Civil Society is very proud to announce the long-awaited debut Australian tour of the British Sea Power. From frozen Cumbria came brothers Yan Scott Wilkinson and Neil Hamilton Wilkinson who, along with school friend Matthew Wood formed British Sea Power. A band whose live performances are so startling that they have defined their career from inception.

Their first years were filled with riotous shows in remarkable surroundings including the sea on the Scilly Isles, underground in a Cornish slate mine and at the Chelsea Flower Show. This February British Sea power will finally bring their remarkable live performance to Australia for headline shows in Sydney and Melbourne as well as appearances as a part of the Perth International Arts Festival and the Playground Weekender.

When British Sea Power played the 2002 Reading Festival, Rolling Stone seemed to say the rest of the weekend’s entire bill paled before them: “Fuck this puerile drivel, we’re going to see British Sea Power… British Sea Power rule!”. Rough Trade founder Geoff Travis came to see BSP and signed them on the spot. The band’s debut album, ‘The Decline Of British Sea Power’, was released in 2003 with NME declaring it to be “Out of this world…a dazzling debut.” Their second album, 2005’s ‘Open Season’, gained even greater praise with Rolling Stone this time saying “The first few songs are so jaw-slackeningly great it can take days to get to the album’s highlight, the epic eight-minute medley of Please Stand Up and North Hanging Rock.”

British Sea Power’s music clashes good against evil; rock music against non-rock music with lyrics that tackle astounding subject matter from floods on Canvey Island, to economic migration, to Slavia Prague FC, to the Apocalypse and to a wrestler born Shirley Crabtree and known as Big Daddy.

British Sea Power are like a musical Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde, throwing caution and guitars to the wind, as they clash themes and sounds as varied as one another to create a glorious cacophony.