Vicious Bishop release new single ‘Magnetic North’ Debut EP ‘Miracle Formula 168’

Formed in 2021, Vicious Bishop are a punk, ska punk, punky reggae power trio, based in the Lancaster / Morecambe area. The band features drummer Dave Nuttall (ex-Toy Dolls), bassist Adz Woods, and vocalist/guitarist Rich Davenport (ex-Radio Stars).

Taking their influences from the Clash, the Ruts, Stiff Little Fingers, Rancid, 2 Tone, the Ramones, Husker Du, Dag Nasty, Bad Religion, Bob Mould, and vintage reggae and ska, Vicious Bishop’s focus is on delivering memorable, uplifting songs with maximum energy.

Their debut EP, Miracle Formula 168, showcases their raw, melodic sound to powerful effect, and features songs that have already convinced audiences in a live setting.

Across the four tracks, the EP features guest appearances from Rich’s former Radio Stars bandmate, Andy Ellison, who co-wrote the song She’s So Dissatisfied. Sham 69 guitarist Dave Parsons plays a guest solo on Shouting Down The Sewer, and Micky Geggus from the Cockney Rejects lends his six-string skills to Blood In The Water.

Fresh from playing two triumphant sets at this year’s Rebellion Festival, Vicious Bishop has released another single/video from the Miracle Formula 168 EP and presents the ska, reggae and punk-infused charm of ‘Magnetic North’.

“I’ve always loved punky reggae, as well as classic 60s, 70s, and 80s reggae, ska, and rock steady,” says guitarist Rich Davenport. “On Magnetic North, we arranged the song so that it builds up from reggae in the verse, to ska with a bit of punk on the bridge, then to full-on punk for the chorus. Lyrically, it’s about a pretty bleak time when I’d almost popped my clogs from an asthma attack then had an ME relapse and decided to get away from everything and headed to Blackpool of all places, right at the end of November! We always used to go on holiday there when I was a kid and I thought it would be quiet out of season. The song is about taking time out to recover when it feels like everything is collapsing around you. We’re giving the song away as a free MP3 so that people can check out the EP to see if we’re up their musical street. if we are, they can invite us in, play it full blast, and scare the neighbors. ”

Vicious Bishop have a lot of collective experience under their belts. Dave toured internationally with the Toy Dolls 2003- 2005 and played on Our Last DVD? Adz played with the punk/mod/soul/funk band the Convulsions between 2014 and 2017 and toured Poland, Lithuania, and Costa Rica with them. Rich played in Radio Stars from 1994 to 1996, recorded with the band, and played live, including the infamous Marquee show in 1995, when Andy Ellison fell from the lighting rig and broke his back. He finished the gig and didn’t discover his back had broken (and healed) until an x-ray revealed it a few years later! Rich also played with original Radio Stars bassist Martin Gordon’s solo band, at a one-off UK appearance in 2008 at London’s Blow-Up Club, supporting the original line-up of Radio Stars.

The EP is released on X Records, the label affiliated with the long-running Bolton record shop of the same name, launched in 1985 by Ste Meekings, a first-wave punk. Rich says, “I’ve been shopping at X since 1986, and Ste was basically a punk Mr Miyagi to my Daniel-san, telling me about essential albums to check out, and giving me info on the bands, which was great in the days before you could just Google it. He also had great stories about seeing bands live at some of the legendary venues around the Northwest back in the original era. It’s a huge buzz to have the EP coming out on the X Records label, and another example of what I love about the punk scene.”

Vicious Bishop will be supporting the EP with shows around the UK and is already working on a full-length album, to be recorded in October for release in 2025.

The striking cover art was painted by punk artist Paul Raggity.

Miracle Formula 168 track listing:

1. Blood In The Water
2. Magnetic North
3. Shouting Down The Sewer
4. She’s So Dissatisfied

Find Vicious Bishop at: viciousbishop.com