Following their last year’s short offering ‘Always Looming‘ 7″, Britain’s edgy post hardcore act GROUP OF MANย (members of HANG THE BASTARD, APOLOGIES I HAVE NONE, PARISO, and HAMMERS) are back with their first 12” offering calledย ‘What We Got In Common’! Available on black heavyweight vinyl by Smithsfoodgroup DIY and Future Void Records, with all digitals being handled by Holy Roar Records, the record will hit the streets on May 25th and today we have a tasty treat in the form of the full stream below!
“What We Got In Common” was recorded by Mischa Herring at Holy Mountain Studios and mastered by Dave Cooley at Elysian Mastering. The recordย is out May 25th via Future Void Records (UK), Smithsfoodgroup DIY (EU) and Holy Roar, and will be available digitally and as a 180g 12″ vinyl.
Group Of Man came together in the space of a few weeks at the tail end of 2015 after the slow agonising death of MINE. Suckers for punishment and a combined love of punk and classic rock, Chris Barling (ex Hang The Bastard) and Mark Scurr (ex Centurions Ghost) took advantage of Pariso calling it a day and pounced on Stu Anderson AKA The Death Hammer to play bass. After a revolving door of different members and fill ins, the line up is complete with the additions of Joe ‘The Real’ Watson (Apologies, I Have None) and Dan Mills (ex Hammers). Its hard to pin down the influences for this band but at this current point, lets say it’s a culmination of listening to a lot of Torche, Gang Of Four and lots of 90s bands that people love to rip off.
Here’s whatย Chris Barling have to say about theirย “What We Got In Common”:
We all have lot of things in common, whether you like it not. If you live and work in a big city, the biggest thing that we have in common is that we fucking get pissed off with everyone we encounter.
Thereโs people walking along staring at a phone, watching some bullshit on a tabletโฆbooks! Who walks down the street or out of the tube reading a book, pretentious motherfuckers. Youโre worse than the iPhone douchebags.
But anyway, I was thinking about all that stuff and all the other weird shit we all have in common. Living in a place like London essentially feels like being trapped. Its this huge over boiling pot full of the grossest things. Its all about moneyโฆbut no one has any.
Most people leave their mold ridden flat that that they share with five other people and go to work in an office, where you make some person you donโt know money. You probably go out with the people you are unlucky enough to work with most evenings and blow half your wages on pints of sub par craft lager, in bars filled with greasy haired recruiters in T.M Lewin suits.
Every time you go for a shit, you sit on some dating app swiping away because weโve become so inept at communicating with people in real life.
Iโm going off topic, but you get where Iโm coming from on this. Iโm not treading any new ground, Iโd hope that anyone who likes this band would be at least 30% a well adjusted human and realize that the above is not a life and forming some sort of escape plan. Write it out while you listen to this record maybe.
Track by track rundown and introduction from vocalist Chris:
Everyoneโs A Punk These Days
Youโve all seen that person who is just full of rage on their way to whatever shitty job they are going to, this songs about that person. The song title is completely unrelated though. As an older person in a scene, its fucking hilarious to see person go through phase after phase and take it oh so seriously. Once youโve gotten over oi! Youโll be back to defending pop punk. When you hit 30, youโll listen to Rush and itโll all be okay, donโt worry, Iโve got you.
Eraserhead
You ever just want to be alone with someone, thatโs what this is about.
That Good Kinda Glue
Everyone needs to have a friend that can hold a group together, Iโm not that person.
The Machine Stops Whirring
You should pick up a copy of The Machine Stops by E.M Forster, itโs a very short story but that guy clearly had some sort of way to look into the future. I donโt think that technology is inherently bad, it can be a useful tool for good. But the way we use it, as a constant source of simulation isnโt good. If all of a sudden, everyoneโs phones and devices stopped working, could you imagine the aftermath and chaos caused? It would be insane, people would be freaking the fuck out!!
Quit Waiting Around
Just do the stuff you want to do. I get that its not always easy but drop the defeatist attitude. You can live several different lives if you live to a decent age and who cares if you give something a go and it doesnโt work out. Fuck it,
Canโt Hack The Straight Life
If you donโt like your shitty job, get another one. If the person youโre dating is an asshole, cut them loose. If you place is moldy and smells like socks, move. If you eat meat but love animals, be a fucking vegan. If you hate animals, eat as many of them as you can, especially horse, fuck horses.
GROUP OF MAN live shows with THE REMEMBERABLES (see our recent interview HERE):
Youโve all seen that person who is just full of rage on their way to whatever shitty job they are going to, this songs about that person. The song title is completely unrelated though. As an older person in a scene, its fucking hilarious to see person go through phase after phase and take it oh so seriously. Once youโve gotten over oi! Youโll be back to defending pop punk. When you hit 30, youโll listen to Rush and itโll all be okay, donโt worry, Iโve got you.
You ever just want to be alone with someone, thatโs what this is about.
Everyone needs to have a friend that can hold a group together, Iโm not that person.
You should pick up a copy of The Machine Stops by E.M Forster, itโs a very short story but that guy clearly had some sort of way to look into the future. I donโt think that technology is inherently bad, it can be a useful tool for good. But the way we use it, as a constant source of simulation isnโt good. If all of a sudden, everyoneโs phones and devices stopped working, could you imagine the aftermath and chaos caused? It would be insane, people would be freaking the fuck out!!
Just do the stuff you want to do. I get that its not always easy but drop the defeatist attitude. You can live several different lives if you live to a decent age and who cares if you give something a go and it doesnโt work out. Fuck it,
If you donโt like your shitty job, get another one. If the person youโre dating is an asshole, cut them loose. If you place is moldy and smells like socks, move. If you eat meat but love animals, be a fucking vegan. If you hate animals, eat as many of them as you can, especially horse, fuck horses.
