Blakfish

Blakfish

Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	2000
Headquarters	Birmingham , England
Products	Albums, EPs, singles

Blakfish was a mathcore group originating from Birmingham, England, occasionally labeled as 'death pop' by the NME. The band formed in 2000 after the members met during their school years and quickly gained recognition for their vigorous live shows and extensive touring schedule.

By 2007, the band members had committed to Blakfish full-time. In 2008, they performed more than 200 concerts across upwards of 10 countries, and in 2009, they surpassed this with another 200 gigs spanning 16 nations. Their touring included supporting slots for bands such as Hell Is For Heroes on their farewell tour and Tubelord. In 2010, Blakfish earned a support position on the European leg of the Biffy Clyro tour.

The group announced their breakup midway through a tour following guitarist and vocalist Sam Manville’s exit. This led to the cancellation of scheduled performances in Tokyo and Osaka alongside 65daysofstatic, as well as the abandonment of plans to record their sophomore album in Seattle with Chris Common. Seven instrumental demos produced by Nick Kinnish in Lewes remain unreleased.

Formation (2000–2010)

Blakfish’s debut EP, Dirty Import, was released in 2004, followed by the four-track myforteistimetravel in 2005. In 2007, they issued a seamless three-track EP named Gold. After signing with Big Scary Monsters, their fourth EP, See You in Another City, came out in 2008 to favorable critical reception. Produced by Jason Wilson at Stakeout Studios, it included the song "Jeremy Kyle Is A Marked Man," featured in the video game Colin McRae: Dirt 2 and the Polish movie Suicide Room, and received airplay on BBC Radio 1.

Their sole album, Champions, was released in 2009 and recorded by Chris Common at Redroom Studios in Seattle. During touring, band members were questioned at an airport due to the dark themes of "9th Base," which inspired the track "Randy Sage – True American Hero." The album garnered strong praise; Kerrang! awarded it 4/5 stars, and Rock Sound rated it 9/10. Conversely, NME gave it a low score of 1/10 despite listing Blakfish among "ones to watch" that year. A limited-edition reissue titled French Champions featured handmade copies with covers adorned in real gold leaf.

Additionally, during Christmas 2009, they released a complimentary single called "Missing You (The True Meaning of Christmas)" featuring Nick Kinnish and vocals from Rich, Wiz, Thom, and Sam, accompanied by a video available on their website.

Post-Blakfish (2010–2022)

In February 2010, while touring Europe with Biffy Clyro, Sam announced his immediate departure from Blakfish. The remaining trio decided to carry on under a new name but canceled all remaining European dates, a UK tour, and forthcoming shows in Japan.

A farewell concert titled 'Blakfish and Friends' took place on 19 March 2010 at The Flapper in Birmingham, featuring guest musicians filling Sam’s role. The event sold out rapidly and coincided with a re-release of See You in Another City including nine extra b-sides and rare tracks. At this final performance, Thom, Rich, and Wiz premiered new material intended for their future three-piece band.

Following the split, Thom, Rich, and Wiz formed "&U&I," releasing the EP Kill the Man that Shot that Man along with the album Light Bearer. Meanwhile, Sam established two bands: "Vietwow!" alongside Toby Hayes and others, and "†Hymns†," which issued the double album Cardinal Sins/Contrary Virtues in 2012. He also developed a solo project named "Greatest Hits."

In 2010, Rob collaborated on a project with Jason Rosenthal of On the Might of Princes, intending to complete it after Rosenthal’s passing in 2013.

On 24 August 2012, Leeds-based magazine Musical Mathematics commemorated Blakfish Day to mark three years since the release of Champions, sharing previously unreleased demos from their planned second album.

Sam Manville transitioned into electronic music production under the alias FTSE, working with artists such as MØ, Shola Ama, Burnaboy, and Peking Duk. He released tracks through labels like Ministry of Sound and Rinse and founded his own imprint, Roller Blaster Records, in 2017.

In 2019, Manville issued an acoustic solo album of cover songs entitled Somebody Else's Songs under the name S.T. Manville.

Band members

The individuals in the band were generally recognized by their stage names:

• Thomas Peckett ('Thomas Rock') – Guitar and vocals
• Sam Manville ('Sammy Vile') – Guitar and vocals
• Richard Lee ('Richard Hollywood') – Bass guitar
• Robert 'Wiz' Wisely ('Robert Fruit') – Drums

Lyrical themes

Blakfish's songwriting frequently delved into personal grievances and societal commentary:

• "Economics" deals with monetary difficulties.
• "Ringo Starr – 2nd Best Drummer in the Beatles" offers criticism of the music business and nightclub culture.
• "Your Hair's Straight But Your Boyfriend Ain't" addresses the obsession with appearance.
• "I Saw A Car on Fire There Once" conveys frustration with London's traffic congestion.
• "Randy Sage – True American Hero" narrates challenges encountered with American authorities during album production.
• "Preparing For Guests" examines the act of superficially cleaning before visitors arrive.
• "Scotland's Worst Invention" critiques aspects of television culture.

Additional influences include:

• "...Rollerskates," inspired by a friend's girlfriend traveling abroad.
• "I'm Laughing Now... But It's No Joke," influenced by the movie Into the Wild.

Albums

• Champions (2009)

01. Economics 02. Ringo Starr – 2nd Best Drummer in The Beatles 03. Your Hair's Straight but Your Boyfriend Ain't 04. If the Good Lord Had Intended Us to Walk He Wouldn't Have Invented Rollerskates 05. We Beg, We Borrow, We Steal 06. I Saw a Car on Fire There Once 07. The Closer to the Bone, the Sweeter the Meat 08. Randy Sage – True American Hero 09. I'm Laughing Now... But It's No Joke 10. 9th Base 11. Scotland's Worst Invention

EPs

• See You in Another City (Re-release, 2010)

01. Preparing For Guests 02. My Stomach Feels Like My Throats Been Cut 03. Jeremy Kyle Is A Marked Man 04. Make Your Bed And Lie in It 05. Carnival of Carnivores Bonus tracks feature earlier demos and covers including "Charmer" (a Kings of Leon cover).

• See You in Another City (2008)

01. Preparing For Guests 02. My Stomach Feels Like My Throats Been Cut 03. Jeremy Kyle Is A Marked Man 04. Make Your Bed And Lie in It 05. Carnival of Carnivores

• Gold (2007)

01. Captain Burns 02. Merry Fucking Xmas 03. Planes, Trains And Obese Women

• myforteistimetravel (2005)

01. 22nd 02. Superpowers 03. Death of a Soapstar 04. Cooking Can Be Child's Play

• Dirty Import (2004)

01. Leaving Home 02. Senile 03. Clifton

Other

• Missing You (The True Meaning of Christmas) – Complimentary Christmas single download (2009)
• Captain Burns – Included on Various Artists Vol.11 (Sotones Records; 1 August 2007; STCD001). Available as MP3 and limited edition CD (1000 copies). Reissued in 2009 (excluding Captain Burns).