In late 2005, then bass player Yorkie announced through the online Space forums that, due to financial difficulties and internal tensions between group members, contributed by the poor sales and reception of Suburban Rock 'n' Roll, that Space had broken up and members had all gone their separate paths: Frontman Tommy Scott formed a garage punk band called The Drella's with Space live technician Phil Hartley on bass and drummer Leon Caffrey, which eventually evolved into a ska/rockabilly act Tommy Scott & The Red Scare composed of Scott, Hartley, new drummer Allan Jones and organist Ryan Clarke.

Several of the songs that made it onto Attack of the Mutant 50ft Kebab, including the title track, "Anthony's Brainwaves" and "Happy Clowns" (then known as "Gone in an Instant" or "Cash Converters" by fans), were written by Scott and performed live during this period.

The surviving members of Space, who had all lost contact with each other since the split, showed up at his memorial service, which triggered off a discussion on the possibility of reviving the group.

The show opened on the December 21, 2011 to a rapturous reception from the critics, who commented on how rejuvenated and fresh the band's sound had become, as well as the 50s' B-movie/hammer horror vibe of the new songs.

However, the sessions were complicated by Jamie Murphy's sudden departure from the band, which meant several tracks had to be scrapped and re-recorded to accommodate the change in line-up.