After a series of false starts in other bands, the members of Manchester’s The Whip finally realize their dance-rock dreams.
Since The Whip formed three years ago in Manchester, England, they’ve been on a nonstop touring schedule, bringing their dirty, sexy, sweaty, and infectious dance-rock to all corners of the world. While they’ve rocked clubs and festivals from Tokyo to Austin, two boiling hot outdoor gigs last summer stand out for them. The first is opening for The Breeders at McCarren Park Pool in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. “I still can’t believe how enormous the pool was. I kept trying to imagine how it would look filled with water and people,” remembers drummer Lil Fee, sitting with her bandmates backstage before a gig at New York’s The Fillmore at Irving Plaza. The other gig was in September at Norman “Fatboy Slim” Cook’s yearly Big Beach Boutique held annually at Cook’s native Brighton, England. (The band is signed to Cook’s Southern Fried imprint in the UK.)
“That was the loudest gig ever! The [power of the] PA’s they even surprised our tech, and she always turns everything way up to 11,” gushes Fee. “[Norman Cook] must’ve given the local council thousands ‘cause it was so loud you could hear it in neighboring towns. By the end of the night, when Fatboy Slim went on, the Salvation Army were going around giving out earplugs!”