THE RAPID DEMISE OF TEST ICICLES
Friday, April 3rd, 2009 at 12:38pm by Kip Wingerschmidt
Much like my aforementioned broken shoulder, the story of the band Test Icicles is quite a tragedy. Super young “it” kids from the UK, barely in their 20s, on the verge of indie-cred super-stardom, playing wirey, aggressive melodic Anglo punk, akin to a Bloc Party with balls…it had a catchy sound, it was angry as fuck, and you could dance to it…and then it was over before it ever even really started
I guess these wee lil’ knumbskulls couldn’t put aside their personal issues long enough to enjoy their impending underground rock stardom and make a serious buck or two. The band broke up right before their first major US tour. What a bloody waste…
Says Wikipedia of the band’s colorful name: According to the label, the name “Test Icicles” is derived not from the word testicles but rather from an alleged practice of early man involving the “testing” of icicles for their strength and fitness for use as weapons. This, however, is extremely debatable considering the fact that a previous side project of band members Sam and Rory was named “Balls”
TEST ICICLES – “Your Biggest Mistake”, from For Screening Purposes Only (2005)
TEST ICICLES – “Pull The Lever”, from For Screening Purposes Only (2005)
Afraid of the spotlight!
-KW
Nah, they were guff. Attracted thr worst kind of scenester idiots. Rubbish live too.
Uh…..late April Fool’s Day joke? I can’t even tell if it’s a band of dudes or chicks (so it’s probably a bunch of dudes who wish they were chicks, ergo emofags, especially considering the clothes).
The fuck is “Anglo punk”? Seriously? We just making up fucking genres whenever we feel like it now?
second demoniclemming
Agreed with Hugh DoVoodoo, they were shit live.
Bloc Party happen to be one of the best live bands I’ve seen on the other hand.
these guys don’t dress like me therefore they must suck. qed.
Eugh, I was in the UK when this bad was the “shit”….
Yet another band that the NME took on, and seemingly killed in a matter of months… they plug that shit like it’s going out of fashion until people are sick of them, then they drop it for the next “big thing”…
Never liked them anyway…
As dopey scenester bands go, Test Icicles was less “metal” than, say, Liars. I still love “Circle Square Triangle,” though. That song gives me chills everytime I hear it.
black dude wore a poison cap
what’s not to like?
Anglo Punk is the same as British Punk…Anglo=England. British Punk is a subgenre.
I know what Anglo means, I’m calling out the making up of genres for every fucking band out there. It’s asinine.
I don’t know why you thought to bring up Test Icicles in the first place. They broke up ages ago, no one cares about them anymore. Must’ve been a really slow day, eh?
And I heard absolutely no metal quotient in their music.