The Nightingales

Birmingham’s original punk group The Prefects had been part of The Clash’s ‘White Riot Tour’, recorded a couple of Peel sessions, released a 45 on Rough Trade and, years after splitting up, had a retrospective CD released by NY label Acute Records to all round glowing reviews – from Rolling Stone to webzines.

The Nightingales was formed by a few members of The Prefects following that band’s demise in 1979.

Described in John Robb’s definitive book on post punk (“Death To Trad Rock”) as “The misfits’ misfits” and comprising an ever fluctuating line up, based around lyricist/singer Robert Lloyd, the Nightingales enjoyed cult status in the early ’80’s as darlings of the credible music scene and were championed by John Peel, who said of them – “Their performances will serve to confirm their excellence when we are far enough distanced from the 1980’s to look at the period rationally and other, infinitely better known, bands stand revealed as charlatans”.

The group recorded a bunch of critically acclaimed singles – pretty much always ‘Single Of The Week’ in the music press – and three albums, plus many radio sessions for their great supporter Peel. They also regularly toured the UK and Northern Europe, as headliners and supporting acts as diverse as Bo Diddley and Nico.

In the late Eighties the Nightingales stopped working but, following the occasional gig between times, they re-grouped in 2004.

After fucking about with various part timers, starry eyed wastrels, precious sorts and mercenaries the group arrived at a long standing line up, which featured Lloyd, Andreas Schmid from Faust on bass, ex Violet Violet wonder drummer Fliss Kitson and on guitar James Smith, who Lloyd had spotted playing with Damo Suzuki.

Since restarting the group have been more productive than ever – releasing eight vinyl singles, a bunch of EPs, two 6 song mini albums, ten full length studio albums plus a movie soundtrack. They have regularly toured UK, mainland Europe and also the USA numerous times, playing various festivals and recording many radio sessions along the way.

The band continue to operate with no actual manager, booking agent, et al, but they get by. And they work equally well with pop musicians, rock n rollers and the avant garde. The group is independent, maverick, diligent, daft, blah blah.

Following the hit film “King Rocker”, (Stewart Lee’s documentary feature about the band), which had been produced by Fire Films, the group has been working with Fire Records. The label has been issuing the band’s back catalogue in a series of ‘deluxe editions’, the movie soundtrack and a new studio album “The Awful Truth”.

In the last few years, amongst other stuff, the Gales toured as special guests of The Damned on an extensive UK tour, released a double live LP and have continued to play regularly around Europe. Following the release of “The Awful Truth” in 2025 the band was officially augmented by wonderful viola player Natalie Mason who had previously guested with the group on stage and record. The five piece – the best batch yet – have completed short tours of UK, Ireland and Germany. They will be supporting their new recordings with a full UK tour in March/April 2027.