RUTS DC - HARE & HOUNDS 6/10/2012

 

There is a long list of bands I wish I’d seen but probably at the top of the list were The Ruts. In an all too short career they released one of the finest run of punk singles ever and the epic ‘The Crack’ album and to this day I still wonder how many further great songs they would have been capable of producing. So when the Ruts DC played Rebellion festival in the summer, even though it was the band formed from the surviving members following tragic death of front man Malcolm Owen, it was a must see event. And they didn’t disappoint with their set being highlight of the festival. So when the chance came to see them again so soon we jumped at it. The Hare and Hounds in Kings Heath was the venue in the 250 capacity upstairs room. Even before the support band Cracked Actors came on the room had filled nicely and there was definitely an air of excited expectancy around - we had conversations with a couple of guys who had both seen them around 1979 in Digbeth supporting the Damned. The set was very similar to the Rebellion one. A few new songs (which having now heard them twice sound great) interspersed with older Ruts DC songs and then the Ruts tunes started appearing, Backbiter, It Was Cold, SUS was incorporated into one of the newer songs. Then we were on a roll, Staring at The Rudeboys, Love In Vein, Jah War all sounding amazing although the crowd was a little subdued. So for the finale we took the plunge and stormed the front. West One, Babylon’s Burning and an encore of In A Rut. Well impressed that someone of my years could stay the distance with young Sam and to be honest it could well have been 1979 again! If you were a fan of the Ruts and get the opportunity the Ruts DC are a must see. And as the ending refrain of In A Rut was still ringing in my ears you couldn’t help but wonder what if…..   

West One (Shine On Me)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s8k0GtLZ4o

THE RUTS - STARING AT THE RUDE BOYS

Staring At The Rude Boys on Top of The Pops


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1LMtQ8t6hQ

Dancing With The Rude Boy

Just discovered a great John Peel session from 1980 featuring Laurel Aitken with the Ruts as his backing band.  Aitken had put out dozens of singles and albums during the sixties and early seventies and made the most of the late seventies mod and ska revival by signing to Secret Affair’s I-Spy record label and releasing a couple of singles in 1980.  The peel session was recorded in April 1980 (just a month after the Ruts released Staring At The Rudeboys and 3 months before lead singer Malcolm Owen would tragically be found dead from a heroin overdose.

The tracks recorded were

Big Fat Man,

Rudi Got Married

Jesse James

Rock Me Baby/Caledonia

The full line up was Laurel Aitken (Organ, Vocals), Paul Fox (Guitar, Backing Vocals), Gary Barnacle (Saxophone, Organ), Segs (Bass), Dave Duffy (Drums, Backing Vocals) and Malcolm Owen (Backing Vocals).  Unfortunately Aitken passed away in 2005 but leaves a great ska legacy behind him

LAUREL AITKEN – RUDI GOT MARRIED

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf5_--wy660