iForward Russia!

Tom - voice, synth 
Whiskas - guitar, shouts
Rob - bass
Katie - drums, shouts

Thanks to that pesky inverted exclamation mark, ¡Forward, Russia! have one of the most cumbersome and consistently misunderstood band-names in music. It kind of suits them – they’re a square-peg-in-a-round-hole sort of band, all awkward riffs, febrile dance beats, unruly shouts and handclaps. Yet, from a core of chaotic molten energy, they manage to create some surprisingly pop-shaped tunes.

Formed in early 2004 by guitarist Whiskas (formerly of Leeds ur-group Les Flames!), his sister Katie (the drummer, still at school at the time) and their friends Rob (propulsive bass) and Tom (stream-of-consciousness lyrics and high-wire vocal acrobatics), they were in the first wave of Leeds bands to benefit from the success of the Kaiser Chiefs. Exhibiting keen media savvy from the offset, they quickly developed a strong image: matching T-shirts with the double exclamation mark logo which also graces the sleeves of all their singles to date.
Another quirk was the decision not to give any songs titles, instead assigning each new song a chronological number. A huge fanbase was intrigued by this clever self-commodification and a frenzy for new ¡FR! ‘product’ ensued: singles were snapped up and mp3s swapped on-line. An exhausting tour schedule helped to consolidate fan loyalty. The end of 2005 saw ¡FR! teetering on the edge of huge success.

Discography:

“Nine” (split single with This Et Al) (dance_to_the_radio, 2005)
“Eight” (track on “dance_to_radio: Leeds” compilation album) (dance_to_the_radio, 2005)
“Eleven” (track on “Tasty Tracks Volume Two” compilation album) (Tasty Fanzine, 2005)
“Thirteen”/”Fourteen” (White Heat, 2005)
“Twelve” (dance_to_the_radio, 2006)