Bus Station Loonies (the)

The Bus Station Loonies are a British cabaret punk band from Plymouth, England (UK). Original Loonies Tony Popkids (drums) and Chris “Felcher” Wheelchair (real name Chris Willsher, born 1971 in Ilford, London) (vocals, keyboards, kazoo), 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. Their record was featured in the Guinness Book of World Records until 2006, when it was beaten.

In 1999 they released the album ‘Mad Frank’s Zonal Disco’, which featured the track Loonies in the Bus Station, which was based on Kids in America.

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.