The Destroyers (band)

Not to be confused with George Thorogood and the Destroyers.
The Destroyers
Background information
OriginBirmingham, England
GenresFolk punk, Gypsy punk
Years active2006 (2006)–present
LabelsDestruction Records, Transition Records
Websitewww.thedestroyers.co.uk Edit this at Wikidata

The Destroyers are a 15-strong music collective from Birmingham, England, that plays gypsy and balkan inspired "turbo-folk".[1] The band has released 3 long play albums and regularly plays live gigs and music festivals.

History

The group was founded by Louis Robinson in 2006 in the area of Speedwell Road, Birmingham,[2] and features a line-up that typically includes c. 13-15 members, comprising brass, string, wind, percussion and gong sections.[3] A number of the band members had studied at the Birmingham Conservatoire.[4] From 2006 to 2012 the poet and musician Paul Murphy, who was known for his signature fez and being the founder of the Songwriter's Cafe in Birmingham, was the lead singer of the group. In 2016 Murphy, aged 66 years, died from cancer.[5]

The band have been called "“doom-pah” folk-punk legends", and their sound compared to that of Bellowhead, Gogol Bordello, and Loose Tubes.[6][7][8] The Destroyers are known for their live performances, playing c. 20-40 gigs per year, and have played at a number of festivals including Glastonbury, Womad, Wychwood Festival, and the Cambridge Folk Festival. They were featured on BBC West Midlands in 2010.[1][3][9][10][11] In 2022 they performed at the opening ceremony for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.[12]

The Destroyers' first single, "Out of Babel", was written by Murphy and released in 2009. It was called a "riotous celebration of multicultural Birmingham", and one of the songs "least likely to be adopted as an anthem by the BNP".[2] Their similarly named first album, Out of Babel, was released the same year and according to the music website The Line of Best Fit it "positively enlightened the British press with its originality and energy", though in their own review Daniel Offen stated that while the Destroyers are "insane and we love them", the novelty did tend to "wear off".[13][14]

Their second album, Hole In The Universe was released in 2012 to positive critical reception. Journalist Sid Smith stated that, while an "album probably isn’t the best medium through which to experience their brand of wryly manufactured mayhem", that Paul Murphy's "gravel-voiced insights are both humorous and thought-provoking".[7][8][15] The Destroyers' third album, The Massive Gong, has been reported as "critically acclaimed".[12]

Discography

Albums

  • Out of Babel (2009)
  • Hole In The Universe (2012)
  • The Massive Gong (2017)

EPs

  • Vortex (2015)
  • Licence to Sing (2016)
  • Captain Borglet's Escape to the Hidden Lands (2020)

References

  1. ^ a b "BBC WM Introducing - live acts in session 2010". BBC. 2010. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  2. ^ a b Grimley, Terry (12 June 2009). "Paul Murphy joins The Destroyers". Business Live. Archived from the original on 20 June 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  3. ^ a b King, Ed (2016). "INTERVIEW: The Destroyers – Leighton Hargreaves". Birmingham Review. Archived from the original on 8 December 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  4. ^ Laws, Roz (7 May 2016). "The Destroyers". Birmingham Mail. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2024. Most of The Destroyers band studied at Birmingham Conservatoire and have since built up a large following for their infectious, genre-busting music they call MegaFolk.
  5. ^ Young, Graham (2 February 2016). "Tributes paid to The Destroyers' star Paul Murphy". Birmingham Mail. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  6. ^ Bounds, Jon (29 July 2022). "'More than UB40 and heavy metal': Birmingham's alternative arts and entertainment". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  7. ^ a b Smith, Sid (23 May 2012). "The Destroyers: Hole In The Universe". loudersound.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  8. ^ a b Wilde, Joe (4 April 2012). "The Destroyers - Hole In The Universe Album Review". contactmusic.com. Archived from the original on 11 December 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  9. ^ "Paul Murphy lived with Lemmy". BBC. 3 February 2010. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  10. ^ Owl, Lucas (12 June 2006). "Wychwood Festival 2006". Freq Magazine. Archived from the original on 11 June 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  11. ^ Creaser, James (2 August 2012). "Cambridge Folk Festival 2012 review". eFestivals. Archived from the original on 2 April 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  12. ^ a b "The Destroyers". The Herald Series. Newsquest Media. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  13. ^ "The Destroyers to play Wilton's music hall on 11th September". Line of Best Fit. 8 September 2010. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  14. ^ Offen, Daniel (16 September 2009). "The Destroyers – Out Of Babel". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  15. ^ Kennedy, John (6 April 2012). "The Destroyers Hit Town – Get Ready For The Balkan Blitz". The Edinburgh Reporter. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.