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.
Ya Basta!
Sonic Boom Six Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hit the track, we’ve got the scene a-scream Sonic Boom Six back
Attack this dub-plate’s the blade, so log off your myspace,
Embrace and face this
Time to show the other kids what bass is
Oooooh,
Incoming live from Underground the sound surround and twist
Revloution rock it still exist
Dubbin uppa riot, Here it is
Never televising this, they suspect this collective shit
Pardon my French, but er, sometimes I get kinda
Pissed at this music business
So I spit, you witness how the Bid still transmit
Another outlaw anthem hit. So kick it Itch
FIRE FIRE dem afi burn and fry-a
LIAR LIAR You know you’ll never get away with it
WHY-A WHY-A di still a-slave and’a master?
We say ya basta!
Hey !basta Ya!
The opening lines of Sonic Boom Six's song Ya Basta! are an announcement of their arrival on the scene. As soon as the beat hits, they make sure everyone knows they're back, ready to create a scene. The dub-plate becomes their weapon, and they challenge the other kids on the scene to embrace and face their sound.
The song speaks about the music industry and how sometimes it can be frustrating. It seems as though the industry only promotes certain types of music and tends to be counterfeited. Sonic Boom Six declares that the revolution rock is still alive and well, and they dub up a riot, showing solidarity with those who feel oppressed or undervalued. They believe that what they create doesn't need to be televised, and that there is power in independent artists coming together. The lyrics "Another outlaw anthem hit" affirms their position as a resistance to the mainstream, making sure that they are seen and heard.
Overall, the song Ya Basta! is a rallying cry for independent artists, urging them to make their voices heard outside of corporate channels. Sonic Boom Six aims to create a scene that challenges the status quo, both within the music industry and beyond. They hope to inspire people to take action and create change in a world where inequality exists.
Line by Line Meaning
Soon as the beat
As soon as the beat begins, we are ready to create our unique sound and entertain our fans.
Hit the track, we’ve got the scene a-scream Sonic Boom Six back
Our song has been released, and it has captured the attention of our fans, bringing them back to support us.
Attack this dub-plate’s the blade, so log off your myspace,
Our song is a powerful weapon that cuts through the noise of mainstream media, so disconnect from your digital life and experience our sound.
Embrace and face this
Open yourself to our music and confront the issues we address through our lyrics.
Time to show the other kids what bass is
We aim to educate young people about the power of bass in music, and how it can be used to evoke feelings of rebellion and revolt.
Incoming live from Underground the sound surround and twist
Our music is the product of underground culture, and it has a unique blend of sounds and rhythms that can take you on a journey.
What they be selling on the TV, counterfeit
The mainstream media sells fake ideas, and we are here to challenge those ideas with our authentic sound.
Revolution rock it still exist
Rock music is a powerful tool for revolution, and we believe that it still has the power to inspire social change.
Dubbin uppa riot, Here it is
Our music is rebellious and subversive, and it can inspire people to take action against their oppressors.
Never televising this, they suspect this collective shit
Our music is too radical for mainstream media, and they fear that it will inspire people to challenge the status quo.
Pardon my French, but er, sometimes I get kinda
Sorry for the profanity, but sometimes I feel
Pissed at this music business
I am frustrated with the music industry and how it exploits artists and their creativity.
So I spit, you witness how the Bid still transmit
I express my frustration through my lyrics, and you can see how my message still resonates with people.
Another outlaw anthem hit. So kick it Itch
Our new song is another rebellious anthem that will inspire people to challenge the established order, so let's embrace it and enjoy the ride.
FIRE FIRE dem afi burn and fry-a
We want to burn down the oppressive structures that are holding us back and keeping us from pursuing justice and equality.
LIAR LIAR You know you’ll never get away with it
We won't let politicians, corporations, or anyone else get away with lying to the people and exploiting their trust for their own gain.
WHY-A WHY-A di still a-slave and’a master?
We question why people are still enslaved by those in power, and why they continue to accept this unequal system.
We say ya basta!
We say enough is enough, and it's time for people to rise up and demand justice and equality.
Hey !basta Ya!
We call on all people to join us in our struggle for freedom, equality, and justice.
Contributed by Kaelyn E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.