The band took their name from an episode of The Goon Show. The band were noted for an extremely unusual two bass player line up. Bass player Alex Griffin played melody lines high up on one bass, and Mat cheslin played the regular basslines on the other. This gave the band a tense and highly driven sub-hardcore sound with distorted indie guitars and complicated Baggy drum beats. The band were also noted for their extremely young ages. The band formed while at sixth form college, and recorded their first album while still teenagers. This led to a strong teenage fanbase with a reputation for enjoying stage diving and moshing at their gigs. The band were also noted (and sometimes ridiculed) for their early image which consisted of uniformly crimped hair, short trousers and t shirts. The Neds (as their fans referred to them) were well known for their T shirts and produced over 80 different designs within three years.
The band quickly gathered a strong fanbase after being noticed by local superstars The Wonder Stuff and offered a support slot on a UK tour. A top 50 hit Kill Your Television followed. They recorded their debut album God Fodder shortly afterwards and had top ten hits with "Until You Find Out" and "Happy" in 1991. Several years of hard working touring followed, playing with, amongst others Mega City Four, Senseless Things and Jesus Jones. During this period they recorded their second album Are You Normal in 1992, which was promoted by the singles Not Sleeping Around and Intact.
The band spent the next few years on a worldwide tour before recording their final album Brainbloodvolume. The album had a more adult sound than before (because they were, after all, no longer teenagers), together with a more diverse sound including samplers and keyboards. Their record label released the album in America before the UK, so most fans bought in on import leading to a poor UK chart position when it was eventually released leading to tensions within the band and with the label. The poor chart showing may have also been to do with a changed music scene now fully in the swing of Britpop. The band had one last UK top 40 single with All I Ask of Myself Is That I Hold Together in 1995 following an appearance on The Word. The band split in 1995. Singer Jonn Penney formed a new band, Groundswell who had little success.
The band reformed with a different line up in 2000, for a show in Dudley. The show was a success and the band have done a christmas show every year since then, including a four date tour in 2004 where the band performed several new songs. In 2005 they again played a few late-December gigs, and in June of 2006 their first new single in 11 years, "Hibernation" was released reaching No 23 in the UK Indie Chart. The "NedFest" weekend gigs to coincide with this at Birmingingham Barfly and London Forum were filmed for a DVD "Neds Dont Exist".
In June 2007 the DVD was released and Neds returned to headline the Glastonbury Left Field Stage on the Friday night of the festival following some low key warm up gigs.
On 12 May 2008 the band announced that the original line-up of Jonn, Rat, Mat, Alex, and Dan would be performing live together for the first time since 1995 on 6 December 2008 at the Astoria London.
Legoland
Ned's Atomic Dustbin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been getting in the way
Well, I held back not to freak out
'Cause there was nothing to say
I could see how I got carried away
The only thing that keeps me scared
It's the only thing that keeps me there
When it's all day and it's all night
It's no surprise, we're in and out of grace
We're all mean and we all fight
For fear of losing face
I can see why it gets blown out of place
The only thing that keeps us down
It's the only thing that makes us sound
So painfully humble, so painfully proud
I'm one piece short of Lego land
And it's all there
I'm one piece short of Lego land
The lyrics of Ned's Atomic Dustbin's song Legoland reflects the feeling of being incomplete or not having everything one needs to build something significant, like a Lego set where a single missing piece can make it difficult to complete. The song touches on how, while everything may seem fine on the surface, underneath there can be a sense of discontentment, anxiety, and conflict. The lyrics mention how the singer has been getting in the way and holding back, but unable to control their fears and frustrations. The singer recognizes that their behavior is typical and acknowledges their partner's part in the conflicts between them. The lyrics provide insight into the complexity of human relationships, where seemingly trivial disagreements can blow out of proportion and escalate into full-blown arguments or fights.
The line "I'm one piece short of Lego land" is repeated multiple times throughout the song, emphasizing the idea of something missing and how it affects the singer's ability to move forward or achieve what they want. The Lego set analogy creates an interesting metaphor for the complexity of human relationships and how conflict can arise when one is compelled to take control or micromanage certain aspects of their life or relationship. The lyrics paint a picture of a situation where despite efforts to hold back and not freak out, the singer and their partner are struggling to maintain a delicate balance in their relationship. The line "It's just typical of me, and typical of her" reaffirms the idea that relationships are a two-way street, where both parties are responsible for the issues that arise.
Line by Line Meaning
I've just found out and there's no doubt
I recently discovered something and I am certain of it
I've been getting in the way
I have been obstructing or interfering with something
Well, I held back not to freak out
I refrained from expressing my emotions to avoid panicking
'Cause there was nothing to say
There was no point in verbalizing anything
I could see how I got carried away
I could understand how I became excessively excited or emotional
The only thing that keeps me scared
The only reason I remain afraid
It's the only thing that keeps me there
It's the sole reason I continue to stay in that situation
It's just typical of me and typical of her
It's a common trait or behavior for both me and the person being referred to
When it's all day and it's all night
When something occurs repeatedly without interruption
It's no surprise, we're in and out of grace
It's not unexpected that we experience both commendation and condemnation
We're all mean and we all fight
We all act maliciously and engage in quarrels
For fear of losing face
Out of concern for one's public image or reputation
I can see why it gets blown out of place
I comprehend why something is getting derailed or disorganized
The only thing that keeps us down
The only reason we remain unsuccessful or depressed
It's the only thing that makes us sound
It's the sole reason why we come across as
So painfully humble, so painfully proud
Exhibiting both extreme modesty and extreme arrogance
I'm one piece short of Lego land
I am almost complete or successful, but I am missing something essential
And it's all there
Everything else required to achieve my goal is available
I'm one piece short of Lego land
I am almost complete or successful, but I am missing something essential
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ALEXANDER THOMAS GRIFFEN, DANIEL CHARLES WORTON, GARETH JOHN PRING, JOHNATHAN PENNEY, MATTHEW RICHARD CHESLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind