TOPLOADER - ONKA'S BIG MOKA

Toploader are an English rock band formed in Eastbourne, East Sussex, in 1997. The band have sold more than two million albums and achieved several top-20 hits in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. Their debut album, "Onka's Big Moka" (2000), sold more than one million copies, reached the top five of the UK Albums Chart and remained on the chart for six months. It earned the band four nominations at the 2001 Brit Awards. Their cover of Boffalongo's song "Dancing in the Moonlight" reached the top 10 in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Their second album, "Magic Hotel" (2002), reached number three on the UK Albums Chart. The band split up in 2003 and reformed in 2009. Toploader began their career playing at small venues across the United Kingdom, sharing bills with bands including Coldplay and Muse. They later supported artists such as Paul Weller, Noel Gallagher, Tom Jones, Robbie Williams and Simple Minds. On 20 July 2000, they performed as the backing band for Bon Jovi at the original Wembley Stadium, becoming the last British band to perform there before its demolition and redevelopment. In 1998, Toploader signed a six-album deal with S2 Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music. The band made their first live television appearance on "TFI Friday" on 7 May 1999. Their debut album, "Onka's Big Moka", was released on 22 May 2000 and produced by Dave Eringa, who had worked extensively with the Manic Street Preachers. The album debuted at number five on the UK Albums Chart and peaked at number four. Its most successful single was a cover of "Dancing in the Moonlight", which reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart. "Achilles Heel" reached number eight. The band received four nominations at the 2001 Brit Awards but did not win any awards. On 24 June 2000, they performed at the Glastonbury Festival as part of the Saturday lineup. In 2002, Toploader released their second album, "Magic Hotel". The album received a less favourable critical reception than its predecessor and did not achieve comparable commercial success. The single "Time of My Life" peaked at number 18 on the UK Singles Chart. Following the album's performance and the negative response from sections of the music press, S2 Records dropped the band. Toploader disbanded in 2003. Former member Julian Deane subsequently left the music industry as a performer and founded Raygun Music, a Brighton-based management company, record label and music publisher, in 2007. Toploader reformed in 2009, with three of the five original members, Joseph Washbourn, Dan Hipgrave and Rob Green, joined by Patrick Greenberg, a touring and session musician who had previously toured as a bassist with Clean Bandit. The band signed a single-album deal with Underdogs Music and released their third studio album, "Only Human", in June 2011. The album's first single, "Never Stop Wondering", was released on 14 March 2011, followed by "A Balance to All Things" on 20 June. The latter included a remix by Ash Howes. In May 2012, Toploader performed at the Lakefest festival, followed by an appearance at the Tiree Music Festival in Scotland in July. That year, the band became patrons of Time Is Precious, a UK-based children's charity. In 2013, Toploader released the single "Turn It Around", co-written with Eg White, as part of a four-track EP of the same name. The band also headlined the LeeStock Music Festival in Suffolk and the AmpRocks Festival in Bedfordshire. On 12 May 2017, Toploader released their fourth studio album, "Seeing Stars". The album's lead single was "Roll with the Punches". The album was funded through PledgeMusic, an online platform that enabled artists to raise money directly from fans. On 18 March 2023, Toploader appeared on the television programme "Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway" in the "Sing-a-long Live" segment, performing "Dancing in the Moonlight". The band also performed at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester on 3 October 2023 and the Labour Party conference in Liverpool on 11 October 2023. From February to March 2025, Toploader supported James Blunt on a six-venue tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland marking the 20th anniversary of his debut album, "Back to Bedlam". Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toploader Studio albums Onka's Big Moka (2000) Magic Hotel (2002) Only Human (2011) Seeing Stars (2017) Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.