Johnny Panic - step away from the norm!

As a politically and socially aware band Johnny Panic are not afraid to confront painful and thought provoking issues full on through the genre of their music.

The band inadvertently found themselves courting controversy when they cast a real life 'working girl' instead of an actress in the video for their last single 'Automatic Healer'. Astonishingly, this resulted in the video actually being being banned from most of the usual channels. What kind of a society do we live in when it's okay for an actress to assume a role rather than face up to the reality of life on the street from someone who lives it?

A society that uses censorship to silence what needs to be heard is a society whose values and attitudes need to be challenged and there's nothing like rock and roll to reach out to the masses, something that Johnny Panic know only to well.

Narrow minded reactions to real life really fires up the bands determination to mount their own challenge to the issues that really matter in today's society. Johnny Panic are not going to shut their mouths when it comes to highlighting the true ethical and moral maze that real individuals have to traverse in the real world. Indeed the band don't pull any punches when it comes to confronting issues that less determined artists wouldn't go near - it could be said that Johnny Panic aren't afraid to challenge the accepted norm.

It's this desire to challenge, provoke and stimulate that lies behind the likes of 'Burn Your Youth', a track that focuses on mental health issues and suicidal tendencies in young men, ( Did you know that the most common cause of death in young men in the UK is suicide? and that lots of men still find it hard to talk about their feelings? )
'Automatic Healer' tackles prostitution and the marginalisation of the women and men involved. Whilst 'Chemical Girlfriend' confronts our attitude to drugs in today's society, The bands frontman Rob Solly thinks the ethos of the band is fundamental "There's an ethic missing from a lot of bands" he explains. "We live in a society that refuses to question. That's where rock 'n' roll comes in. We're not here to shove them down people's throats, but every single one of our songs is trying to get something across." Johnny Panic mean what they say - and they say what they mean.

The band formed 4 years ago and a change to the line up occurred when bassist Nash Francis left to work on other projects (although he still does artwork for the band) The band found a replacement in Sean Mannion and the band are currently going from strength to strength and consist of:
Rob Solly - Vocals & Guitar - Johnny Shock - drums - Sean Mannion - Bass & Backing vocals - Matt James - Guitar & Backing vocals.

If you haven't caught up with Johnny Panic yet it's only a matter of time, this punky, rocky crew have bucket loads of attitude and with the tour underway they're getting the recognition they deserve and have built a solid following. Go guys - go!

And from Rob a message:

'Rock n Roll came about by music pushing social barriers. From the depressed, repressed tongue of the cotton picking delta blues to the dynamic sexual energy of boogie woogie, rock pushed generations forward. It is this forward thinking attitude that can change things for the better and music is the form of communication. To educate, excite, awaken, give hope, gain soul, music is a force for change. So when bands sell you something that's been sold before or revel in their assorted cliches. Spit them out and search for the true spirit of rock n roll.'

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