Fun Lovin' Criminals to play at Cumbrian music festival

By Mark Green

Last updated at 12:22, Friday, 04 May 2012

There'll be some Scooby Snacks, some running around and some Fun Lovin’ Criminals at this year’s CockRock Festival.

Fun Lovin' Criminals

It’s a major coup for the organisers as live shows by the New Yorkers are few and far between these days.

They join headliners Tinchy Stryder, The Subways and Buzzcocks and their appearance in Cumbria is among just five dates announced so far by the band for this year.

The last time Huey Morgan, Brian Leiser and Frank Benbini played anywhere near the region was five years ago when they performed at the Wickerman Festival in Dumfries.

They burst onto the UK music scene in 1996 with debut album Come Find Yourself and they were behind some of the funkiest anthems of the decade with their mix of hip-hop, reggae, blues and rock.

There was the instantly memorable Scooby Snacks, the theme tune ‘Fun Lovin’ Criminals and the saucy but sweet Big Night Out which may or may not have been based on the real life events that the band enjoyed in their early days.

There were no massive hits, but their songs stayed around for a long time (the album was in the top 100 for more than a year) and they were picked up as soundtracks for TV shows, dramas and sports programmes.

The band’s look and style of extras from The Sopranos or Goodfellas and the louche, laid-back appeal of frontman Morgan became the epitome of cool.

And their wit, sardonic humour and tongue in cheek videos earned them a huge following.

The hell-raising supergroup of the 90’s went quiet a few years ago, but burst back into life and onto the tour circuit last year as they promoted their seventh album Classic Fantastic, their first in five years.

Playing live is a crucial part of the band’s life, according to Huey, who also mixes acting with hosting his award-winning weekly show on BBC 6Music.

The band will headline the Friday night of the festival.

Also just announced for the July 20-22 event at Wellington Farm, Cockermouth, are Lower Than Atlantis, Senser, Top Boy Around Here, Dark Stares and Chemical Fiction UK among many others.

For more information, go to www.cockermouthrockfestival.com.

First published at 11:25, Friday, 04 May 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk