The Lancashire Hotpots

The Lancashire Hotpotsare a comedyfolkband fromSt Helens, (historicallypart ofLancashire), England, formed in 2006.The group perform and record songs aboutLancashire, technology and British culture, such as "He's Turned Emo", "Chippy Tea" and "eBay Eck".
The group's songs make use ofLancashire dialect. Their first single, "He's Turned Emo", gained over 230,000 plays onMySpacein March 2008, and was featured onBBC Radio OnebyColin Murray.Their debut album,Never Mind The Hotpots, was a minor hit, becoming the number onecomedy albumoniTunesin UK, and number two in theBBC Radio 6 MusicAlbum Charts.
The current members are Bernard Thresher (vocals, guitar, ukulele, drums), Dickie Ticker (bell tree, mandolin, melodica, hand percussion), Bob Wriggles (bass guitar, synth bass), Billy McCartney (keyboards), Kenny Body (drums), and Ron Seal (lead guitar). McCartney and Body joined following the death in May 2010 of founder member Willie Eckerslike (real name Tom McGrath), (drums, vocals), while Seal joined in 2016.
Thresher and Wriggles met while working atKnowsley Safari Parkand subsequently formed their first rock band together, Korova. Whilst working atSt Helens College, Wriggles met Dickie Ticker who was producing electronic music and light-hearted remixes under the name 'Diffusion'. The three became interested in working together and, after Korova disbanded, Thresher and Wriggles joined forces with Ticker to create electronic dance music under the new name Emmet.
They first dabbled with comedy music producing a remix of theColdplaysong "Clocks" for Radio One DJChris Moylesin the style of the German dance groupScooter.In a play on words they named the side project Moped. The track proved popular with listeners of the show and they went on to produce several more remixes as well as playing live in clubs around the country. On the request of Moyles, they produced a remix of songs by Norman Cook akaFatboy Slimin order to perform them at an outside broadcast in a pub inBrighton. Cook was a guest on the show and Moped performed the remix live on the show for him. Whilst being interviewed on the show he said he 'felt as though his whole life had flashed before him.'
Ticker then had the idea of a folk band who write songs and tell stories about modern life:not about orchards and craft fairs but online dating and modern technology. Originally intended to be called the Bolton Weavers (after folk band theHoughton Weavers), the band was instead named the Lancashire Hotpots. They made their first recordings in Thresher's front room inCoventry, after an Emmet gig at a comic convention inBirmingham, where they had played to an empty room.
McCartney was inLiverpoolband Lyons and Tigers which supported the Hotpots numerous times around the North West of England.  Body was in severalSt Helens-basedbands including Jessica's Ghost, The Ups and Giant Root Attack. Both were enlisted to play in the band following death of original drummer, Willie Eckerslike.Incidentally, Kenny Body briefly appeared as an audience member in their "Carry You Home" video.
The group's songs make use ofLancashire dialect. Their first single, "He's Turned Emo", gained over 230,000 plays onMySpacein March 2008, and was featured onBBC Radio OnebyColin Murray.Their debut album,Never Mind The Hotpots, was a minor hit, becoming the number onecomedy albumoniTunesin UK, and number two in theBBC Radio 6 MusicAlbum Charts.The current members are Bernard Thresher (vocals, guitar, ukulele, drums), Dickie Ticker (bell tree, mandolin, melodica, hand percussion), Bob Wriggles (bass guitar, synth bass), Billy McCartney (keyboards), Kenny Body (drums), and Ron Seal (lead guitar). McCartney and Body joined following the death in May 2010 of founder member Willie Eckerslike (real name Tom McGrath), (drums, vocals), while Seal joined in 2016.
The group's album titles and covers parody well known albums by various groups, includingNever Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistolsbythe Sex Pistols,Pet Soundsbythe Beach Boys,Achtung BabybyU2,A Hard Day's Nightbythe Beatles,Lust for LifebyIggy PopandGreatest HitsbyQueen. Musical influences include the Oldham Tinkers,George Formby,hip hopandJohn Cooper Clarke, as well as the Houghton Weavers.
As well as touring nationwide, the band play at major music festivals playing events such asGlastonbury Festival,Kendal Calling,Y Not Festival,CarFestandBeat-Herder Festival.
Television appearances for the group have included a performance of their song "Dibnah", live on BBC2'sToo Much TV, in March 2016.
The group were contacted by theInternational Olympic Committeein August 2016 over their 2008 song "The Beer Olympics". The IOC claimedtrademarkrights over the word Olympics stating that Hotpots' use of the word was a breach of their trademark.To avoid further problems, the band subsequently retitled the song "The Beer International Non-Profit, Non-Governmental Sporting Quad Yearly Event".