Macc Lads

TheMacc Ladsare an Englishpunk rockband fromMacclesfield,Cheshire, England.Self-proclaimed the "rudest, crudest, lewdest, drunkest band in Christendom",the Macc Lads have typically used irreverent, foul-mouthed andpolitically incorrectlyrics; common themes have been binge drinking, sex and fighting.
The band were prevented from entering or ejected from venues inMacclesfield,London,Huddersfield,Bury,Cornwall,Blackpool,Colchester,Hull,Newcastle,Cleethorpes,Northampton,Leeds,Wigan,Lincoln,Bolton,Mansfield,Portsmouth,Cheltenham, andNorwich. They were also banned from entering the United States.
A concert at theBirmingham Hummingbirdin 1989 resulted in thousands of pounds' worth of damage by fans.Vandalismincluded scaffolding being pulled apart and thrown onstage as well as a broken toilet, pots of paint and ashtrays.Band members McCavity and Muttley suffered cut heads and fans went on stage to fight the road crew and stage security members Lockstock and Mungo. At the end of March 1990 the band played atThe Marquee ClubinTottenham Court Road, London on the same day as thePoll Tax Riotswere taking place in the streets outside. Many fans were caught in the cross-fire between fighting in the concert venue and the rioting on the streets.
The Lads' website states that at a gig in Cheltenham in 1991 a "bag of hot sick" was thrown at the band.
The band played their 500th gig atNottingham Rock Cityon 4 December 1995.
Before reforming in 2018, the band last performed at a private show in 1997 for Muttley's local football team in Macclesfield. The line-up was the four-piece of Muttley, Winston Dread, Al O'Peesha and Johnny Mard.In 1999 Stez Styx, The Beater, Muttley and Al O'Peesha reunited for an interview at the Ivy House pub, Macclesfield for The Bear's Head fan website. This was conducted by long-term Macc Lads fan and Bear's Head fansite contributor Lance Manley, also known as Liquid Goblin.
On 23 June 2015The Guardianpublished an article by Ian Gittins in which he put a satirical interpretation on the Macc Lads' lyrics and said that they had arrived "too early" in music history to not be taken at face value. The article stated that they were ultimately "a coarse yet clever spoof".Muttley McLad himself rejected this description, saying "There was no ulterior motive,The Guardianare reading too much into it. Making us out to be witty, intelligent satirists is probably the worst thing that's ever been said about us."
In November 2015 a five-minute documentary calledCoffee, Sex & Johnny Bagsby The Beater's son Joe Conning was made and published on 2 January 2016 onYouTubeand social media. The video is another reunion of the original line-up with Muttley, The Beater and Stez Styx giving insights into lyrics the band wrote plus reflections on their success. Also contributing was long-term "affiliate" Bammy the Bamster who is mentioned in a couple of the band's songs.
On 25 February 2017, the Macc Lads members Muttley McLad, The Beater, Stez Styx and Chorley the Hord reunited for a gig as F.I.L.F. with Bammy the Bamster on vocals. Although not an official reunion of the Macc Lads, this was the first time in since 1988 that Muttley, Chorley and Beater have played in the same band and the first time that Chorley and Stez have shared a stage. F.I.L.F. are an ongoing project aiming to cover classic punk music, and began closing performances with Macc Lads material atBlackpool'sRebellion Festival. A gig at No.5 Bar in Macclesfield on 10 February 2018 sold out in three days.
On 1 July 2018 Lance Manley published a memoir of his time following the Macc Lads. EntitledBeer, Sweat & Blood: On Tour With The Macc Lads, the book covers the period 1988 to 1999 and the recent reunion.
On 3 August 2018, the Macc Lads reformed to play the Rebellion Festival in Blackpool. The line-up was the same as F.I.L.F. with Bammy on vocals. Two months later Muttley resumed lead vocals, and Bammy stepped aside to become the band's full-time manager. A tour entitledThe Usual Subjectstook place in November 2018 with all of the gigs sold out.
On 16 November 2019 Lance Manley published a follow-up book entitledFrom The Cradle To The Gravy: Fan Tales Of The Macc Ladswhich features short stories and tales from other fans and associates of the band over the years.
On 14 December 2019 the band released their first original material since 2006. A vinyl 7-inch single with the tracksMary, Queen of PoxandMiddle Fingerwas given away free to all fans attending the final gig of 2019, at the Engine Shed inLincoln.
In 2020 the Macc Lads began selling their own range ofCOVID-19face-masks,featuring a cartoon of a stubbly chin and a mouth holding a lit cigarette. They also released five new songs via their website: "Devil's Handcart", "Best Barbershop", "Black Latrine", "Sunniside Nursing Home" and "Curley Clare". There is a video for "Curly Clare" featuring Muttley and the Beater.
In December 2020 the Macc Lads published a Ladvent calendar on their website. This featured a one-minute track entitled "Let's Get Pissed Again" which was originally featured on the 1982 release "Minge Pies & Mistletoe". Its lyrics were changed to reflect the lockdown over COVID-19. This calendar has been repeated with different material every December since then.
In February 2022 the Macc Lads manager Bammy stated that the 2021 tour was possibly the last one with that line-up but material will continue in other forms.
In December 2022 a new song was released on the Ladvent calendar entitled "More Kids". It is about a man lamenting that his children are politically correct, vegan and "woke" and surmising that he could always have more children to replace them. It was only available while the Ladvent calendar was active and can no longer be accessed.
In July 2023 a group called The Spontanes was formed with Muttley McLad on bass and Bammy the Bamster on vocals and rhythm guitar. Other members are Andy Lewis on lead guitar and Shaun Salmon on drums. The music genre has been penned by Muttley as ‘Uneasy Listening’
This is an approximate timeline of the members of the Macc Lads.