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.
Strange Transformations
Sonic Boom Six Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Singin Wonderwall out of tune
Wasn't an unusual sight
It's any town on any given Saturday night
You'll see 'em prowlin in a pack for a fight
And his hairy hand's enough to give a brother a fright
Turned to me and asked me what my problem was
Then jumped around and smacked me bang across my head because
Didn't go to the disco to swing my fists
Or I don't know maybe it wasn't the clothes
I haven't got a monobrow or an Elastoplast across my nose
I wasn't doin all the things he do
I was mindin my own business with a drink or two
Still he's gotta come and misbehave
After seven drinks the creature's risen from the grave
Strange transformations
Happen after midnight across the nation
Yeah we all enjoy a drink or two
But why they gotta do the things they do?
And if you don't believe in Jekyll and Hyde
You gotta go the horrorshow they're shootin outside
Bottom of the bottle to the black lagoon
I see them linin up to howl at the moon
Spit with every word that they say
Shoulder barge you out of the way
Titties fallin out of their tops
There's a curse on the country ask the cops
Why they be beatin them inside of the van
I see one climbin up a statue like the bogieman
Grab your hat and vanish in a cloud of dust
You need a silver bullet just to get the bus
I never been on a ghost train that went like this
I only sat on the top deck and ate my chips
I see the bride of frankenstein, it stumbles by me
Married to the monster and she sits beside me
Face like a freakshow, caked in make-up
Now her hand's on my knee and I'm tryin to wake up
Suddenly her fella stands and growls
With his teeth in my neck I can hear him howl
Strange transformations
Happen after midnight across the nation
Yeah we all enjoy a drink or two
But why they gotta do the things they do?
And if you don't believe in Jekyll and Hyde
You gotta go the horrorshow they're shootin outside
Bottom of the bottle to the black lagoon
I see them linin up to howl at the moon
Fallin off the chair at the park
Nearly gettin hit by a car
Runnin with her shoes in her hands
Cryin on the steps on the phone to mam
Tryin to put his hand down my bra
In the road playin air guitar
Pukin up inside a cab
Finishin the whole of a doner kebab
Strange transformations
Happen after midnight across the nation
Yeah we all enjoy a drink or two
But why they gotta do the things they do?
And if you don't believe in Jekyll and Hyde
You gotta go the horrorshow they're shootin outside
Bottom of the bottle to the black lagoon
I see them linin up to howl at the moon
The lyrics of Sonic Boom Six's "Strange Transformations" paint a vivid picture of the chaotic and often violent behavior that can occur on a typical Saturday night in any town. The song begins with the description of people singing "Wonderwall" out of tune and prowling around in packs, looking for a fight. The singer of the song is then physically assaulted by one of these creatures for not wearing a white shirt like his. The chorus repeats the idea that strange transformations happen after midnight across the nation and that while we all enjoy a drink or two, we do not understand why people turn into the things they do.
The song also touches upon themes of objectification, violence, and substance abuse. The creatures being described spit when they talk and shoulder-barge people in their way. Women's bodies are objectified as "titties fallin out of their tops," and the lyrics mention police brutality and people climbing statues. The chorus repeats the phrase "bottom of the bottle to the black lagoon" to symbolize drowning in alcohol and excess. The second verse describes people falling off chairs, crying on stairs, and attempting to put their hands down bras, highlighting the consequences of binge drinking behavior.
Overall, "Strange Transformations" is a commentary on the dangers and consequences of substance abuse and excessive drinking. The song suggests that alcohol transforms people into monsters, leading to irrational behavior, violence, and objectification.
Line by Line Meaning
I see them linin up to howl at the moon
Witnessing people gathering and yelling when the moon is out
Singin Wonderwall out of tune
People singing the popular song 'Wonderwall' but not hitting the right notes
Wasn't an unusual sight
This is a common occurrence in any town any given Saturday night
It's any town on any given Saturday night
This happens everywhere on a typical weekend evening
You'll see 'em prowlin' in a pack for a fight
Groups of people looking to start trouble
And his hairy hand's enough to give a brother a fright
The appearance of some individuals can be very intimidating
Turned to me and asked me what my problem was
Someone confronts and inquires about a situation
Then jumped around and smacked me bang across my head because
The individual became violent and hit the artist in the head
I wasn't wearin a white shirt that looked like his
The aggressor started the altercation over a clothing mismatch
Didn't go to the disco to swing my fists
The artist did not attend the nightclub with intentions to fight
Or I don't know maybe it wasn't the clothes
The singer is not entirely sure if the fight was over the clothes
I haven't got a monobrow or an Elastoplast across my nose
The artist is different in appearance than the one who started the fight
I wasn't doin all the things he do
The singer was not behaving like the agitator
I was mindin my own business with a drink or two
The singer was simply relaxing and enjoying some drinks
Still he's gotta come and misbehave
The instigator had to cause trouble
After seven drinks the creature's risen from the grave
Alcohol has brought out the worst in someone
Spit with every word that they say
The artist is referring to the aggressor spraying spit when talking
Shoulder barge you out of the way
People pushing others with their shoulders to move them out of the way
Titties fallin out of their tops
Women's breasts being revealed due to their shirts falling off
There's a curse on the country ask the cops
The artist believes that there is a negative influence on the behavior of the people
Why they be beatin them inside of the van
The artist is questioning why people are being physically assaulted in a police van
I see one climbin up a statue like the bogieman
The artist observes someone scaling a statue like a scary fictional creature
Grab your hat and vanish in a cloud of dust
The singer urges to flee the scene quickly
You need a silver bullet just to get the bus
The artist feels like they need a supernatural weapon just to ride the bus with these people
I never been on a ghost train that went like this
The singer has never been on a spooky train ride that matches this experience
I only sat on the top deck and ate my chips
The singer is reminiscing about past times when they had normal experiences on the bus
I see the bride of frankenstein, it stumbles by me
The singer sees a woman who resembles a character from a horror movie
Married to the monster and she sits beside me
The woman is sitting close to the artist and her appearance is frightening
Face like a freakshow, caked in make-up
The woman's face is painted in a way that is shocking to the artist
Now her hand's on my knee and I'm tryin to wake up
The woman physically touches the singer in an unwanted way
Suddenly her fella stands and growls
The woman's companion arises and makes an aggressive noise
With his teeth in my neck I can hear him howl
The woman's partner bites the artist's neck and growls like an animal
Fallin off the chair at the park
Someone loses balance and falls off of a park bench
Nearly gettin hit by a car
Someone narrowly avoids getting hit by a car
Runnin with her shoes in her hands
A woman is running outside while holding her shoes
Cryin on the steps on the phone to mam
Someone is crying and speaking to their mother on the phone while on some steps
Tryin to put his hand down my bra
A man is attempting to touch a woman's chest inappropriately
In the road playin air guitar
Someone is pretending to play guitar in the middle of the street
Pukin up inside a cab
Someone is throwing up inside of a taxi
Finishin the whole of a doner kebab
Someone is eating an entire serving of a popular Turkish food
Strange transformations
People become different and act erratic
Happen after midnight across the nation
These odd behaviors occur in many places after midnight
Yeah we all enjoy a drink or two
It is common for people to have drinks while out at night
But why they gotta do the things they do?
The artist wonders why people resort to extreme behavior when drinking
And if you don't believe in Jekyll and Hyde
Jekyll and Hyde is a literary reference to people having two personalities within them
You gotta go the horrorshow they're shootin outside
The chaotic scene outside is like a horror movie
Bottom of the bottle to the black lagoon
From drinking alcohol to an eerie and scary place
Contributed by Maria Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.