Welsh punk band Panic Shack has released their first new material in over two years with the single ‘Gok Wan’, a powerful critique of the damaging culture surrounding body image and fad diets. This marks their first official release since the 2022 single ‘Meal Deal’ and the ‘Baby Shack’ EP, and it will feature on their upcoming debut album. The impactful single also incorporates infamous phrases from that era, including the unflattering statement, “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”, turning it into an energized, empowering anthem. In a press release, the band stated, “Growing up in the ’00s, we were inundated with images of extremely skinny models and ‘IT girls’ alongside TV shows promoting ‘looking good’ and ‘being thin’. We aimed to write a song that captured the absurdity of what we were exposed to as children and its lasting impact on us.” They recounted diving into their shared memories from that time, purchasing trashy magazines from corner shops, and watching classic shows on YouTube, with ‘Trinny and Susannah’ and ‘Ten Years Younger’ among many others. “It was jarring to revisit them. The stark contrast to today’s standards is notable, as discussions about women’s bodies were laden with negativity, which seemed satirical, though it’s encouraging that progress has been made. We extracted headlines from the magazines and integrated a few into the lyrics, like ‘fat or pregnant,’ which is indeed a real magazine headline.”
The title ‘Gok Wan’ references the show How To Look Good Naked, which was comparatively more positive despite its persistent emphasis on women’s appearances. The band expressed no animosity towards Gok Wan (as ‘Trinny and Susannah’ didn't quite fit as a title) but acknowledged that it was an era filled with frustrations that influenced how they, as teenagers, perceived their worth based on appearance rather than actions. The single is paired with a raw music video directed by Ren Faulkner and choreographed by Lauren Fretwell, releasing just before their upcoming headline tour starting in May. You can watch the video for ‘Gok Wan’ and see their tour dates below:
MAY 2025
01 Nottingham, UK - Bodega
02 Cambridge, UK - MASH
03 Norwich, UK - Norwich Arts Centre
06 Brighton, UK - Patterns
08 Birmingham, UK - The Castle & Falcon
09 Wrexham, UK - FOCUS Wales
10 Leeds, UK - The Wardrobe
11 Newcastle, UK - Cluny
13 Glasgow, UK - King Tuts Wah Wah Hut
14 Sheffield, UK - Yellow Arch Studios
15 Liverpool, UK - Arts Club
16 Manchester, UK - Band on the Wall
18 Oxford, UK - The Bullingdon
19 Southampton, UK - Papillon
20 Milton Keynes, UK - Craufurd Arms
22 Bristol, UK - Thekla
23 Port Talbot, UK - In It Together Festival
25 Newport, UK - Corn Exchange
28 London, UK - The Garage
JULY 2025
10 Cheltenham, UK - Upcote Farm
18 Portishead, UK - Homestead Festival
The tour will feature his largest headline show in London to date, taking place at the famous Roundhouse in the city.
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