Simon Bayliss
| Spunge | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Tewkesbury, England |
| Genres | Ska punk |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Labels | Sucka-Punch Records Moon Ska Europe B-Unique Records Dent'All Records |
| Associated acts | Whitmore, Capdown, Phinius Gage, The Toasters, King Prawn |
| Members | Alex Copeland Damon "Des" Robins Chris "Jarvis" Murphy Jeremy "Jem" King |
| Past members | Paul "Wol" Gurney Simon Bayliss Martin Holt |
Spunge (often typeset as [spunge] - lead singer Alex Copeland has joked that the brackets are in the name so that the letters do not fall out) are a ska punk band from Tewkesbury, England. Through many years of touring, Spunge have toured with or played alongside a number UK bands; and several more American bands such as Green Day and Dropkick Murphys; and been supported on a UK tour by Bowling for Soup; the latter of whom contributed backing vocals to the song "Centerfold" on the That Should Cover It! album.
The band completed a UK 2015 tour with Phinius Gage, who reformed after eight years apart to support.
Conceived in July 1994, with almost the same line up as today (the only difference being that Copeland used to double up on bass), the band went through a lengthy gestation period (adding bassist Simon Bayliss in 1995, and replacing him with Martin Holt in 1997, before emerging with the Kicking Pigeons in 1998. Having sold 5000 copies at pub gigs the band decided that there was enough potential to leave their day jobs, and make the band a full-time concern. Having soon gained a manager in Dave Juste of Birmingham's Xposure Rock Cafe (a regular early haunt), Spunge hit the road, and would eventually notch up well over three hundred gigs in just two years.
Less than a year later in 1999, Spunge released their début album Pedigree Chump on MoonSka Europe and thus set about introducing the band to a wider audience. Holt tired of touring, so good friend Chris Murphy joined to play bass.
Their second album Room for Abuse was recorded at DEP International Studios, and released on Sucka-Punch Records in 2000, featuring the single "Ego" plus covers of Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry" and Sublime's "Santeria". The album version of "No Woman No Cry" - was completed with new lyrics from Copeland - was the first cover of a Bob Marley song ever to receive permission to be altered by the Marley family, as Ziggy liked it so much. All this attention brought them to the eyes of B-Unique and a deal was signed in February 2002.
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