Goldie Lookin Chain’s music is synonymous with the affectionate criticism they dole out to the sometimes pitiful landscape of South-Wales home-town Newport. It’s easy to disregard the Cwmbran princes as distasteful, social scoffers, but their creations are certainly based in some kind of impressive satirical intellect. September 2nd will see the release of ‘Kings of Caerleon’ (another reference to the uninspiring suburban village community’s that exist around Newport), the latest addition to their plethora of mix-tapes and studio albums. The record, on the Gramphonics/ 1983 label, coincides with GLC’s decade anniversary, an event that the group intend to honour with a substantial 18-leg tour of the UK.

The track listing contains the usual tounge-in-cheek, fist-in-mouth gibes ‘Baneswell Express’, ‘Newport Bouncers’ and ‘What Would Biggie Do’,  to yet again prove that observational, self-analytical comedy never gets old. Their music video for ‘At The Drive-Thru’ could be seen as weight-hatred or a senseless indictment of poverty (the chorus’s Country infused South Park impersonations either echo America’s obesity issues or just the general irritation and sense of stereotype stupidity one gleans from the cut-out characters squealing accents) but the ‘humour’ of grown men stuffing their sports-wear with pillows dispels all gravity.

The band still look like they are enjoying themselves, after all their ethos is drenched in ‘piss-take’ and this continues to makes it fun. Due to their cult success the members may have since germinated from the light brown chequered caps, nylon track-suits and chunky chains that they portray to town-houses in the centre of London, but the spirit is still very much tangible.

AUGUST

17 / 18 ‘ V Festival

OCTOBER 2013

2 ‘ Bournemouth Old Fire Station
3 ‘ Bristol Thekla
4 ‘ Newcastle Northumbria Uni SU Reds Bar
5 ‘ Swansea The Garage
10 ‘ Birmingham 02 Academy
11 ‘ Leeds University Mine
12 ‘ Gloucester Guildhall
17 ‘ York Fibbers
18 – Leicester 02 Academy
19 ‘ Coventry Kasbah
23 ‘ Luton Charlie Browns
24 ‘ London Scala
25 ‘ Cardiff Globe

NOVEMBER 2013

1 ‘ Cumbria Barrow The Nines
7 ‘ Sheffield The Corporation
8- Glasgow Audio
9 ‘ Frome Cheese & Grain

Full ticket details at http://www.youknowsit.co.uk/