Robert Lloyd’s career began at the start of punk, as leader of Birmingham’s best punk band, The Prefects, who were wildly ahead of their time in experimentation and age, despite their relative youth. Formed in 1979 and described in John Robb’s 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 1980s 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 1980s to look at the period rationally and other, infinitely better known, bands stand revealed as charlatans”
After the band’s evolution into The Nightingales, Robert Lloyd become the combo’s sole constant member, and he’s led the band through a dozen or so brilliant albums across at least as many labels. Now with the force majeure that is Fliss Kitson (Drums and management) driving them forward, the ‘gales have never been so prominent, having played countless gigs since lockdown lifted and recently winning over new fans with their successful tour support stint with The Damned.
Pic Credit: Andi Callen Photography – All Rights Reserved
A feature-length documentary about the band – King Rocker – fronted by comedian and writer Stewart Lee was to be released in 2020, but it eventually debuted on the UK Sky Arts channel on 6 February 2021, and did much to raise the band’s profile, if not just to remind people with a gentle nudge in the bollocks, that they were still around.
Pic Credit: Andi Callen Photography – All Rights Reserved
The Nightingales play The Opera House stage at 17:55-18:40 on Sun 6th Aug. You can even have a nice sit down and enjoy it at your leisure if you’ve been on the go all weekend!
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