‘Starvation Box’ is the third track on Vice Squad’s ‘Worry Doll’ EP.
The song is classic punk rock, with melodic gritty vocals and plenty of raw emotion.
Guitars chime like Mick Jones in 1977, and everything’s changed, yet everything’s the same: musicians are still forced to sell beloved instruments because music is still a tough gig, and the cost of living crisis is seemingly never ending.The ‘Blues is the teacher, Punk is the preacher’ style video gives an imaginative twist to the song’s narrative.
Guitarist Paul used to work in a music shop in London’s Denmark Street and recalls ‘desperate musicians selling their guitars for rent money’.
Beki: ‘The song title refers to the name the old blues musicians gave to the guitar. Lead Belly’s father called it the ‘Starvation Box’ because you couldn’t make a living from it.
I wrote the lyrics while facing bereavement, so the song has a lot of meaning for me.’
BUY STARVATION BOX
A “starvation box” is slang for a guitar, specifically referring to the notion that playing one—particularly for a living—would not earn enough money to eat, leading to starvation. It is often used in the context of folk, blues, or DIY, handmade instruments like the cigar box guitar.
•Historical Context: The term originated in American slang to describe the low, or non-existent, income potential for musicians, especially those playing cheaply made, homemade instruments in the early 20th century.
•Significance: It reflects the “struggling artist” narrative, where the instrument is both a tool for musical expression and a symbol of poverty.
In essence, a “starvation box” is a humorous, cynical term for a guitar, highlighting the precarious financial situation of its player.