LARP is a tactical musical response device. A dumbed down smart bomb. Musical mercenaries P.Hiddy, Lean, Smax and Bambi are pared down special farces foot soldiers, intent on insurgency. 3 minute warnings, launched at pace, laced with barbs and black humour. The world's a pretty place wearing too much make up. Time to Pop Hideous. Summer 2002 and Lean was fed up writing bad songs for even worse acts. Remembering why he ever bothered picking up a guitar in the first place (The Ramones made it o.k. to play like this) resulted in 12 songs in need of a band. LARP was born because everybody he rang said yes. P. Hiddy, vocal collaborator, "you guys bring the music I'll be the eye candy". Smax, bass, "can you put deviant arousal", and Bambi, drums, "looks like he was thrown out of Let Loose for being too pretty". LARP exists because there must be a place in the pretty world for pop that rocked and dumb a**, whipsmart tunes. "Pop Hideous" album 1 arrived in 2003, 12 tracks of pared down, spunky punk pop nonsense. It's a good place to start. "Podged" the follow up has 11 more moments of inspired melodic malcontent and moves the sound on a notch or two. We want you to laugh and if possible shout along.