# “There was a guy shooting at us from his balcony. It turned out he’d been sniffing glue.” The story of the UK’s only top-10 nu metal hit

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/there-was-a-guy-shooting-at-us-from-his-balcony-it-turned-out-hed-been-sniffing-glue-the-story-of-the-uks-only-top-10-nu-metal-hit/
- Published: 2026-08-03T09:00:00+00:00
- Original publisher: Louder
- Original article: https://www.loudersound.com/music/tracks-singles/there-was-a-guy-shooting-at-us-from-his-balcony-it-turned-out-hed-been-sniffing-glue-or-something-the-story-of-the-uks-only-top-10-nu-metal-hit
- Topics: AI, Americas, Technology, World

## Key points

- A's 2002 single "Nothing" became the UK's only Top 10 nu metal hit.
- Suffolk band A didn't identify as a nu metal act.
- Band began in 1988 as prog rock outfit Grand Designs.

## Summary

In February 2002, the Suffolk rock band A released the single "Nothing", which unexpectedly became the only British song widely regarded as a genuine Top 10 nu metal hit, despite the band never identifying with the genre themselves. Frontman Jason Perry has spoken about the track's legacy, noting the irony that a band with roots far removed from nu metal ended up producing the UK's sole major chart success in that style, at a time when most homegrown attempts at the genre were seen as pale imitations of American acts.

The single featured chunky downtuned riffs, big choruses and record-scratching flourishes typical of nu metal, helping it break into the UK singles chart Top 10. A had formed in 1988 under the name Grand Designs as a prog rock outfit before evolving into the band that would later record "Nothing", with Perry reflecting candidly on how the group's earlier, very different musical identity makes their nu metal association something of an accident of timing and sound rather than genre allegiance.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.