For Twisted Wheel, Snakes and Ladders is not just a board game, it’s a CV. Born in the backwaters of Saddleworth in 2007, the young band, fronted by the feral, precocious Jonny Brown, roared into the race of Indie Punk with such anthems as ‘You Stole The Sun’, ‘She’s a Weapon’ and ‘Lucy The Castle’. Their irrepressible energy and ability to deliver inspired Rock’n’Roll gained them support slots with Oasis, Kasabian, Paul Weller, The Courteeners, Happy Mondays and Ian Brown to name but a few, as well as sell-outs on their first UK and European tours.
Constant touring across the UK, Europe and Japan (thanks to the Grass Route movement and large festivals) led to a solid fanbase despite the dramatic trajectory of its frontman, Jonny Brown – or maybe because of it. Twisted Wheel has indeed rocked and rolled, been smashed up, fallen off the wagon, gone solo, kicked to the kerb – before finding its groove and getting back on it, full speed ahead.
The unlikely combination of elegance and raw inspiration, the familiar coupled with the random, make Twisted Wheel an undeniably popular act that deliver the goods in a way few bands can. But ‘Snakes and Ladders’ is a tour and album far closer to the bone than anything previous. The band has grown up and Brown’s song structures and lyrics are on another level, beyond haggard experience now, worn in with wisdom and wit. As he says: “The song ‘Smash It Up’ epitomised me. I set out to do things and was on the road comfortably and then I turned off and smashed it to bits. I get stuck into things with a passion and then I have to destroy it when the passion’s gone. Mess everything up so that I’m free again to reinvent, create.”
‘Snakes and Ladders’ is about the band blowing the ladders of opportunity they were given – and the snakes which led to them falling off the board. It’s a tour about getting back in the game, finding opportunity again and avoiding those slithery serpents. Twisted Wheel are back like a man from the dead and with tunes to make up for time lost.
@twisted_wheel [rotatingtweets screen_name=’twisted_wheel’]The Lancastrian four spoker (Harry Lavin, James Highton, Richard Allsopp and Jonny Brown) have a gang of songs above and beyond their previous best, recording in Preston as this goes to press. A new UK tour starts in April plus a single, festivals and a further tour before the album release in Autumn. The band built a great foundation through the Grass Route venues which were the genuine ladders through which Twisted Wheel gained their success. A decade later, and they are still how Twisted Wheel gain access to the game – this time avoiding the pitfalls.
Twisted Wheel were one of the hardest working bands in 2009, gaining the PRS Award for playing the most gigs of any young band. They are grafters, rock n rollers but with the edge of genuine poetry; few can forget Jonny’s ‘Bouncing Bomb’ or ‘What’s Your Name?’ but audiences will be hungry for his more poignant blues numbers on this tour. “We’re not just in a Rock ‘n’ Roll, Punk box. I write a range of songs. This time, more of my poetry will come out which focuses on things that matter, a commentary on what’s going on in the world. Bands play it safe because they don’t want to upset people. But your job as an artist is to say what others can’t, to speak the truth.”
So for now, with a huge tour on the horizon and brand new material being recorded we’ll leave you with ‘Oh What Have You Done’, which has never been to radio before, recorded and produced by Dave Sardy (Oasis, Marylin Mansion, LCD Soundsystem) at Hillside Studios, Hollywood, California and taken from their self titled debut album, ‘Twisted Wheel’.
Twisted Wheel – it may have been bad, bent and broken but it’s back, a band with integrity, fun and experienced authority.
[table caption=”TWISTED WHEEL – SNAKES AND LADDERS UK TOUR” width=”100%” colwidth=”20|50|50″ colalign=”left|left|left|left|left”]
Date,Month,Year,City,Venue
20TH,APRIL,2018,WHITEHAVEN,THE YELLOW EARL
26TH,APRIL,2018,LEEDS,LENDING ROOMS
27TH,APRIL,2018,PRESTON,THE FERRET
28TH,APRIL,2018,SCUNTHORPE,CAFE INDIEPENDENT
4TH,MAY,2018,GLASGOW,RECORD FACTORY
5TH,MAY,2018,DUNFERMLINE,P J MOLLOYS
9TH,MAY,2018,EXETER,THE CAVERN
10TH,MAY,2018,BRISTOL,DEPARTMENT THE LANES
11TH,MAY,2018,LONDON, DINGWALLS
12TH,MAY,2018,CORBY, WHITE HART
18TH,MAY,2018,SHEFFIELD, CAFÉ TOTEM
19TH,MAY,2018,YORK,FIBBERS
25TH,MAY,2018,CLEETHORPES,MOON ON THE WATER
26TH,MAY,2018,BISHOPS STORTFORD,THE HALF MOON
31ST,MAY,2018,NOTTINGHAM,ROCK CITY
1ST,JUNE,2018,MANCHESTER,BAND ON THE WALL
2ND,JUNE,2018,LEICESTER, THE SOUNDHOUSE
7TH,JUNE,2018,NEWCASTLE,JUMPIN’ JACKS
8TH,JUNE,2018,HULL,THE ADELPHI
9TH,JUNE,2018,STOKE ON TRENT,THE UNDERGROUND
15TH,JUNE,2018,BLACKPOOL,BOOTLEG SOCIAL
16TH,JUNE,2018,DERBY,THE HAIRY DOG
22ND,JUNE,2018,BARNSLEY,THE GARRISON
27TH,JUNE,2018,LIVERPOOL, TBD
29TH,JUNE,2018,SOUTHAMPTON,HEARTBREAKERS
30TH,JUNE,2018,BLACKBURN,THE CELLAR BAR3
[/table]
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/twistedwheel
https://twitter.com/twisted_wheel
https://www.skiddle.com/search/keyword.php?keyword=twisted+wheel
https://www.seetickets.com/search?q=twisted+wheel
https://www.ticketweb.co.uk/search/?keyword=twisted+wheel
https://www.theyellowearl.com
http://www.wegottickets.com/event/427900
