Eat The Evidence General Election Special

Iconoclastic London ska punks Eat The Evidence fire a satirical salvo at Theresa May and her self-interested ilk in ‘Tories Go To Waitrose’. The track is taken from the band’s upcoming album, Sex, Drugs, & Wishy-Washy Politics, produced by Sam Duckworth, aka Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. Heralding the upcoming snap election with an uproariously irreverent depiction of the bourgeois shopping habits of those who’ve decimated the country’s public services, ‘Tories Go To Waitrose’ is a hilarious punk-rock takedown of the toffs at the top, delivered via propulsive skank and overdriven amphetamine pop.

A viral terrace chant of a chorus ensures the song is a certified crowdpleaser live, even if there’s a certain flippancy in play that the band are first to admit: “The song accidentally implies that the Conservative Party might shop ethically. Although we do hate the Tories, the song doesn’t make much sense. It may not be enough to swing the vote in key marginals then, but it’ll certainly make you feel better come polling day. Altogether now: “Tories go to Wait-er-ose...”

A entertaining hybrid of The Specials, NOFX, Ween and The Streets, Eat The Evidence are led by brothers Jack and Tom Lattimer, skilled musicians whose deceptively dextrous playing demands equivalent levels of expertise from fellow band members Ric Lygo, Joe Bartlett and Michael Saminaden. With an earthy, animated and uninhibited stage presence, the band’s live shows are swiftly becoming London legend, riotous gigs of carnivalesque proportions with not a little audience interaction. Exploding onto the ska-punk and festival circuits in 2014, Eat The Evidence are always the punkest band on a reggae bill, or the reggae'est band on a punk night. Either way, they will always own the room.

Capturing such visceral energy on tape could have been a challenge, but with the help of Sam Duckworth (aka Get Cape Wear Cape Fly), Jay Malhotra and Rees Broomfield, Eat The Evidence emerged from The Broom Cupboard in Southend-on-Sea brandishing their debut album, Sex, Drugs & Wishy Washy Politics, which surges from the speakers in a flood of sonic sweat. Eschewing romantic escapism for the distinctly down-to-earth, the album’s subject matter ranges from junkie girlfriends to the post-party comedown to political and existential conundrums, all delivered with biting satirical lyrics, breakneck rhythms and such a liberal approach to instrumentation that accordion, trumpet, ukulele and even slide whistle are thrown into the bass-guitar-drums mix. There’s no pretence, no heeding of passing trends, just the foul-mouthed rejection of societal flaws and a riotous celebration of the good times.

Listen/Share ‘Tories Go To Waitrose’ here

See Eat The Evidence live

Saturday 3 June: Bones & Pearl Studios, London N15 (album launch party, with special guests)

Sex, Drugs & Wishy Washy Politics tracklisting

1. Fruit Of The Loot

2. Duck Hunt

3. You Only Say You Love Me When You’re High

4. Third Eye Spy

5. Any Old Excuse

6. Comedown With Me

7. Monkey Thing

8. Honesty

9. Creepy Smile

10. Hippies With Hayfever

11. Theme From An Eat The Evidence Album

12. Tories Go To Waitrose

13. Human Beings

14. No ‘Ists No ‘Isms