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.
The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Inventions
Sonic Boom Six Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
changes are taking place
so don't sink without a trace.
Welcome to Hyperspace!
The mother of all the inventions,
piston and chassis and engine
fly us to other dimensions.
Beep beep, beep beep yeah!
that this technology
should be made compulsory.
One for you one for me!
Vehicles of blue and magenta
empty from bumper to fender
roll off the line to the vendor.
Future it sure looks bright!
This road, unfolds, grasp the wheel together,
pedal to the metal, it's a green light!
I took a drive today I guess I should have known better,
the radio reported 40 min or more delays.
They say traffic stopped upon the road to the future- hey
Beep beep, beep beep yeah!
Traitors they roam the land,
stubborn they walk and stand
the lords of all they command.
This wasn't in the plans.
Carriages roll into stations,
drop humans off in locations
miles from our civilization.
Others they pedal by, powered by food supplies and water.
And though we try no one knows the answer why.
Making their foolish decisions by prehistoric traditions,
travelling without emissions, cycling through the night.
This road, unfolds, grasp the wheel together,
pedal to the metal, it's a green light!
I took a drive today I guess I should have known better,
the radio reported 40 min or more delays.
They say traffic stopped upon the road to the future-
hey. Beep Beep! Yeah!
OK, it's just a bit of bad weather.
If we can lock our doors and sound our horns then here we'll stay.
They say traffic stopped upon the road to the future.
The song "The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Inventions" by Sonic Boom Six is a commentary on the conflict between technological progress and traditional ways of life. The first verse celebrates the advancements in technology, urging listeners to join the race and embrace the changes that are happening. The chorus talks about the excitement of driving, but also acknowledges the frustration of being stuck in traffic. The second verse, however, takes a more critical look at the consequences of progress. The "traitors" who "roam the land" are those who resist the modernization of society, clinging to old ways of life even as the world changes around them. The imagery of carriages dropping off passengers in isolated locations and people pedaling bicycles powered by food and water highlights the disparity between those who have access to the latest technology and those who do not.
The song is a cautionary tale about the downside of progress, arguing that the pursuit of technological innovation can come at a cost to traditional values and ways of life. It also emphasizes the importance of considering the impact of new technologies on society as a whole, rather than simply advancing for the sake of advancement. While the song is critical of those who resist progress, it also suggests that progress should not come at the expense of human connection and community.
Line by Line Meaning
Speed up, come join the race,
Let's move more quickly and participate in the technological advancements.
changes are taking place
New developments and innovations are happening rapidly.
so don't sink without a trace.
Don't get left behind in the fast-paced changes.
Welcome to Hyperspace!
We are now entering a new age of speed and advancement.
The mother of all the inventions,
The technology of vehicles is the most significant invention.
piston and chassis and engine
The inner workings of the vehicle that make it run.
fly us to other dimensions.
These machines can take us to unexplored territories.
Beep beep, beep beep yeah!
The sound of the vehicle horn encouraging us to move forward.
8 out of 10 agree
Majority believes that this technology will benefit society.
that this technology
The invention of the vehicle and its associated technology.
should be made compulsory.
The use of this technology should be mandatory for everyone's benefit.
One for you one for me!
Everyone can benefit from the invention of vehicles.
Vehicles of blue and magenta
Cars of different colors being produced.
empty from bumper to fender
The cars are manufactured and waiting to be sold.
roll off the line to the vendor.
The cars are being delivered to the dealerships for people to purchase.
Future it sure looks bright!
The progress we've made is promising for the future.
Traitors they roam the land,
Those against the use of vehicles.
stubborn they walk and stand
Those people refuse to move forward with the changing times.
the lords of all they command.
The people against technology hold power over their beliefs.
This wasn't in the plans.
The resistance against technology was not expected.
Carriages roll into stations,
Antique modes of transportation continue to exist.
drop humans off in locations
Carriages serve to transport people to certain destinations.
miles from our civilization.
These locations are further from our modern way of life.
Others they pedal by, powered by food supplies and water.
Some people choose to use bicycles, a more eco-friendly mode of transportation.
And though we try no one knows the answer why.
We don't fully understand why people are resistant to new technology.
Making their foolish decisions by prehistoric traditions,
The resistance against technology is being influenced by outdated ways of thinking.
travelling without emissions, cycling through the night.
Bicycling is a more environmentally-friendly way to travel.
OK, it's just a bit of bad weather.
The resistance against technology is likely temporary.
If we can lock our doors and sound our horns then here we'll stay.
We will assert our beliefs and remain in the technological age.
They say traffic stopped upon the road to the future.
The resistance against technology is causing delays in progress.
Writer(s): Ben Childs, Laila Khan, Paul Barnes, Neil Mcminn Copyright: Wipe Out Publishing
Contributed by Christopher K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Alex White
love the fact that this is about the 8th song ive checked out and its the 8th different sounding song. definitely keeping an eye and ear out for this band
A lomas
always brings a smile to my face, legend guys you rock!
ihearttheweakerthans
Hey there, your performance at Melkweg (Amsterdam) earlier this week kicked ass! Keep the good music coming :). Nice video, by the way. Kind regards from the Netherlands.
Gazmus
Sick song, utterly brilliant band that is well worth seeing live, ive seen about 7 times and they really never disappoint. I love them and they deserve a million times more recognition than they have....infinitely better than anything thats going to get into the charts. also...<3 Laila K in HD as well :D
Themaver123
Can't wait to get tickets for these guys in Newcastle it's gonna be immense!!!
gorgerak
love this song!!!
TwiiSteDBeAsT
You guys are amazing.
Mike Roberts
Great stuff- looking forward to seeing you all at Bristol in February.
dylanjam
this is awesome. SB6 Rocks!1!!!!!!
sazberry
I wish the bassist was mine. ;D <3 SB6 are one of the best bands around! Gonna see them live one day me hopes. <333