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.
Danger! Danger!
Sonic Boom Six Lyrics
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You better watch your back!
It ain't safe on the street no more.
There's a danger on the streets in all the town I been to.
All of the scallies round my way don't give a fuck for an ASBO.
Give me a cigarette or get your head kicked into.
The scary thing it's true because they can and will and well, they fucking do.
Ring Alarm! Emergency!
Calling out an SOS, the kids are after me.
Can and will fucking kill, bottling a stranger.
Now we're on the streets, I feel in danger!
Woah, woah.
My town ain't safe no more,
My streets are at war,
People on the streets are shouting danger, danger, danger!
They're shouting danger. Danger.
Yeah, just today somebody got shot up in the daylight,
The mandem put in hospital by kids just last night,
They gun-clapping, happy-slapping, shit it's not right.
The scary thing it's true because they can and will and well, they fucking do.
Ring Alarm! Emergency!
Calling out an SOS, the kids are after me.
Can and will fucking kill, things done change.
Now we're in danger!
Woah, woah.
My town ain't safe no more,
My streets are at war,
People on the streets are shouting danger, danger, danger!
They're shouting danger. Danger.
We're... in... danger!
My town, my streets.
Calling an SOS, the kids are after me.
These towns. These streets.
My town, my streets.
Calling an SOS, the kids are after me.
These towns. These streets.
Danger! Danger!
We're... in... danger! Danger!
Woah, woah.
My town ain't safe no more,
My streets are at war,
Yeah, people on the streets are shouting danger, danger, danger!
They're shouting danger. Danger!
Pick up the pieces of broken society, people who only see hate.
Only futility, responsibility impossibility. Hostility. Danger!
The lyrics to Sonic Boom Six's song "Danger! Danger!" paint a picture of the dangerous streets in towns where they have been. The singer warns that walking on the streets is no longer safe, as people do not care about the consequences of their actions, be it getting an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) or hurting someone. The lyrics touch on how the streets have become more violent, with instances of shooting and attacks being common. The chorus emphasizes this by repeating the phrase "My town ain't safe no more, my streets are at war, people on the streets are shouting danger, danger, danger!".
The second verse highlights more instances of violence, such as people getting shot in broad daylight and kids assaulting others. The phrase "gun-clapping, happy-slapping" refers to people filming themselves attacking others and posting it online for entertainment. The singer repeatedly emphasizes that people can and will hurt others, a fact that is scary but true. The chorus is repeated, with the addition of "things done change" emphasizing that things have gotten worse.
The final part of the song urges people to "pick up the pieces of broken society" and stop the hate and hostility that has taken over the streets. The lyrics highlight the impossibility of taking responsibility for one's actions and how this leads to danger.
Line by Line Meaning
Danger! Danger!
There is a danger present
You better watch your back!
Be aware of your surroundings and potential risks
It ain't safe on the street no more.
The streets are no longer safe due to violence and crime
There's a danger on the streets in all the town I been to.
Dangerous situations exist in all the towns I have visited
All of the scallies round my way don't give a fuck for an ASBO.
The individuals in my area do not care about being punished by an Anti-Social Behaviour Order
Give me a cigarette or get your head kicked into.
Offer a cigarette or face physical violence
The scary thing it's true because they can and will and well, they fucking do.
This is a frightening reality because individuals are willing and able to harm others
Ring Alarm! Emergency!
Call for help to combat the dangerous situation
Calling out an SOS, the kids are after me.
Requesting assistance as children are threatening the person
Can and will fucking kill, bottling a stranger.
These individuals are capable of murder and have attacked strangers in the past
Now we're on the streets, I feel in danger!
Being in the current situation poses a risk and is dangerous
My town ain't safe no more,
The town has become less safe due to dangerous individuals
My streets are at war,
There is an ongoing conflict on the streets
People on the streets are shouting danger, danger, danger!
Those present on the streets are warning others of the dangerous situation
Yeah, just today somebody got shot up in the daylight,
A shooting occurred during the day, indicating that the danger is present at all times
The mandem put in hospital by kids just last night,
Individuals were hospitalized due to the actions of children the previous night
They gun-clapping, happy-slapping, shit it's not right.
The individuals are using violence, such as using guns or assaulting people, which is not acceptable
Things done change.
The situation has significantly changed for the worse
We're in danger!
There is a high level of danger present
My town, my streets.
The danger is present in the artist's town and on the streets
These towns. These streets.
Dangerous situations also exist in other towns and streets
Pick up the pieces of broken society, people who only see hate.
Societal issues need to be addressed to prevent further violence and hate-driven actions
Only futility, responsibility impossibility. Hostility. Danger!
The singer believes that the current situation is futile and the belief that change is impossible creates hostility, which leads to the danger present
Contributed by Lily E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.