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As smooth as a pint'a mild!

So here they are once again, like the warm and comforting feeling of sitting on the knees of your favourite uncle, those unlikely lads from up north return after their successful album last year, ‘Never Mind The Hotpots’ with their first single off of their upcoming ‘awkward’ second album, ‘Pot Sounds’- that some of you sharp folk will recognise as a take on those bushy, bushy blonde hair-do surfers The Beach Boys’ album, ‘Pet Sounds’. Nice ’un, Cocker!

First song, ‘Keys, Wallet, Phone’ tells the tale of what happens when you lose either of the aforementioned items. Now just in case you have been living in Timbuktu for the past 12 months and are not aware of the musical delights from The Lancashire Hotpots, then basically they are like the Somerset musical giants The Wurzels if they were fronted by Peter Kay. Even in the first line we get the picture pretty quickly, “You know how it goes on Sat’day night, your drinks are flowin’ fine // Pork scratchings, mild, an’ pickled egg // ‘fore landlord calls for time (time!)…” “There’s a famous phrase in Lancashire // that you can sing with me // It isn’t hard to learn at all // and when you do you’ll see // Three simple words to say out loud before you head for home…..// Keys! Wallet! Phone!”

Now I personally like the second song a little more, ‘CHAV’, which once again mixes up The Lancashire Hotpots strength which is a comical take on life against a Country/Folk back beat. Some of the choice lyrics here are, “They congregate in bus shelters, or outside Topshops // It’s getting so you’ll need Geoff Capes to walk you to Co-Op // It’s just not safe with them around // They’re annoying and their rude // And it’s wrong…// With a tracksuit or fake burberry or even in the hoodie // Their bullying and swearing like a Lancashire Jade Goody // They just don’t serve a purpose // They should bring back National Service // for ‘em all!” Then the songs finishes with each band member shouting out a line in abuse of, “ Bugger off! Move along! Get ‘em out! Get ta bed! - Bloody chavs!” Genius!

It’s no surprise that they are supporting Paddy McGuiness on his 2008 tour and this will help them raise their profile even more. I look forward to the album, Cockers!