empathy is at the forefront of everyone’s minds, and then at the drop of the hat we revert to dog eat dog, just like that.”
Random Hand made the music video for ‘The Cycle’ themselves, at their practice room in Keighley.
“Embracing the true DIY punk ethos,” Leitch recalls, “And struggling to find a suitable video location, we decided to get the tools out and modify a section of our own rehearsal space. You may enjoy the thrash of a double-speed guitar, but there is no music like that of a hammer on a nail. We stayed up late the night before, drilling, sawing, and listening to disco. I even nicked a couple of lights from the theatre I work in. We pooled our resources to create a blank canvas to perform against, and hoped the music would speak for itself.”
20 years ago, as the seemingly unstoppable third wave of ska punk came crashing down on the world of popular music, only to leave a misunderstood scene in its wake, Random Hand worked tirelessly on keeping the spirit of the bands that inspired them alive and kicking. Having taken a brief pause from touring to pursue solo projects after the release of 2015’s ‘Hit Reset’ album, the band are raring to return to the fray with gigs confirmed for September and October, and the highly anticipated release of their fifth album.
“We pushed ourselves to breaking, then further still,” explains bassist Joe Tilston. “We stopped to recover and then came back with a passion and energy we didn’t think possible. Random Hand have now played over 2000 shows and we are currently curating a series of our own HandFests across the UK this year, the first in Leeds in February sold out two days in less than 45 minutes.”
This September 30th, the day after the albums release, Random Hand headline the London HandFest at The Dome, Tufnell Park where they will join friends Popes Of Chilitown, The JB Conspiracy, Crazy Arm, Call Me Malcolm, Darko, Tree House Fire, Hell’s Ditch, Mr Shiraz, Roshambo, Traits and Till I’m Bones for a day of essential punk rock and ska.
“Bringing our 20th anniversary celebration to an end, we descend upon London with another incredible two stage lineup,” says Joe. “Welcoming some incredible friends we’ve made along the way, and some bands we are desperate to see. The huge variety of bands is testament to the diverse and inspiring scene Random Hand has been a big part of, over the last two decades.”
Order tickets for HandFest HERE
Catch Random Hand live at the following dates:
September
27 Bradford, The Underground
28 Nottingham, The Cold Store
29 Norwich, Arts Centre
30 London, The Dome HANDFEST
October
1 Bristol, The Fleece
5 Manchester, Rebellion
6 York, The Crescent
7 Glasgow, Garage Attic
8 Newcastle, Think Tank
Random Hand are:
Robin Leitch – Vocals & Trombone
Joe Tilston – Bass
Dan Walsh – Guitar
Sean Howe – Drums
Find Random Hand online:
Cover Band Pic by Danny Payne
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