No Sea Power, we're British!

[sevendaughters]

BSP change name to SP. Band sez:

After much reflection and soul-searching, the band formerly known as British Sea Power have modified their name to simply Sea Power. We've been British Sea Power for 20 years – an amazing 20 years, when we've been able to continually traverse the British Isles, to travel the world, encountering many friendly faces, not least in the band's remarkable audience. But the name British Sea Power had come to feel constricting, like an ancient legacy we were carrying with us. When we came up with the name British Sea Power there were at least two different lines of thought behind it. There was, literally, sea power – the elementary power of the oceans. Alongside this was the historical idea of "British sea power" – Britannia ruling the waves; the naval power that once allowed Britain to dominate the world. When we came up with the original band name, Britain no longer ruled the seas. The band name was intended with a kind of wry humour. The idea of British sea power in the historical sense was an obsolete thing. It was now just the name of a rock band... Now, 20 years later, we're recasting the name. In recent times there's been a rise in a certain kind of nationalism in this world – an isolationist, antagonistic nationalism that we don't want to run any risk of being confused with. It's become apparent that it's possible to misapprehend the name British Sea Power, particularly if someone isn't familiar with the band or their recordings. We've always been internationalist in our mindset, something made clear in songs like Waving Flags, an anthem to pan-European idealism. We always wanted to be an internationalist band but maybe having a specific nation state in our name wasn't the cleverest way to demonstrate that. We very much hope the band's audience won't be affronted by this adjustment to the name. We'd like to make it clear that removing the word "British" does NOT indicate any aversion to the British Isles whatsoever. We all feel immensely fortunate to have grown up in these islands. Several or our songs are filled with love and awe for this place. We do love these lands. We all still live within the British Isles, but we are now just Sea Power. We feel the name change comes in part from the band's audience – who at a good show will shout out, "Sea Power! Sea Power!" Maybe this name change has been there for years, shouted in our ears. It's just taken us this long to realise – to hear what was there in front of us

[Ferris]

Are they still going?! Good for them.

[holyzombiejesus]

I don't like their music but I've liked lots of other stuff about them. Always seemed to stick out as relatively interesting band in their usually dreary genre.

[badaids]

Remember Me tune and video in top torn singles of 00s.

I totally get the reasoning behind their name change, but was more amazed that they are still going.

[kidney]

Not heard any of their studio albums since Do You Like Rock Music? but their Disco Elysium soundtrack is superb, please listen to it.

[Chicory]

Their live performance of 'From The Sea To The Land Beyond' was one of the most stirring things I've ever seen performed.  Good on them for distancing themselves from exceptionalism.  It's sad that we've arrived here but here we are all the same.

[JaDanketies]

I saw them caked out of my face on goofballs at the Hay on Wye festival and they stripped my soul from its foundations. Now I hate them, the woke fucks

[jamiefairlie]

Their live performance of 'From The Sea To The Land Beyond' was one of the most stirring things I've ever seen performed.  Good on them for distancing themselves from exceptionalism.  It's sad that we've arrived here but here we are all the same.

Great film that 👍

[holyzombiejesus]

Sea Power is a shit name, mind.

[Better Midlands]

I don't know any of their songs, but always thought it was a great name.

Sea Power sounds like something you'd put an each way bet on in the 3.30 at Doncaster.

[daf]

Sea Power is a shit name, mind.

A bad google too - they're never going to make the first page with that!

[The Mollusk]

Yeah, totally on board with their reasoning but Sea Power is a rubbish name whereas British Sea Power, removed of its unintentional nationalist tones, is a fuckin great name.

They should have gone with something equally inclusive as Sea Power but replacing the first word instead of removing it, like Universal Sea Power or something. Earth Sea Power? That's substantially better I think.

[daf]

Skittish Bee Power

[The Culture Bunker]

Agree with the above re Sea Power being a lousy name. They may as well have said "from now on, we're just BSP. And if you want it to stand for something - go with Brilliant Sea Power. Because nature is bril."

In my early 20s they were a hugely important band for me. I knew their press officer at the time, who took me to see them in 2002 or so at (I think) 93ft East in London, and they blew my youthful mind. I checked out around 'Valhalla Dancehall' and though I keep meaning to see what they're up to, I never seem to get round to it.

I have the book Yan and Hamilton's older brother wrote about this time managing them, which was a good read, especially the stuff about their 70something dad getting right behind their attempts to break through in the music biz.

[thenoise]

Shittish Bee Power

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

They could have aimed for the piss fetishist market and call themselves Tittish Wee Shower. That's a golden revenue stream.

[Custard]

Carrion, Blackout, and Remember Me are all absolute tunes. Think they're all on the first album too, so I'd probably just get that one

Peace

[imitationleather]

It's odd, they have one of the most dedicated and obsessive fanbases I've ever experienced first hand but you really wouldn't expect them to have such a following.

I've seen them live quite a few times and I think their gigs tend to be half-good and half-way too slow and dull for my liking. I genuinely find them a lot better recorded than live. Seeing From the Sea to the Land Beyond being performed in a graveyard in Bow was really great, mind.

[Butchers Blind]

Put me in the 'are they still going' camp. Bought the first couple of albums but didn't bother with anything after. Sea Power by itself is a weak name, could've gone with Bastard Sea Power.

[jobotic]

Are GB News onto this yet? I'm telling.

[Shit Good Nose]

Sea Men

[Pauline Walnuts]

Are GB News onto this yet? I'm telling.

Rare example of Went Broken then went Woke.

[Brundle-Fly]

Stephanie Power.

[The Culture Bunker]

I've seen them live quite a few times and I think their gigs tend to be half-good and half-way too slow and dull for my liking. I genuinely find them a lot better recorded than live. Seeing From the Sea to the Land Beyond being performed in a graveyard in Bow was really great, mind.

I haven't seen them live in over 15 years now, but I saw them in Sheffield sometime in the Spring of 2004 and it remains one of the best gigs I ever went to. I think maybe they lost something (on stage) when the lad who did their keyboards on tour - and would stomp around the venue on the last number banging a big marching drum - left to do his own thing. Some of the shows they did around the time of those early EPs and first album were wonderfully chaotic.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Skittish Bee Power

Brittas Wee Shower

[Flouncer]

Yeah, totally on board with their reasoning but Sea Power is a rubbish name whereas British Sea Power, removed of its unintentional nationalist tones, is a fuckin great name.

About fifteen years ago I remember seeing them referenced somewhere and thinking, "Wow, that's a great band name." I tried listening to them purely on the strength of that, but I didn't think they were any good. Now they don't even have a good name.

[imitationleather]

Mark Dolan is going to throw a copy of Open Season in to a bin live on TalkRadio tomorrow.

[Icehaven]

My favourite band of all time, if only for their first album. Been reading the reactions to the name change on fb, some hilariously ironic "bah you've gone WOKE" moans from people who clearly haven't paid the blindest bit of attention to anything about them ever, if they're surprised by this (apart from anything else Yan has spoken about regretting the name for years.)

I obviously love them,  I literally have the cover of Decline tattooed on me, and it will always be my favourite collection of music ever, but the hideous cynic in me can't help but think is this partly for publicity? New single coming out etc. I feel like a treacherous cunt for even thinking it but it's hard not to.

[non capisco]

I don't think they can be that woke, they beat a grizzly bear up on stage both times I saw them.

[sevendaughters]

I think their band name is even more potent and critical in 2021 and wish they had kept it, I kind of disagree with their reasoning but ultimately they have to live with it.