Polite Bureaux

SAUSAGE FACTORY PRESENTS IN BRIGHTON

POLITE BUREUAX:

Extending beyond music and punk poetry, the track “Broke Biscuits” features in the new skateboard movie ‘Mutate or Die’ from the legendary ‘Heroin Skateboards’. Polite Bureaux AKA Joe Smith “You will see them deliver their mix of spoken word, electronic, and punk energy to the stage.” – NME

“It was only half three in the afternoon, but we were quickly thrown into the spirit of a Saturday night with the arrival of Polite Bureaux. The Bradford-born act AKA Joe Smith kicked things off with a punk-goes-clubbing banger full of filthy guitars and head-bobbing bass. Singer – and professional afternoon raver – Joseph Smith led the charge with profanity-laden provocations. I hadn’t been awake all that long, so this was exactly what the doctor ordered.”
– Louder Than War

“A northern Mike Skinner, our generation’s Sleaford Mods over Underworld-like electronic instrumentals and pure post-punk stage presence. To come across a band so wildly obscure, yet have all their words feel so familiar, was remarkable. I had never smiled so much during a set.”
–The Everyday

Bradford’s (UK) Polite Bureaux energentic genre-smashing electronic post-punk dance project explodes from Joe Smith with wiry Lo-Fi pulsating electronics beats with razor-sharp lyrical rants of daily life. Sitting somewhere between detached observation and controlled chaos that occupies the intersection of an underground movment that breaks beyond the confines of a traditional band setup, Smith has carved out a singular lane, where drum machines collided with jagged guitar lines and with one simple click on the laptop the unpredictable Northerness begins.

Support from Emily Pilbeam on BBC Radio 6 Music’s Introducing Leeds – where she spotlighted the track “Bradford” – mentioning “Polite Bureaux aka Joe Smith”

Their track “LIDL FIDDLE”, also featuring Pilbeam, had been featured on the BBC 6 Music Mixtape, introduced as “the story of the town where everything is closing down – even the pound shop shut down.”

“Blending punk energy with electronic grit and working-class poetry, Polite Bureaux had been described as “a future generational album of electronic berserkness, post-punk riffs and charisma-tinged references.”
–The Everyday

Fresh from appearances at The Great Escape and St George’s Hall for the BBC Contains Strong Language Festival, Smith had also performed alongside Utah Saints at the legendary 1 in 12 Club.

That year had seen an 11-date UK tour supporting cult favourites The Lovely Eggs, playing to packed crowds across the country. Alongside this, Smith’s crossover into the comedy and spoken-word circuit – touring with Stewart Lee, Frank Skinner, Phil Jupitus, and Rob Auton.

The announcement of the album Except Your Skint – a biting play on words capturing the chaos, humour, and heartache of life in austerity Britain – had marked another pivotal moment. Listening to the record, The Everyday Magazinesuggested you “feel present in every room, every fucked-up situation … an indirect attack on the righteous left wing academics.”

With Except You Skint set for release later that year, Polite Bureaux had been poised to deliver a defining statement – equal parts social commentary, satire, and sonic experimentation. The record delivered a raw and wry exploration of modern survival, driven by pounding beats, jagged guitars, and kitchen-sink lyricism.

“In an age of people broadcasting what they want people to think they’re thinking, there was a humility in showing what was actually on our minds.”
– The Everyday

“It could be a double-edged sword getting the opening spot on an all-dayer, didn’t hold anything back. Except You Skint sounded like the apocalypse… Other highlights included the nostalgic electro-poetry of ‘Bradford’ and the pissed-off Pulp of ‘Broken Biscuits’.”
– Louder Than War

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