Ocean Bottom Nightmare
Encyclopedia
Ocean Bottom Nightmare (also known as OBN) is an alternative rock
group based in Nottingham
, England
. The band named themselves after the fictional Ocean Bottom Nightmare Band, from the Adult Swim
cartoon Sealab 2021
(which itself was a parody of the song "The River Bottom Nightmare Band" played by The Nightmare in Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas
television special
).
scene by coming joint third in the University of Nottingham
's BandSoc 2007 Battle of the Bands competition. Following this promising success, the band began gigging around the UK, sharing stages with Future Of The Left
, Baddies
, The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster
, Pulled Apart By Horses
, Gay For Johnny Depp
, Tubelord
and Blakfish
.
Throughout 2008, the band sporadically recorded at Random Recordings in Nottingham with Guy Elderfield, and created their debut EP We Are Serious, which was released in 2009. The 4-track EP was well received by the music press; Sean Stanley writing for Sandman
magazine wrote: “Faultless… Possibly what an apocalypse should sound like".
The band released their first single
, "What Would Judas Do?" on 10 May 2010. The single was mixed by Chris Sheldon
(Biffy Clyro
, Foo Fighters
, Reuben
) and again it was well received, and the week following its release they were BBC Introducing
's Tip of the Week. To promote the release they launched a website, which allowed fans to ask questions to drummer James "Judas" Housley, about what he would do in a particular situation. The responses are filmed by the band and uploaded to the site.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
group based in Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The band named themselves after the fictional Ocean Bottom Nightmare Band, from the Adult Swim
Adult Swim
Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
cartoon Sealab 2021
Sealab 2021
Sealab 2021 is an American animated television series. It was shown on Cartoon Network's adult-oriented programming block, Adult Swim. It premiered on November 23, 2000 and the final episode aired on April 25, 2005...
(which itself was a parody of the song "The River Bottom Nightmare Band" played by The Nightmare in Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas
Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas
Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas is a children's storybook by Russell Hoban which was first published in 1971. In 1977 it was adapted into a television special by Jim Henson with songs by Paul Williams...
television special
Television special
A television special is a television program which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Sometimes, however, the term is given to a telecast of a theatrical film, such as The Wizard of Oz or The Ten Commandments, which is not part of a regular...
).
Career
The band formed in 2007, and quickly made a mark on the local NottinghamNottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
scene by coming joint third in the University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
's BandSoc 2007 Battle of the Bands competition. Following this promising success, the band began gigging around the UK, sharing stages with Future Of The Left
Future of the Left
Future of the Left are an alternative rock group based in Cardiff, Wales.- Beginnings :Future of the Left were formed by singer/guitarist Andy "Falco" Falkous and drummer Jack Egglestone, both previously of Cardiff band mclusky, alongside singer/bassist Kelson Mathias, formerly of the...
, Baddies
Baddies
Baddies are a British high energy indie rock band formed in late 2007 and have gained a reputation as "one of the most exciting new bands around and have been put on par with other rising acts from Southend such as the Horrors, These New Puritans, Scroobius Pip and Get Cape. Wear Cape...
, The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster
The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster
The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster were an English rock band from Brighton, England, formed in 1999. They have released three full-length albums, Hörse Of the Dög , The Royal Society and Blood And Fire...
, Pulled Apart By Horses
Pulled apart by horses
Pulled Apart by Horses are an alternative rock band from Leeds, England. They formed in late 2007, and released their debut self-titled album Pulled Apart By Horses on 21 June 2010.- Formation and debut release "Meat Balloon" :...
, Gay For Johnny Depp
Gay for Johnny Depp
Gay for Johnny Depp was a hardcore band formed in New York, USA. Members were: Sid Jagger , Marty Leopard , Chelsea Piers , JJ Samanen...
, Tubelord
Tubelord
Tubelord is an Alternative Rock band from Kingston upon Thames, England, formed in 2006. The band consists of Lead Singer and Guitarist Joseph Prendergast, Backing vocalist and Drummer David Catmur, Bassist Tom Coulson-Smith and Keyboardist and Sampler James Elliot Field.In 2009, the band signed a...
and Blakfish
Blakfish
Blakfish were a mathcore band, also described as 'death pop' by the NME, The band from Birmingham, England formed in the year 2000 after meeting and becoming friends at school, contrary to their frequent fabricated claims that they all met in juvenile prison....
.
Throughout 2008, the band sporadically recorded at Random Recordings in Nottingham with Guy Elderfield, and created their debut EP We Are Serious, which was released in 2009. The 4-track EP was well received by the music press; Sean Stanley writing for Sandman
Sandman (magazine)
Sandman was a free music magazine launched in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, in September 2002. Later versions were created, specifically covering Leeds, Kingston upon Hull, York, Nottingham and Manchester before all five editions were amalgamated into one compendium edition which also covered...
magazine wrote: “Faultless… Possibly what an apocalypse should sound like".
The band released their first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "What Would Judas Do?" on 10 May 2010. The single was mixed by Chris Sheldon
Chris Sheldon
Chris Sheldon is a record producer, particularly of rock music, based in London, UK. He has produced or mixed records for the Foo Fighters, Garbage, Feeder, Biffy Clyro, Oceansize and Pixies amongst others...
(Biffy Clyro
Biffy Clyro
Biffy Clyro are a Scottish rock band from Kilmarnock, comprising Simon Neil , James Johnston and Ben Johnston...
, Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
, Reuben
Reuben (band)
Reuben were an English three-piece musical group from Camberley, Surrey. Their music was a fusion of alternative rock and heavy metal, as their songs cover a variety of styles, ranging from heavy and upbeat, such as their 2005 single "Blamethrower" to slower, more melodic songs such as their 2004...
) and again it was well received, and the week following its release they were BBC Introducing
BBC Introducing
BBC Introducing is the brand for new music programmes across the BBC radio stations, showcasing unsigned, self signed and other emerging musical talent primarily from the UK. Launched in 2007 the Introducing brand brings programming from across the BBC under a unified brand with each show retaining...
's Tip of the Week. To promote the release they launched a website, which allowed fans to ask questions to drummer James "Judas" Housley, about what he would do in a particular situation. The responses are filmed by the band and uploaded to the site.
Current
- Jonny Hall – vocals, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(2007–present) - Tom Wintle – vocals, bass, lyricsLyricsLyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
(2007–present) - James "Judas" Housley - vocals, drums, glockenspielGlockenspielA glockenspiel is a percussion instrument composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a piano. In this way, it is similar to the xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, and making it a metallophone...
, stylophone (2007–present)
Discography
| Date of release | Title | Label |
| 2009 | We Are Serious (EP) | Phat Phidelity |
| May 2010 | "What Would Judas Do?" (single) | Phat Phidelity |