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.
September To May
Sonic Boom Six Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It seems that nothings changed,
Why does it leave me cold,
Must be more than Manchester rain,
Great place to piss a loan away,
But god forbid you'd ever stay.
Come and go, come and go, come and go.
Come and go, come and go, come and go.
(We left that life behind)
Have you really changed so much since then,
Has it really been that long,
One minute you're here and then you're gone.
Oh when the locals claim,
Oh when they protest fun,
Second to graduate,
Join daddy's firm in London,
Last seasons look inside the halls,
What's happening Che Guevara hanging from your wall,
Before Tall!
I guess those lies will just decide,
While you were dreaming of the money and sunny skies!
Come and go, come and go, come and go.
(Used to be a product of fun)
Come and go, come and go, come and go.
(We left that life behind)
I thought that we were gunna slice that system,
Sing along to their favourite song,
One minute you're here now you're gone.
Took a little time to find out,
Took a little time to find out.
Took a little time to find out,
Took a little time to find out.
REVOLUTION EVERY SEPTEMBER TO MAY
I GUESS THIS ISN'T HERE TO STAY!
SEE YOU
Come and go, come and go, come and go.
(Used to be a product of fun)
Come and go, come and go, come and go.
(We left that life behind)
Have I really changed so much since then,
Has it really been that long,
One minute you're here and now you're gone.
The Sonic Boom Six's song September to May highlights the struggles that people face when transitioning from youth to adulthood in a society that prioritizes money and success over personal fulfillment and happiness. The opening verse paints a picture of the singer walking down Oxford road and realizing that nothing has changed, but feeling a sense of coldness that goes beyond the rain. The lyrics suggest that Manchester is a place where it's easy to waste money, but hard to find a reason to stay. The chorus emphasizes the transitory nature of the situation with the repeated lines "Come and go, come and go", and how people move on and leave behind the life of fun they used to have. It points out how people embrace materialism as their priorities change, and they no longer care about the things they used to enjoy.
The following verses tell of the singer's friends whom he finds are no longer the same as they were before. They have traded their values and beliefs for a life of materialistic pursuits. The lyrics criticize the hypocrisy of people who claim that they are protesting what is not fun, while they engage in fun activities devoid of meaning. The singer finds himself at odds with his friend's values as he's still stuck in the past, while they aspire to pursue their dreams in London, with last-seasoned looks that once were the rage. The song's bridge gets a little more introspective, as the singer questions whether he's changed too and if it's been too long since he's had fun. The closing verse of the song expresses a sense of disappointment in a society that values money over personal fulfillment as the lyrics claim that a revolution happens every September to May, the period when the youth enroll in schools and universities, but it's here for a moment and gone the next.
Line by Line Meaning
Walking down Oxford road,
The singer is walking down Oxford road, a street he is familiar with, but it doesn't feel the same as before.
It seems that nothings changed,
The street hasn't changed physically, but something intangible is different for the singer.
Why does it leave me cold,
The singer is emotionally detached and feels nothing positive about the street he once enjoyed.
Must be more than Manchester rain,
The reason he feels detached cannot be explained by just the cold and wet weather.
Great place to piss a loan away,
Although it's a great place to spend money and have fun, it leads to a financial burden.
But god forbid you'd ever stay.
It's not a place one should settle down in, since it's not conducive to long-term career growth or stability.
Come and go, come and go, come and go.
The transient nature of the area and its people, who are always coming and going.
(Used to be a product of fun)
The singer was once part of this transient lifestyle, always partying and having fun.
(We left that life behind)
The singer has moved on and no longer lives this lifestyle.
Have you really changed so much since then,
The singer wonders if others who once had that lifestyle have changed as much as he did.
Has it really been that long,
The singer is reflecting on how much time has passed since he left that lifestyle behind.
One minute you're here and then you're gone.
People come and go so quickly in this lifestyle that it's hard to form lasting relationships or make any significant impact.
Oh when the locals claim,
The locals express their opinions and preferences regarding the type of people that once inhabited the area.
Oh when they protest fun,
The locals are against the type of fun that partygoers seek out, showing their disapproval through protests.
Second to graduate,
The singer is second in his class to graduate, but this is not a significant achievement in this lifestyle.
Join daddy's firm in London,
Although the singer graduates, he ends up working in the same firm his father does, indicating a lack of ambition or independence.
Last seasons look inside the halls,
The fashion and style of the people in the party scene is not up-to-date, indicating a lack of creativity or uniqueness.
What's happening Che Guevara hanging from your wall,
The singer questions whether the person who hung Che Guevara's picture on their wall really understands his ideals, and if this is just a trend rather than true political activism.
Before Tall! I guess those lies will just decide,
The singer realizes that lies that are told and believed in this lifestyle can dictate the direction of those who live it.
While you were dreaming of the money and sunny skies!
Those who pursue this lifestyle are daydreaming about money and greed rather than pure enjoyment or creative expression.
I thought that we were gunna slice that system,
The singer once believed that they could change the world or make a difference, but now realizes the fleeting nature of their impact on the system.
Sing along to their favourite song,
People in the party scene sing along to popular songs as a way to fit in and express their identity within this type of lifestyle.
One minute you're here now you're gone.
People seek pleasure and fun in this lifestyle, but their presence is fleeting and lacks meaningful connections or acievements.
Took a little time to find out,
The singer needed time to realize and come to terms with the reality of the party lifestyle.
REVOLUTION EVERY SEPTEMBER TO MAY
The revolution and fun of the party lifestyle only lasts for a finite amount of time each year, from September to May.
I GUESS THIS ISN'T HERE TO STAY!
The precarious and temporary nature of the party lifestyle is not sustainable, and those who pursue it must eventually move on.
SEE YOU
The singer is saying goodbye to this part of his life, and as if saying goodbye to his former self.
Have I really changed so much since then,
The singer wonders if others who once had that lifestyle have changed as much as he did.
Has it really been that long,
The singer is reflecting on how much time has passed since he left that lifestyle behind.
One minute you're here and now you're gone.
People come and go so quickly in this lifestyle that it's hard to form lasting relationships or make any significant impact.
Contributed by Alexandra W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.