Free entry Punk Gig Vicious Bishop and Nick No Agenda

Debut album ‘Raining Guillotines’ available now at www.viciousbishop.com and https://viciousbishop.bandcamp.com/

Watch the video for the single ‘I’m A Tiswas Kid (Trapped In A Swap Shop World)’ featuring an appearance by much loved Tiswas star Sally James here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxLaomuTxuY

Formed in 2021, Vicious Bishop are a punk, ska punk, and 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, Fishbone, Bob Mould, and vintage reggae, rocksteady, and ska, Vicious Bishop’s focus is on delivering memorable, uplifting songs with maximum energy. Their 2024 debut EP, ‘Miracle Formula 168’, showcased their raw, melodic sound to powerful effect, and featured guest appearances from Rich’s former Radio Stars bandmate Andy Ellison, Sham 69’s Dave Parsons, and Micky Geggus from the Cockney Rejects. After two well-received sets with Andy at last year’s Rebellion Festival, and another at Morecambe Punk Festival, the band are back with ‘Raining Guillotines’, their first full-length album.

Picking up where the EP left off, the album features ten high octane shots of punk, punky reggae, and ska punk, with hints of rocksteady and hardcore, all maintaining the Bishops’ dedication to crafting memorable melodies, and ear-grabbing arrangements.

Lyrically, the songs touch on themes including mental health (Lifeline, Shooting Myself In The Foot, Drown In The Sound), grief (Lit Up, Wired To The Sky), and trying to survive the rough stuff (Raining Guillotines, Seconds Out, Welcome To Whatever's Left) with your sense of humour intact (Take It As A Win, I'm A Tiswas Kid (Trapped In A Swap Shop World)).

‘I'm A Tiswas Kid (Trapped In A Swap Shop World)’ is the first single to be released from the album and is a nostalgic look back at the anarchic 1970s TV show and features an appearance from the show’s legendary presenter, Sally James.

“The song is basically about the fact that a lot of things that self-appointed moral guardians said were a bad influence on us kids when we were growing up – Tiswas, punk, 2 Tone, Marvel comics, Bruce Lee movies, and even Sesame Street – actually turned out to be far more positive influences for a lot of us Gen X-ers than any establishment figure you can name,” explains vocalist/guitarist Rich Davenport.

“Tiswas was never patronising, and nobody who appeared on it ever took themselves too seriously, but we’ve grown up into a world that’s the complete opposite, so the song is an invite for anyone who’s sick of it to join us at the back of the bus making rude gestures through the window, like we used to do on school trips. Even that was educational – we had a teacher who would lecture you about the Battle of Agincourt if he caught you flicking the Vs.” Watch the video for ‘I'm A Tiswas Kid (Trapped In A Swap Shop World)’ HERE: The album is available on CD from www.viciousbishop.com and will be streaming free of charge exclusively on the band’s Patreon page at www.patreon.com/ViciousBishop

This time ‘round, Archbishop Ellison returns for another vocal duet (Take It As A Win), and Honorary Bishop Leigh Ellison (Ruts DC, the Price) lights up Drown In The Sound with his six-string skills.

Once again, the striking cover art was painted by punk artist Paul Raggity, and features band mascot Stripey Horace.

Vicious Bishop will be supporting the album with shows around the UK and are already working on songs for a follow up.

Review of Raining Guillotines -

"Follow up to last year's cracking debut EP, the Bishops have released an equally superb first LP! ‘Raining Guillotines‘ may seem a depressing title, yet this album contains many gems of wisdom, and an overall sense of hope and repair through the catharsis of music." - Punktuation Magazine

‘Raining Guillotines’ is an album that deserves a few listens to fully comprehend it`s substantial topical range that addresses difficult subjects such as mental health and loss but with a positive message of survival and getting by. There`s plenty of intellectual nourishment here gained from life experiences but shared with humour at times and plenty of enjoyable tunes." - Maximum Volume Music

"Guitar driven tunes, with sing along bits and a nice dash of reggae…Lyrics dealing with the realities of life, this certainly has me thinking back to being a teenage punk rocker finding solace in music. ‘I’m A Tiswas Kid (Trapped In A Swap Shop World)’, confronts today’s ills with humour, the song has been released as a single and would have had me running to Abbey Records if it has been released back in the late 1970s, … for the most part this is an enjoyable album of foot tapping, head nodding, punky tunes." - Suspect Device

Catch Vicious Bishop live at the following dates:

Friday 20th February 2026 (with No Agenda and Bard Company) the Bobbin, Lancaster

Saturday 28th February, Alt 3, Blackpool.

Sunday 1st March, The Station hotel Ashton Under Lyne, 4 - 7:00 PM

Saturday 7th March, Punk Fest 10, the Blvd, Wigan. 3pm start.

Saturday 14th March the Black Bull, Gateshead (afternoon gig)

Saturday 28th March, the Druids, Penrith

Sunday May 24th More2Come Festival, The Victoria ,Coalville, LE673FA

Saturday 30th May, Ivory Blacks, Glasgow, (afternoon gig 2pm to 5pm)

Saturday 20th June, with Andy Ellison , The Suburbs, Guildford, Sounds of the Suburbs 10th anniversary party in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust

Saturday June 27th, Punk 4 The Homeless, Bunkers Hill, Hockley, Nottingham Early stsrt, TBC

Wednesday 5th August , Fringe Fest 2026, The Washington, Blackpool