The pUKES - Debut E.P. and Fanzine out now!

The pUKES - Photo by Paul Slattery

Damaged Goods Records celebrates its 25th year in 2013. That’s 25 years of releasing glorious and riotous punk rock, new-wave, garage rock and vintage pop by all manner of mavericks, geniuses, odd-balls and lunatics…and this Spring is no exception, with the release of The pUKES debut EP on 7” vinyl with poster sleeve. The EP was produced by Dick Crippen from Tenpole Tudor, and features one original, "Will I Learn", plus covers of Menace, Elton Motello and Cock Sparrer songs. The EP release party was held at The Dublin Castle, Parkway, Camden on Friday 24th May with support from CASE and B-Movie Britz. Photographer Paul Slattery was there to document proceedings (before he sped over to the Buffalo Bar to capture Giuda), and a full set of photos can be seen at the pUKES web-site Photo Gallery. The EP can be ordered from the Damaged Goods On-line Store.

The pUKES - Photo by Paul Slattery

The pUKES - Photo by Paul Slattery

The pUKES are a 20-strong (nearly) all female punk ukulele band based in London. They play songs by the likes of Dead Kennedys, Exploited, X-Ray Spex, The Clash etc like you’ve never heard ‘em before. Their massive stage presence and raucous live show has landed them slots at Rebellion Punk Festival and Shoreditch 1234, as well as gigs with many of the bands who inspired them, including Sham 69, Bad Manners, Chelsea and Peter & the Test Tube Babies. Around half the pUKEs were non-musicians before they learned the uke, the others have been in bands such as UK Subs, Extreme Noise Terror and Lost Cherrees. The band have lots of gigs and festivals lined up for the summer – including Rebellion Punk Festival in Blackpool. 

Here's the video for the Cock Sparrer cover version "Because You're Young" from the new EP.

You can read more about The pUKES at The Art of Punk book launch at The Tate Modern last year, and see the video to another track from the EP "Will I Learn", on our previous Blog feature here. You can also see a video of "White Riot" on the Retro Man Blog YouTube channel.

The pUKES have received funding to set up their own Uke workshops and it's also enabled them to publish their own fanzine, entitled "Here’s 3 Chords". Issue 1 is out now for only £2.60 including p&p (UK and consists of 24 pages of Punk Uke awesomeness written and designed by members of The pUKEs – featuring Amanda Palmer, Itch (King Blues), UkePunk, Marjinal, chord charts, play along lyrics and tabs and lots more! Copies are available from their on-line Store, for overseas postage costs please contact the band.

With many thanks to Paul Slattery, Clara and Lorna.