The Moonies
Encyclopedia
The Moonies were an alternative rock
band from Liverpool
, England, who existed from 2001 to 2005.
as The Moggs in 2000 for Foulplay Records and a UK tour to promote the album went ahead, although the record label and band agreed to pull out of the recording contract due to financial difficulty faced by the label. In 2001, they changed their name to The Moonies, a name inspired by Banks' affection and admiration of Keith Moon
and were signed by Plastic Boot Records under the music management company Tri-Tone and Music Publisher EMI
. They released several singles
in the UK
in 2002 and 2003, and played shows alongside popular bands including The Libertines
, Juliette & The Licks, The Kaiser Chiefs and The Subways
.
The Moonies also toured the country several times with Buzzcocks
and recorded a song featuring the vocals of Buzzcocks' singer Pete Shelley
, although the track was never officially released.
Their album "It's Amazing!" was released in Japan
in December 2003. Unfortunately, Steve Banks left the group in 2005 and The Moonies disbanded.
CD (FP0001):
CD (VJR-011):
7" (PB002):
CD (PBCD002):
7" (PB003):
CD (PBCD003):
7" (PB004):
CD (PBCD004):
7" (PB005):
end of Liverpool
, but if you’re expecting their location to be obvious in their sound, then you’re going to be disappointed. Taking their cues from the antics of Keith Moon
and the sound of The Who
and Ash
, The Moonies are a hedonistic hit band waiting to happen. 'Blue' is melodic rock with Americana vocals that repeat ‘I’m so blue, without you’ over pop chords and a cute use of scratching to cover swearing. 'So Good', meanwhile, is a three minute whirlwind of Buzzcocks
guitar and lilting harmonies that belong in your finest emo
effort. You may not have heard of the Moonies yet, but judging by the exuberance and pop sensibilities of their debut, you’ll be hearing of them in the future. — 7/10" — Natalie Boxall, BBC Manchester, 13 May 2002
Cool is precisely what the Moonies are not. Squeezed into their tight two tone sta-prest suits and black rollnecked sweaters, they sing about “Getting out of Liverpool” when you know they actually only have a day trip to Runcorn in them. The tune itself is actually ok, all bobbing heads and cheery chorus and I dare say they are good fun live so let’s try not be too harsh, eh." — Mawders, SoundsXP.com, September 2002
"Evil bastards, The Moonies. Coming from the same area of Liverpool as The Beatles they're the self-proclaimed new Messiahs of jangle pop, promising the one true path to a world of peace, purity, free love and Oasis. But beware: once Blue‚ has lured you out of the shopping centre by sounding like something pleasant off Definitely Maybe
‚ for a bit, it'll brainwash you with piledriving My Bloody Valentine guitars, a hypnotic chorus and breaking stereo noises until you're a slavering, unquestioning believer doing the conga down Oxford Street in an orange sheet to it. Oh, and join the fanclub and you get 20 wives by return of post. And you will join, won't you? You will join. No, you will join." - Mark Beaumont, NME
"Whether or not these raucous Liverpool teens ever make it big or not, it sounds like they'll have fun along the way. This debut comprises two sharp, energetic little frenzies with memorable hooks, frenetic drumming and several edgy tangents." - The Independent
on Saturday (Single Of The Week)
"Liverpudlians. The Moonies have nothing in common with all those psychedelic scallywags making weird and wonderful music on the northwest frontier. Not that this isn't wonderful. A barely two-minute blast of energy-added racket, it's full of the unabashed thrills of being in a band: "we could be so cool/we could get out of Liverpool" and, having already completed their first wish, the second cant be far behind. This will spectacularly warp naive young minds. Good las." — NME, 24 August 2002
"The Moonies. So angry their records actually break your stereo. The Moonies are three psychotic, foul-mouthed turbo-bastard keith Moon wanbabes from the same part of Liverpool as the Beatles - where they've torn down the Thumbs Aloft School Of Immaculate Paul Macca Wackyness to make way for a military weapon testing site dedicated to blowing up Starsailor. Great tunes too." — NME, 20 April 2002
The Moonies Live, Dublin Castle, London: "Three young shavers from Liverpool who hardly look old enough to read, let alone vote, the Moonies play a predictable if appealing distillation of four decades of youth-club pop, almost desperate in their enthusiasm to reach the chorus. The tiny singer, Steve Banks, might not win any arm wrestling matches against apprentice jockeys, but since he has the looks of Edward Furlong that's likely to prove academic. Songs such as debut single, "Blue" and the catchy "Go" ('go-a-woah-a-woah') are nagging enough to show their promise." — Steve Jelbert, The Independent
, May 2002
The Moonies Live, Leadimll, Sheffield: "It takes something solid to open a show for the mighty Buzzcocks and the Moonies - part of the Merseyside revival - offer something suitable for them this weekend.
Gearing up for the release of their third single, "I would give it all up for your love", the trio brandish an infectious and energetic sound which calls upon the golden days of Mod infused rock'n'roll to offer the same rawness of the Who and Small Faces.
With an average age of 19, the lads boast live inertia of a Supergrass of an Ash and are on this tour at Pete Shelley's bequest." — Sheffield Star
, 9 March 2003
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...
band from Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England, who existed from 2001 to 2005.
History
Steve Banks, Ryan Clarke and Mike Berry were teenagers when they first began playing. The trio recorded an albumAlbum
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
as The Moggs in 2000 for Foulplay Records and a UK tour to promote the album went ahead, although the record label and band agreed to pull out of the recording contract due to financial difficulty faced by the label. In 2001, they changed their name to The Moonies, a name inspired by Banks' affection and admiration of Keith Moon
Keith Moon
Keith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon...
and were signed by Plastic Boot Records under the music management company Tri-Tone and Music Publisher EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
. They released several singles
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...
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 2002 and 2003, and played shows alongside popular bands including The Libertines
The Libertines
The Libertines were an English rock band, formed in London in 1997 by frontmen Carl Barât and Pete Doherty . The band, centred on the song-writing partnership of Barat and Doherty, also included John Hassall and Gary Powell for most of its recording career...
, Juliette & The Licks, The Kaiser Chiefs and The Subways
The Subways
The Subways are an English alternative rock / indie rock band. Their debut album, Young For Eternity, was released on 4 July 2005 in the UK and February 14, 2006 in the U.S. Their second album, All or Nothing, was released on 30 June 2008 and their third album Money and Celebrity debuted on the...
.
The Moonies also toured the country several times with Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton in 1976, led by singer–songwriter–guitarist Pete Shelley.They are regarded as an important influence on the Manchester music scene, the independent record label movement, punk rock, power pop, pop punk and indie rock. They achieved commercial...
and recorded a song featuring the vocals of Buzzcocks' singer Pete Shelley
Pete Shelley
Pete Shelley is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known as the leader of Buzzcocks.-Biography:...
, although the track was never officially released.
Their album "It's Amazing!" was released in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in December 2003. Unfortunately, Steve Banks left the group in 2005 and The Moonies disbanded.
Sweetcorn & Soft Porn (as The Moggs)
- Produced by Lance Thomas
CD (FP0001):
- "Drop Us A Line"
- "A Week From Today"
- "Sweetcorn & Soft Porn"
- "All In One Day"
- "Colin"
- "Hard To Miss"
- "Blockbuster"
- "Arthur Browne"
- "Get It Together"
- "Buried In Me"
- "Wake Up In Bed"
- "When I Die"
It's Amazing!
- Release Date: 12 December 2003 (Japan)
- Produced by Lance Thomas
CD (VJR-011):
- "Get Busy"
- "I Would Give It All Up For Your Love"
- "Love Me"
- "Last Summer"
- "Go"
- "Simple"
- "Blue"
- "Big City"
- "Forever"
- "Cool"
- "The Record Store"
- "Jamie"
- "Long Long Time"
Blue
- Release Date: 13 May 2002
7" (PB002):
- "Blue"
- "So Good"
CD (PBCD002):
- "Blue"
- "So Good"
Cool
- Release Date: 12 August 2002
7" (PB003):
- "Cool"
- "Stars In Heaven"
CD (PBCD003):
- "Cool"
- "Stars In Heaven"
I Would Give It All Up For Your Love
- Release Date: 5 May 2003
7" (PB004):
- "I Would Give It All Up For Your Love"
- "I Like You"
CD (PBCD004):
- "I Would Give It All Up For Your Love"
- "I Like You"
- "Simple" (Demo)
The Rock And Roll EP
- Release Date: 8 December 2003
- Notes: Produced by Gordon RaphaelGordon RaphaelGordon Raphael is a record producer and musician from Seattle, Washington and New York, currently working in San Antonio, Texas.Gordon Raphael is most widely known for his work with The Strokes, whom he met while attending one of their very first shows at Luna Lounge on the Lower East Side, New...
. A fourth song, "Overload", was included on the CD-R promotional copies of the EP.
7" (PB005):
- "Being Me"
- "Teenage Suicide"
- "Record Store"
Reviews and Press Quotes
"In eye catching black and white font, the words on the cover of The Moonies debut release ‘Blue’ succinctly states ‘Who the F*@k are the Moonies’. The Moonies are a three piece who hail from The BeatlesThe Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
end of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, but if you’re expecting their location to be obvious in their sound, then you’re going to be disappointed. Taking their cues from the antics of Keith Moon
Keith Moon
Keith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon...
and the sound of The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
and Ash
Ash (band)
Ash are an alternative rock band that formed in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland in 1992. The band has sold 8 million albums worldwide.-Band beginning, Trailer and 1977 :...
, The Moonies are a hedonistic hit band waiting to happen. 'Blue' is melodic rock with Americana vocals that repeat ‘I’m so blue, without you’ over pop chords and a cute use of scratching to cover swearing. 'So Good', meanwhile, is a three minute whirlwind of Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton in 1976, led by singer–songwriter–guitarist Pete Shelley.They are regarded as an important influence on the Manchester music scene, the independent record label movement, punk rock, power pop, pop punk and indie rock. They achieved commercial...
guitar and lilting harmonies that belong in your finest emo
Emo
Emo is a style of rock music and its associated subcultureEmo may also refer to:- Businesses :* Emo , an Irish oil company and filling station chain* Emo Speedway, a racetrack in Emo, Ontario...
effort. You may not have heard of the Moonies yet, but judging by the exuberance and pop sensibilities of their debut, you’ll be hearing of them in the future. — 7/10" — Natalie Boxall, BBC Manchester, 13 May 2002
Cool is precisely what the Moonies are not. Squeezed into their tight two tone sta-prest suits and black rollnecked sweaters, they sing about “Getting out of Liverpool” when you know they actually only have a day trip to Runcorn in them. The tune itself is actually ok, all bobbing heads and cheery chorus and I dare say they are good fun live so let’s try not be too harsh, eh." — Mawders, SoundsXP.com, September 2002
"Evil bastards, The Moonies. Coming from the same area of Liverpool as The Beatles they're the self-proclaimed new Messiahs of jangle pop, promising the one true path to a world of peace, purity, free love and Oasis. But beware: once Blue‚ has lured you out of the shopping centre by sounding like something pleasant off Definitely Maybe
Definitely Maybe
Definitely Maybe is the debut album by English rock band Oasis, released in August 1994. It was an immediate commercial and critical success in the UK, having followed on the heels of singles "Supersonic", "Shakermaker" and "Live Forever"....
‚ for a bit, it'll brainwash you with piledriving My Bloody Valentine guitars, a hypnotic chorus and breaking stereo noises until you're a slavering, unquestioning believer doing the conga down Oxford Street in an orange sheet to it. Oh, and join the fanclub and you get 20 wives by return of post. And you will join, won't you? You will join. No, you will join." - Mark Beaumont, NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
"Whether or not these raucous Liverpool teens ever make it big or not, it sounds like they'll have fun along the way. This debut comprises two sharp, energetic little frenzies with memorable hooks, frenetic drumming and several edgy tangents." - The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
on Saturday (Single Of The Week)
"Liverpudlians. The Moonies have nothing in common with all those psychedelic scallywags making weird and wonderful music on the northwest frontier. Not that this isn't wonderful. A barely two-minute blast of energy-added racket, it's full of the unabashed thrills of being in a band: "we could be so cool/we could get out of Liverpool" and, having already completed their first wish, the second cant be far behind. This will spectacularly warp naive young minds. Good las." — NME, 24 August 2002
"The Moonies. So angry their records actually break your stereo. The Moonies are three psychotic, foul-mouthed turbo-bastard keith Moon wanbabes from the same part of Liverpool as the Beatles - where they've torn down the Thumbs Aloft School Of Immaculate Paul Macca Wackyness to make way for a military weapon testing site dedicated to blowing up Starsailor. Great tunes too." — NME, 20 April 2002
The Moonies Live, Dublin Castle, London: "Three young shavers from Liverpool who hardly look old enough to read, let alone vote, the Moonies play a predictable if appealing distillation of four decades of youth-club pop, almost desperate in their enthusiasm to reach the chorus. The tiny singer, Steve Banks, might not win any arm wrestling matches against apprentice jockeys, but since he has the looks of Edward Furlong that's likely to prove academic. Songs such as debut single, "Blue" and the catchy "Go" ('go-a-woah-a-woah') are nagging enough to show their promise." — Steve Jelbert, The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, May 2002
The Moonies Live, Leadimll, Sheffield: "It takes something solid to open a show for the mighty Buzzcocks and the Moonies - part of the Merseyside revival - offer something suitable for them this weekend.
Gearing up for the release of their third single, "I would give it all up for your love", the trio brandish an infectious and energetic sound which calls upon the golden days of Mod infused rock'n'roll to offer the same rawness of the Who and Small Faces.
With an average age of 19, the lads boast live inertia of a Supergrass of an Ash and are on this tour at Pete Shelley's bequest." — Sheffield Star
Sheffield Star
The Star, often known as the Sheffield Star is a daily newspaper published in Sheffield, England, from Monday to Saturday each week. Originally a broadsheet, the newspaper became a tabloid in 1989...
, 9 March 2003
External links
- Official home page
- Another official home page
- Band profile: The Moonies - Drowned in Sound
- Interview in The Ruby Slippers Fanzine, July 2002
- Review of "Blue"