Bus Station Loonies

The Bus Station Loonies are a British cabaret punk band from Plymouth, England. They have been described as a cross between Splodgenessabounds and Crass.[1] Original Loonies Tony Popkids (drums) and Chris "Felcher" Wheelchair (real name Chris Willsher b.1971 in Ilford, London) (vocals, keyboards, kazoo; ex-drummer with Oi Polloi, Disorder, Riot/Clone and DIRT, among others), sharing a mutual love of such U.S. punk outfits such as The Dickies, still continue with the band today, having recruited approximately 30 other band members over 18 years.

During their initial UK tour of April 1996, with contemporary punk bands PMT and The Filth, The Loonies were billed as "a vicious headbutt between Johnny Moped and Jello Biafra".

The band was featured in the UK's Channel 4 documentary, Punx Picnic. The Bus Station Loonies were the first band to set the official world record for the most concerts/gigs performed in 12 hours (25 different shows) on 29 Sept 2001 in and around Plymouth, Devon, UK raising money to buy musical equipment for pupils of the Dame Hannah Rogers (special needs) school in Ivybridge, Devon.[2]

The band featured in the Guinness Book of World Records, until 2006, when the record was beaten.[2]

Music journalist Mick Mercer's 1997 book The Hex Files: The Goth Bible, references The Bus Station Loonies for their 18-minute reggae rendition of The Sisters of Mercy composition, "Temple of Love".[3] In October 2008, said version (from their debut album) was nominated on a live broadcast on BBC Radio 6 Music as 'one of the best cover versions of all-time' (The Music Week with Julie Cullen and Matt Everitt).

In Autumn 2010, The Bus Station Loonies completed recording their second full-length album. Entitled Midget Gems and released on their own Ruptured Ambitions record label it features eighth guitarist Angus Old (real name Phil Cawse) and the recently recruited ninth guitarist Chris "The Machine" Mildren.

The bands' latest release, More Bullshit was released in Autumn 2022, and is an official tribute to several bands featured on the Crass Records Bullshit Detector compilation LP series, originally released between 1980-84.

The band's frontman, Chris Wheelie, is currently involved in a solo project Harakiri Karaoke, as well as drumming with several other bands (including The Spoils Collective, WAGs to Wytches, Eastfield, Anarcho Folko, HIV and The Positives, The Sexy Offenders and his old band, originally formed in 1989, C.D.S.).