The Naughtys – ‘Groundhog Day’
When a certain amount of positive energy is invested into, or expelled by, any kind of endeavour, musical or anything else, then something great is bound to come of it, fact. In this case, the benevolent vibrations exuded by, arguably, Manchester’s favourite underground outfit, The Naughtys, over the years have architected their recent signing to Scruff of the Neck Records, and the best thing about the whole affair is that they (the band) probably don’t care so much.
To anybody who knows the Stretford-dwelling ska/punk/rap rabble, the news comes as no surprise. In fact, it’s little more than The Naughtys deserve after giving crowds a similar buzz to the pills gifted in the era dubbed with the same title.
Though in truth, as well as being an old number, today’s selection, ‘Groundhog Day’ was not the first choice. Despite the track being a fantastic concoction of offbeat Specials-inspired rhythm, sparse surf guitar and punky lyrics, it isn’t, in my humble opinion, the best tune to encapsulate the essence of The Naughty’s character.
That would be ‘Beggin Bugga’ an effort. I suppose we will have to wait for the label dish out. Anyway, this is more a tip of the hat to a top bunch than anything else so any song could’ve been plucked from their catalogue.
Some might say that a write-up like this is about three hundred words too long; only one is really needed to best describe this lot, and that’s ‘fun’. They will give you a platform to dance (more like throw yourself about) and a few feverishly catchy verses to carry into the night with. If famed sentimental wordsmiths like Leonard Cohen caught a listen, he would probably throw up… and that’s in part the fundamental, fantastic attraction with this lot.
Infused with the tongue-in-cheek social commentary of Baileyz, the loose-lipped MC who lays down a few typically Manc anecdotes as enjoyable to lap up as a couple of neat glasses of the drink, The Naughtys may well be ‘Stretford’s finest export’, as the group proclaims, and not just because there’s not much else worth mentioning from there.
Check out their Spotify page below.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out New Music Newsletter
All the latest New Music from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.