The Singing Loins

I first heard about The Singing Loins from my friend Rastko. He said there was a band that had collaborated with Billy Childish and that I had to bring them. I immediately downloaded everything he had in mp3 format and listened while having a beer. I was sitting, but I was blown away! Acoustic guitar, mandolin, banjo, Spanish daira, some baton decorated with bells, and a highly suggestive voice with a rasp. Folk with a punk attitude and what songs, hits!

SL was formed by Chris Broderick and Chris Allen in the late 80s in Chillingham. Billy Childish, a friend and supporter, recorded two albums at his studio and then released them for Hangman Records in '91 and '93. They also recorded a joint album with Billy called Billy Childish with the Singing Loins – 'At The Bridge', 1993. The band then split after a bitter argument on stage during what was almost their last concert.

Damaged Goods released the compilation double CD 'The Complete & Utter Singing Loins', hinting at the return of Singing Loins. They returned in 2005. The comeback album is called 'Songs To Hear Before You Die', released by Damaged Goods, and they soon became a trio. New member Robert Shepherd plays banjo and mandolin, and sings the second backing voice. The album was a hit, unlike the previous two lo-fi masterpieces, this one is a hi-fi masterpiece. Very well-recorded, and out of the 12 songs, at least half are hits and still remembered to this day. Honest Man, Bakers Arms (August '58), House In The Woods, Angel of Medway, So Long My Old China... Chris Broderick was at the peak of his creativity, and the songs he wrote for this and the following albums have become regular anthems in my four walls, so it's not surprising that I brought them to several concerts in Serbia in 2007. I was obsessed with this band. The same year they released 'The Drowned Man Resuscitator', all hits after hit, but also the strongest rock and roll lyrics of all time: 'The topless twins of Allhallows-On-Sea why don’t you ever look directly at me, tho you are probably 18 and i am just a kid, i’m gonna be a pop star you wish you bloody did!'.
Next came 'Unravelling England' 2009, 'Stuff' 2011, and '... Here On Earth' 2012. All for Damaged Goods. All great examples of atypical British folk, in a punk way, tavern-like. They came here a few more times. The last concert was at BELEF in 2011. Eventually, they split up again for a while. Of course, a few years later, the two Chrises reconciled and SL reunited once more. They recorded and released the album '13 Moon Songs From Merry Hell' which could not be missed. Regardless, the band could have played again, and just as we were arranging another visit to these parts, the pandemic arrived. During the same period, Broderick was diagnosed with blood cancer. He passed away on January 2, 2022.