The Nightingales bring their Off The Beaten Track tour to Square Chapel, Halifax!

The Nightingales formed from the ashes of the Prefects (The Clash’s ‘White Riot Tour’, John Peel sessions, Rough Trade records) and enjoyed cult status in the ’80s as darlings of the credible music scene and being continually championed by Peel. Described in John Robb’s definitive book on post-punk (“Death To Trad Rock”) as “The misfits’ misfits”, the band re-grouped in 2004 and have since released a dozen critically acclaimed albums and regularly toured the USA and Europe, from Scotland to Serbia. In 2021 a full-length documentary about the band – “King Rocker”, written by Stewart Lee – received rave reviews (“Best rockumentary ever”, etc) following its premiere on Sky TV, before getting cinema screenings in the UK and Australia. All of the group’s original albums have recently been reissued as deluxe double vinyl LPs and in 2022 the band’s original soundtrack album to “King Rocker” was released alongside a DVD of the movie featuring assorted extras. The Nightingales’ most recent studio album “The Last Laugh” is generally considered to be their best yet and following a support tour with The Damned in 2023 interest in the group continues to be on the rise and their gigs are legendary. In September the Gales release their first live album and they are touring mainland Europe in October. They continue to operate with no actual manager, booking agent, publisher, et al, remaining defiantly independent and truly maverick. One of England’s great originals, they work equally well with pop musicians, rock n rollers and the avant-garde.

There are drum and guitar bands and then there is the Nightingales, dwarfing the rest, unmatched and utterly underrated in both musical originality and stylistic innovation.
ROCK N REEL ★★★★★

The consummate sore thumbs of pop.
SUNDAY EXPERIENCE

Don’t dither, sort yer travel out and book your gig admission. Either way, don’t be a dopey fucker, innit?
THE NIGHTINGALES

Support – One of Stewart Lee’s favourite comedians is again going to support one of Stewart Lee’s favourite bands on their next UK tour.Deadpan stand-up Ted  Chippington – who Lee credits with inspiring him to go into comedy – will be opening for the Nightingales for a string of shows in May. Chippington avoids observational comedy in favour of anti-humour and jokes which are mostly variations on the same theme, delivered in his West Midlands monotone.

He also frequently performs his own versions of well-known songs in a similarly listless style – and he has been known to leave audiences bemused or hostile. Lee has described Chippington’s act as ‘a mixture of surrealism and insolent provocation and uncompromising boredom’ and citing him as ‘the first post-alternative comedian’. Richard Herring, is also a fan of Chippington’s ‘contempt for the very idea of jokes’.He retired in 1990 but made a comeback in the late 2000s thanks to Lee sparking more interest in his work, and has frequently toured with The Nightingales ever since. 

The Birmingham-based post-punk band, led by Robert Lloyd were the subject of Lee’s documentary King Rocker, which aired on Sky Arts in 2021. 

Doors 19:30
Start 20:00
Interval 20:45 – 21:05
End 22:20

14+ Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult

Pre-booked tickets £18
Door tickets £20