BETWEEN 2002 and 2007, if you were listening to alternative music it would be safe to say you were aware of Sonic Boom Six.

The ska, reggae, punk band from Manchester were tenacious with touring, appearing at festivals and gained a reputation for being a ‘political band with a party vibe’.

Fast forward to 2018 and the band may have taken their foot off the gas in terms of touring, but that does not mean the fire which drives them has dwindled.

Now, there is a lot more thought into the enjoyment element rather than being on the road 365 days of the year.

“For us it is really nice to have ‘normal’ jobs where we have the best of both worlds,” explains vocalist Laila Khan.

“When we were just touring it was really hard and now we can just enjoy things more.

“We are just extremely grateful to be in the position that we are in that, because we aren’t on the road so much, people are coming out to see us and you just appreciate things so much more.

“For us music has become something we don’t want to rely on to pay the bills, and that has taken some pressure off us and we can enjoy things more. “

In the 15 plus years that the quintet has been together, the one thing that fans cannot say about Sonic Boom Six is that they lack inventiveness.

Forever changing up their sound, going from the straight-up ska punk sound of their earlier material to the more electronic-influenced sound of recent releases, the group likes to keep their fans on their toes.

Khan added: “We have always just written weird music that we like, we do what we want and what we enjoy.

“Over the years we have built up a bit of a solid fanbase but even they can’t seem to predict what we are going to do.”

One thing that hasn’t changed for the band is its political message in their lyrics.

However, for Khan, fans connecting to the lyrics is not the most important thing for them enjoying the Sonic Boom Six experience.

She added: “When we go on stage as long as everyone can dance, it doesn’t matter if you take away the lyrics, that’s not the point .

“If you go home and Google them and then connect to them that’s great, but the lyrical drive is not the biggest part of our band

“We just want people to have a good time.

“Music is something that should make you want to move and feel something and fill you with passion.

“It doesn’t matter to me if they think the lyrics are important or not, we just love playing live shows and having a good time.”

Even though things may have come to a sustainable pace, the band are about to release their sixth record.

Sonic Boom Six will be headlining the Amped Stage. For full line up see side bar.