Yorkshire Rats Interview

14/09/2006

alrate?
The forming members of the band are;
Me (don) ont guitar, mandolin, whistle, n vocals
Bruins, lead vocals
Eddie, on drums.

The other two memebers where added to the band only within the last 6 months

Griff, guitar, and hobbsie on bass and vocals.

It all started when I was in the pub with bruins in Pontifract, a few of the local punx n that were on about startin a band, but no one seemed to get the thing off the ground.

In the begginng there was me, eddie, john greenwood, rob french and bruins. A couple of other guys were supposed to be there but they never turned up to the first sessions so they were never in the band. I was really keen to get the band going as my other band ‘the faded’ had fallen apart like. As soon as we started playing some tunes we knew we were going to be a permanent band like.

We recorded our first Ep after 2 months of being together or something like that. Everyone loved it and everyone sung along at our gigs so we were all really excited about it all.

I do most, if not all the song writing so I was basin our stuff on bands like abrasive wheels and the dropkicks, we developed out own sound soon but we never thought we were gona get anywhere.

Erm, duno about this really, we’ve been up and down the whole of last year really. We got asked to sign to a small indie label after 6 months of being together, erm, but then the original rhythm guitarist left the band. The we got griff, toured, everything was fine. We got asked by jim chapmen to work wit hhis label 10 past 12, so we planned to go to london and record part of the album, then john left a week before so we had to find a new bassist, so that was a bit mad, but we got hobbsie in and he did fine, better than john by far, totally different attitude to the whole game like.

We wouldn’t change owt like cos all this has just made us better as a band. Having hobbs and griff in is much better they are better musicians and I’ve known em for years so tis all good.

We are??? Since when?? Lol, nah, yeah we are all really excited about it. I really couldn’t tell you how this came about. I mentioned to the label that rancid were touring, the next thing I knew was I had an email from the promoters saying that rancid want us to open one of their shows. When I asked the label boss if he’d sorted it he didn’t really know what happened haha. But we are playin so that’s good, tim might have heard us on myspace or somethin as I send him regular band updates and what not. But they asked us to do it which was a real honor.

I’d love to do a full tour with rancid or the dropkicks, also with the wheels cos evertime we play we all have such a laugh, we just cant get it sorted.

We do 2 covers at the minute in our set, barroom hero by the murphys cos it fits our style and attitude well and we cover it well also, and to have to have not (the bastards version) because tis a mint song basically, we’ll be duin a wheels cover soon.

Erm, I personally am most proud of lawful civil rights, as it has a strong message that everyone can relate to, its about how you should work hard in life and wot not, to get to where you want to be. I like em all tho, I wunt write a song I dunt like anyway like.

Me, eddie, and bruins have always been into punk, them two were into the more american stuff I think, I’ve always like the uk style stuff, even if they were american bands. I think griff and hobbs got into it in high school.

I heard rancid when I was 10, and I saw the rudy soho vid when I was 12 and I thought to myself as I looked at lars, I’m gona be like him when I’m 20 lol, I got mi sen the mohawk and the leather and never looked back. Don’t think I ever will.

Not sure about the other bands bought first, thin I got a clash ablum or sumthin first the ni got mi dropkicks, rancid, wheels etc.. tis all good.

The scene in ponti is like everywhere else, it changes dependin on what is popular, all the scene kids n that. Good thing for us all the emo and indie kids luv us, and when punk comes back in all the scene kids will shave in mohawks, so that’s good, lol.

The younger punk scene is getting better but the only problem is that cos we don’t all have mohawks, the kids who have bin into punk for a couple of months slag us off, which rate pisses me off, the cunts, the older punks like us which is better, younger kids are brilliant when they give us their support, but some punk kids just don’t know what its all about, its all about how many studs you have on your jacket to a lot of em. But it’ll get better one day I hope.

Were are duin a couple of dates with the wheels I think, should be tourin all next year if all goes well, our album will be out either at the end of the year or start of next, maybe duin a 7inch or sumthin. Duno yet tho.

I’d just tell people to support loacl bands in their area like people have supported us, its amazing how wole comunities will help bands out.
Keep safe.
don