SONGS from legendary Leamington punk band The Shapes are something likes buses – you wait ages then two come along at once.
The five-piece have been busy recently, and it all started with a return to the town’s Woodbine Studios where they recorded their 1979 debut ep Part of the Furniture – featuring classics ditties such as Wot’s For Lunch Mum? (Not Beans Again!) and (I Saw) Batman (In The Launderette) – with another Leamington music legend in producer John Rivers.
Thirty-seven years on they finally got around to recording some new material with John in live favourites We’re Not Very Famous and Don’t Play Tennis, which will be released sometime soon on Sofa Records.
Not ones to let the grass grow under their feet they hit the road for a short tour under the banner 39 Years of Anarchy & Baked Beans – culminating in a packed home town gig at the Zephyr Lounge.
Singer Ben Browton, guitarist Steve Richards and Tim Jee, bassist Gareth Holder and drummer Dave Gee also had the honour adding their names to the Coventry and Warwickshire music Door of Fame at Coventry Music Museum, where they got the chance to chat about a career which has included being championed by the late great DJ John Peel to support slots with the likes of The Cure and The Fall, to The Specials playing their first gig as support to The Shapes.
Footage of the chat – with museum founder and music historian Pete Chambers – can be found on You Tube and includes acoustic renditions of the songs Business Calls and the classic (I Saw) Batman (In The Launderette).
