When a band has built up an enviable reputation for their frenetic live shows, how do they promote an album when they can’t go on tour? That’s the challenge British indie-punk band Shame faced with the release of their second album, Drunk Tank Pink, which came out on 15th January but had already been pushed back from a 2020 release. 

In the week of release, they turned to livestreaming to drive physical sales of the album. For those fans who had pre-ordered it from the Shame store, they were sent a link to a full live show that was recorded at the Electric in Brixton last year. Rather than mention the pandemic, the running joke was that the band’s promoter had failed to sell more than a handful of tickets and got the sound desk to add in crowd noises to trick the band into thinking the room was full. They also mocked exorbitant meet-and-greet packages, sitting wordlessly backstage with uncomfortable fans. “We paid £240 for this,” said one fan, morosely. 

They also held the 12-hour Making Heat livestream called where they focused on driving physical sales in the last days of the chart week. “Get your hands on a personalised vinyl on which we’ll write any vile message you want us to,” they promised. And they did. They also wheeled out a number of surprise guests to chat online, including Joe Talbot from Idles, Jason Williamson from Sleaford Mods, Austin Brown from Parquet Courts and Geordie Greep from Black Midi. 

Shame lead singer Charlie Steen also spent the marathon livestream doing a painting of the sleeve of Drunk Tank Pink and then held a raffle to give it to the best reply on social media “explaining why you want, deserve or simply must have this painting”. 

It was all a chaotic, funny and frantic undertaking. Just, in fact, like their live shows.