Sonic Boom Six first appeared on the Manchester punk scene in April 2002. Some of their members were previously in the band Grimace. Their self-titled demo, recorded with Jerry Melchers, was self-released in October 2002. To promote the CD, they toured the UK with third wave ska veterans The Toasters and London ska punk/hip hop band King Prawn. They also toured with Coolie Ranx and performed as his backing band. In September 2003, they released The Turbo EP, their first release for Moon Ska Europe. This was produced by Ace (of Skunk Anansie) and Christophe. After a series of good reviews, Sonic Boom Six were invited to perform a session on BBC Radio One's The Lock Up.
After further touring with Catch 22, as well as on the Moon Ska Launchpad Tour 2004 (alongside Zen Baseballbat, Graveltrap, Babar Luck and Dumpster Pop), the band re-united with Ace and Christophe to record their second EP. Sounds to Consume was released on Moon Ska Europe in August 2004, and include the Turbo EP as bonus tracks. After tour dates with Leftöver Crack and The Suicide Machines, the band appeared on BBC2's Asian arts programme Desi DNA performing in a scrapyard, as well as being interviewed by Adil Ray for his show on the BBC Asian Network.
Sonic Boom Six performing "All In" with Itch of The King Blues. Leeds Festival, Bramham Park, 27 August 2006
In early February 2005, Sonic Boom Six replaced guitarist Dave "Hellfire" Kelly with guitarist Ben, who used to play sax, thus making SB6 a four-piece. Ben's old sax parts are now played through a sampler when performing live, or by musicians from other bands, such as Grown at Home and The Flaming Tsunamis. In 2005, the band opened the Love Music Hate Racism event on the Leftfield Stage at the Glastonbury Festival, played Belgium's Sortie 23 festival and performed at the premier of the Rock Against Racism film Who Shot the Sheriff? with HARD-Fi and Roll Deep. 2005 also saw the release of the Champion Edition of Sounds to Consume, which featured four of their original demo tracks (remixed by Tim G), three remixes, an acoustic track and a video. They also embarked on several dates on the inaugural Good To Go Tour alongside The Aquabats and Never Heard of It.
In 2006, the band recorded their second session for BBC Radio 1's The Lock Up, which was broadcast on 27 June. They were joined by Pete and Tucker from Jesse James and Itch from The King Blues. Their debut full-length album, The Ruff Guide to Genre-Terrorism, was released on 10 July 2006 on Deck Cheese Records, and in August 2006 the band played the Reading and Leeds Festivals as a last minute replacement for Paramore. They were joined again by Itch of The King Blues for a performance of "All In" (singing the parts of the song written by Coolie Ranx) and Nick 'The Blade' Horne of Howards Alias, partner of vocalist Laila, who played trombone on the songs "Bigger Than Punk Rock" and "Until the Sunlight Comes".
In May 2007, they played at the Slam Dunk Festival at Leeds University Union with Paramore and Reel Big Fish. During Reel Big Fish's set, Laila joined the band on stage to sing parts of "She Has a Girlfriend Now" alongside Aaron Barrett. She joined them again during Reel Big Fish's Monkeys for Nothin' winter tour in 2008. They played the Reading and Leeds Festivals again in 2007, on the Lock Up stage, playing not only their own material but covering the song "Sound System" by Operation Ivy. During this song, Itch from the King Blues once again joined them on stage to sing it. November 2007 saw the release of the band's second full-length CD, Arcade Perfect, on their own Rebel Alliance Recordings.
In May 2008, the band embarked on the Rude Awakening 2008 tour, alongside Big D and the Kids Table and Random Hand. 2008 also saw a second Ruff and Ready tour. This was followed by the release of a remixes, b-sides and rarities album entitled Play On: Rare, Rejected and Arcade Perfected, which the band toured in support of in late 2008. Nick Horne also joined the band as a full time member, now playing guitar and bass live as well as trombone. They played at the Hevy Music Festival on 1 August 2009.
In May 2009 Sonic Boom Six released their third album City of Thieves, once again on Rebel Alliance Recordings. August 2009 saw Sonic Boom Six open the Main Stage at the Reading and Leeds Festival.
On 8 October 2009, it was announced on the band's official website that Ben Childs would be leaving the band after the forthcoming "Boom or Bust" tour and that he would be temporarily replaced by Matthew Reynolds – current vocalist and guitarist with rock band Drawings and also formerly of Howards Alias. In February 2010 new permanent member James "Jimmy T Boom" Routh, formerly of Myth of Unity, joined the band on guitar.
A Bright Cold Day in April
Sonic Boom Six Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
were striking on thirteen when she checked the mailbox.
She yawned and took her place,
numbered and indexed and neat in the database.
Just looked the same as any old letter,
in it drop, tear the top, and a card inside.
They say that it'll make our lives better.
Nothing to fear if you've got none to hide.
You'll be data protected, you'll be part of the team
now that you're a number on the screen.
All securely connected to the central machine
now that you're a number on the screen.
Outside, the sky, was shiny and blue,
the officer stopped her and scanned all her details through.
She smiled because she knew
that he was from England because he had a nice card too.
The fingerprint it didn't upset her,
for these laws in the wars he fought and died.
They say that it'll make our lives better,
nothing to fear if you've got none to hide.
You'll be data protected, you'll be part of the team
now that you're a number on the screen.
All securely connected to the central machine
now that you're a number on the screen.
Your attention!
Our survey says our system has total public approval
of our use of your data for preventioneering of illegals,
full obliteration of dole scrounge tacticians
and further elucidation of preventative counter measures on the continued war on terror.
So there is no reason for you to worry. Things are under control.
It was a bright cold day in April the clocks
were striking on thirteen when she checked the mailbox.
By then it was too late to save civil liberties we don't appreciate.
The lyrics of Sonic Boom Six's "A Bright Cold Day in April" tackle the issue of government surveillance in society. The song is a commentary on how privacy is being slowly eroded and how people are being turned into mere numbers in a database. The "bright cold day" symbolizes the idea that, on the surface, everything seems fine, but there is a darker, sinister undertone to the world that the characters in the song inhabit.
The first verse sets the scene, with the singer receiving a letter that seems innocent at first, but turns out to be an invasion of privacy. The line "nothing to fear if you've got none to hide" represents the idea that as long as a person is not doing anything wrong, then they should have nothing to worry about - a viewpoint that has become increasingly common in debates over surveillance. The second verse describes how even when the sky is blue and beautiful, the singer is confronted by a police officer who has access to all their information. The line "the fingerprint it didn't upset her" shows the insidious way that people are being conditioned to accept invasive technology as normal, even if it means giving up their privacy.
The third verse features an announcement from the government, where they claim that the public supports their surveillance measures. This line is a comment on how governments often claim that their actions are in the best interests of the people, even when those actions erode people's rights. The final line "by then it was too late to save civil liberties we don't appreciate" shows that people only realize the value of their privacy once it has been taken away.
Line by Line Meaning
It was a bright cold day in April the clocks were striking on thirteen when she checked the mailbox.
The singer receives a mysterious card on an unusual day.
She yawned and took her place, numbered and indexed and neat in the database.
The singer's information was added to a central database without discretion or explanation.
Just looked the same as any old letter, in it drop, tear the top, and a card inside.
The card appeared seemingly benign and ordinary but held a hidden message.
They say that it'll make our lives better. Nothing to fear if you've got none to hide.
The government insists that the surveillance will lead to better safety and that citizens with nothing to hide have nothing to fear.
You'll be data protected, you'll be part of the team now that you're a number on the screen.
The government claims that data protection is guaranteed and that citizens become a part of a collective safe group once their information is registered.
All securely connected to the central machine now that you're a number on the screen.
Citizens are connected to a central machine for the purposes of surveillance once registered as a number.
Outside, the sky, was shiny and blue, the officer stopped her and scanned all her details through.
The government has established enforcement officers to oversee proper registration of individuals for surveillance across the country.
She smiled because she knew that he was from England because he had a nice card too.
The artist is relieved to be approached by a legitimately registered officer because of the identification card he carries, indicating he is from England.
The fingerprint it didn't upset her, for these laws in the wars he fought and died.
The artist is accommodating of the stringent registration process, believing it is necessary for the safety of her country and supported by past sacrifices.
Your attention! Our survey says our system has total public approval of our use of your data for preventioneering of illegals, full obliteration of dole scrounge tacticians and further elucidation of preventative counter measures on the continued war on terror. So there is no reason for you to worry. Things are under control.
The government insists that the surveillance is approved by the public and necessary to prevent illegal activity and terrorism. Citizens are told not to be concerned, as the government has the situation under control.
By then it was too late to save civil liberties we don't appreciate.
The singer realizes too late that the government's excessive surveillance has eroded civil liberties she didn't even realize were being taken away.
Writer(s): Ben Childs, Laila Khan, Paul Barnes, Neil Mcminn
Contributed by Connor F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.