Capdown[a] is an English punk rock band from Milton Keynes. Originally known as Soap, their songs have political themes as alluded to by their name, which is short for Capitalist Downfall. Mixing ska, punk, hardcore, dub, drum and bass, and reggae, Capdown built a reputation around their independent releases and numerous tours.
Career
The band members had been playing together since the age of 14. The band, originally known as Soap, had sent the demo of the Time For Change EP to the indie Household Name Records in 1998 and had played a gig with Link 80 at the record company's request, which led to them being signed onto the label. The EP was released in 1999 under the new name of the band, Capdown (short for Capitalist Downfall).[1][2][3][4]
In May 2000, Household Name Records released Capdown's debut album Civil Disobedients. The album featured hardcore, but also mixed in ska and dub. According to Drowned in Sound the album kick started an underground punk scene.[5] The album went on to be listed at 76 in the NME's top one hundred list for the decade.[6] In the same year Capdown played nearly 250 gigs.[7]
In early 2001, Capdown toured with a number of established American bands, including Less Than Jake[8] and played the Deconstruction touring festival with Pennywise and Lagwagon.[9]
In September 2001, Capdown released their second album, Pound for the Sound, receiving positive reviews from Kerrang!.[10] The following year saw tours with Bad Religion[11] and Hundred Reasons.[12] Capdown was featured in the 2002 BBC documentary Brassic Beats about the British ska punk scene.[13]
In 2003 the band signed to Fierce Panda Records, releasing two EPs: Act Your Rage and New Revolutionaries. The former reached the 80th spot on the UK Singles Chart on 10 May 2003.[14][15] As of November 2004, Civil Disobedients and Pound for the Sound have sold more than 30 thousand copies together.[16]
The band received critical acclaim for their live performances.[17] In 2006, Capdown played at the first Slam Dunk Festival.[18]
The final line-up consisted of Jake Sims-Fielding (vocals and saxophone), Robin "Boob" Goold (bass guitar), Keith Minter (guitar and vocals), Tim Macdonald (drums) and a new addition, Andrew "Eddie" Hunt (keyboards/samples).[19]
They released their final album on 5 February 2007, entitled Wind Up Toys on Fierce Panda Records.[20]
The band split up after their final UK tour, which was due to be 9 November 2007, in their home town of Milton Keynes.[21][22] However their 'final show' took place on 7 June 2008, at the Pitz club in Milton Keynes,[23][better source needed][24] following a 'warm up' at the Peel in Kingston upon Thames on 5 June 2008.[25]
It was announced in 2010 that Capdown were to reform exclusively for the Slam Dunk Festival, held in London and Leeds on 29 and 30 May that year.[26][27][28] However, the band also played at the Rebellion Festival in Blackpool on 6 August 2011.[29][30] In addition, they appeared at the Hevy Music Festival in Kent, between 5 and 8 August 2011[31] and at the Reading and Leeds Festival on 27–28 August 2011.[32][33] In December 2014 the band played together with Me First and the Gimme Gimmes and The Skints on the Jägermeister Music Tour.[34]
In May 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, and September 2021, the band played at the Slam Dunk Festival in Leeds and Hatfield, United Kingdom.[35][36][37][38][39]
Other projects
Following the original demise of Capdown, both Goold and Macdonald worked on a new band, The Maccalites, alongside Simon Wells from Snuff/Southport.[40] Goold, Minter and Macdonald are also members of rock band This Contrast Kills.[41][42]
Since 2012 Robin Goold and Tim Macdonald have been working on The GetGone with Ben Hyman, David Lloyd (1000 Hz) and Rob Blay. The band have released the 5 track Stories and Ruses EP in 2013,[43] and their debut album One Thousand Ways To Live in April 2016. Both recorded and produced by Capdown's Keith Minter.[44][45]
As of 2013 Tim Macdonald has been playing drums in the UK Hardcore band Menshevik along with Steve Pitcher of Vanilla Pod, Dan Hawcroft previously of Whizzwood and Robert Dempsey of Mustard City Rockers.[46]
Critical reception
In 2021, Louder included the band in a 'best of' list, saying "Capdown kick-started something of a movement here in the UK ...", and that if things had gone differently it could have been massive.[58]
