Ruts DC "Electracoustic Vol. 3"

Ruts DC have just released the third volume in their inspired Electracoustic series, where they revisit and reimagine, not only the old classics, but many of the hidden gems, B-Sides and album tracks from The Ruts and Ruts DC impressive back catalogue. “Electracoustic Vol. 3” is slightly different from the previous volumes, in that it also includes a brand new as yet unreleased track entitled "Bound In Blood”, that proves that the band are continuing in their rich vein of form. The Electracoustic series works on all levels, probably because as the title suggests, these are not just the usual bland acoustic versions that some bands and artists put out as filler or a quick, cost-effective and easy release. Not at all. Often, these are complete re-workings of the songs we have come to know and love, and adding in electric guitars and bass allows them to experiment with the arrangements and add a real texture and variety to proceedings. Hearing the familiar tracks in such a different context also makes you re-evaluate the songs themselves and highlights just what superb songwriters The Ruts were, and more importantly that Ruts DC still are. 

I have written before about Ruts DC and how difficult it must have been for Segs to follow on from Malcolm Owen’s unique vocal delivery, and later for Leigh Heggarty to follow Paul Fox’s unbelievable and singular guitar playing and of course, anyone who has seen them play live in their current guise will understand just how remarkable both have done. So, the Electracoustic sessions are also a chance for both Segs and Leigh to add their own skills and personalities to the old Ruts songs and this gives a totally fresh and invigorating listening experience. I guess first of all, most people will be intrigued as to how they are going to tackle the more straight-ahead Punk Rock songs of the early Ruts and on Vol. 3 you get three great examples, well, three if you get the CD version. The vinyl album ends with “Human Punk” and the bonus tracks on the CD include “Criminal Mind” and “Society”. “Criminal Mind” gets twisted into a blistering Rockabilly shuffle complete with handclaps and drummer Dave Ruffy’s fantastic brush work. “Society” gets filtered down to a sprightly acoustic Folk-Punk classic with an electric blast of guitar from Leigh and Segs’ voice doesn’t lose any of the latent aggression of the original, that most of us only heard as a chaotic live recording. 

“Pretty Lunatics” from the last album “CounterCulture?” is the closest they get to an all-out acoustic number and here it’s a stunningly emotional tug at the heartstrings. Some tracks are not that dissimilar to the originals - the take on the Punky Reggae classic “Jah War” for example but “Dope For Guns” slows down and strips the familiar song back to highlight the mightily impressive bubbling bass line and it really takes on a new life of its own. For me, it’s the tracks from the post-Malcolm Ruts DC albums “Formula Eyes” from “Animal Now” and a brilliant laid-back version of “Whatever We Do” from “Rhythm Collision Vol. 1” that really hit the spot, and dare I say, could well improve on the originals. So, please don’t hesitate in adding this fantastic album to your Ruts collection, if you think you might have heard it all before, then think again and give it a try. You won’t regret it and it’ll have you listening to that almighty back catalogue with fresh ears.  

“Electracoustic Vol. 3” comes in blue vinyl and as mentioned, the CD has three bonus tracks, and both are available to order, along with new merchandise, from the band’s official website here. Don’t forget Volumes 1 and 2 while you’re at it! Ruts DC are also out on a U.K. Electracoustic tour at the moment, culminating in a show at the legendary 100 Club in London on Sunday July 28th so please check the band’s site for the full list of tour dates and how to buy tickets. You can check previous reviews of Ruts DC shows in our Retro Man Blog archive and also original live videos at our Retromanblog65 YouTube channel here. Finally, don't forget our thoroughly entertaining Retrosonic Podcast with Ruts DC guitarist Leigh Heggarty.

Retrosonic Podcast · Lockdown Lowdown Episode 2: Leigh Heggarty of Ruts DC

 

Ruts DC & TV Smith at Sub89 Reading, May 17th 2023

Ruts DC take the stage of Reading's SUB89 to a Reggae version of "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and launch into "Faces In The Sky" from the excellent new album "CounterCulture?" It's a slow-burning paranoid number with a throbbing undertow and a snaking Middle-Eastern guitar riff. A brilliant start to a blistering set from Ruts DC as they continued on part two of their "CounterCulture?/Faces In The Sky" U.K. tour. The band are looking very cool, Dave Ruffy in particular is looking in great shape. Then there's Segs in fedora and shades underpining everything with his superb bass playing and excellent voice. Guitarist Leigh Heggarty in black and white polka dot shirt, waistcoat, trilby and round shades is every inch the guitar hero and there's a great chemistry and interplay between the three of them. Next up it's "S.U.S.", "You're Just A..." and "It Was Cold", a triple hit of tracks from their classic album "The Crack" and you realise, probably a little sadly, that the topics The Ruts tackled at the time of recording the album are unfortunately, still all too prevalent today. Certainly, "S.U.S." seems as relevant now as it did 40 years ago and of course "Jah War" too and the haunting line "when the truncheon came down and knocked him to the ground" could be a line from the brand new record.

 

Dave Ruffy jokingly comments after "No Time To Kill" from 1981's "Animal Now" that when they wrote the song they thought it would end all war and they thought Rock Against Racism would end racism. Sadly, some forty years later nothing much has changed but Ruts DC certainly haven't given up on trying and their protest songs that are packed full of social conscience are needed now more than ever. The new album "CounterCulture?" is probably more musically diverse and adds more Reggae and Dub elements to the intense sonic attack of the last album "Music Must Destroy" and this mix of new material perfectly complements the old classics so that the set-list is a seamless non-stop delight of musical gems one after another. I was really pleased they included "Poison Games", one of my favourites from the new album and "Kill The Pain" in particular is a masterclass in anthemic songwriting. Segs and Leigh swapped instruments for a rare run through of "Despondency" from "Animal Now", Leigh proving that he's a pretty damn good bassist too.

 

Of course, I've waxed lyrical many times in these pages of how impressive I think Leigh's guitar work is - not just in replicating Paul Fox's iconic sound on the older nunbers but in the way he's stamped his own identity on the current Ruts DC. I noted a nifty bit of Wilko Johnson style simultaneous rhythm and lead riffing on "Jah War" that was pretty special. The great thing about live music is that it's sometimes the unexpected and out of the blue moments that really hit you and tonight it's "Pretty Lunatics", the low key campfire singalong from the new album. Kind of like The Soundtrack of Our Lives "The Passover" or Pixies "Where Is My Mind?" which on record might seem pleasant and unassuming songs but become transformed into mightily effective and emotional crowd favourites when played live. Of course, we do get the run of classic Ruts singles "Babylon's Burning", "Staring At The Rude Boys", "Something That I Said" and "West One (Shine On Me)" which go down a storm with the adoring crowd as you would expect, but it's the strenght of the new material that really impresses. Certainly, Ruts DC are going from strength to strength and are as vital and relevant today as they have ever been.

 

Don't forget our two special Retrosonic Podcast specials with Leigh Heggarty are still available, always a thoroughly entertaining guest, you can listen/stream download from Spotify or our Soundcloud archive here. For more information on Ruts DC and how to order "CounterCulture?" please check out their official web-site here. Before the show, Leigh introduced me to Roland Link author of the definitive story of The Ruts and Ruts DC "Love In Vain" which is a must-have for any Ruts fan - check it out here if you haven't already got a copy. You can hear Dennis Lyxzén from The (International) Noise Conspiracy and Refused on his new Wingmen style 'supergroup' Fake Names (which features members of Minor Threat, Bad Religion and Fugazi) talking about the impact that The Ruts had on their new band and the 80's Washington DC Hardcore Punk scene in our recent Retrosonic Podcast here. You can see more videos from the show by subscribing to our Retromanblog65 YouTube channel here

Retrosonic Podcast · Lockdown Lowdown Episode 2: Leigh Heggarty of Ruts DC

It was great to see TV Smith again too - I enjoyed his set with a full band supporting the original line-up of The Damned at Hammersmith Apollo but now he's back solo, just him and his acoustic guitar opening up on a few few dates during the tour. It was a great set that included the best of his solo career including "Expensive Being Poor", "Generation Y", "Immortal Rich" and one of my personal favourites, "You Saved My Life Then Ruined It" and included some promising new songs, with one in particular going down well called "One Minute To Midnight". Despite the quailty of the solo material, inevitably it's The Adverts classics that get the best reaction and the timeless appeal of "Gary Gilmore's Eyes", "One Chord Wonders", "Safety In Numbers" and "No Time To Be 21" prove what an underated band The Adverts were. Like Ruts DC, TV Smith's politically charged protest songs are needed now more than ever and it's refreshing and inspiring to know that the fire still burns bright in both. You can listen to our Retrosonic Podcast special with TV Smith in our archive here.

You can see more videos from the show by subscribing to our Retromanblog65 YouTube channel here.

The Stranglers & Ruts DC at Reading Hexagon, Tuesday February 22nd 2022

JJ Burnel and Toby Hounsham of The Stranglers - Photo by Retro Man Blog

Following the stunning show at Guildford G-Live a couple of weeks ago, I'm back for my second dose of The Stranglers and Ruts DC this time at The Reading Hexagon. Tonight probably just edged Guildford, maybe it was because I was downstairs this time round and could appreciate the highly charged atmosphere even more. Anyway, the crowd were right behind special guests Ruts DC from the off and the band responded by treating us to a blistering set. In The Stranglers case, the set-list was tweaked for the better to include "Tank" and "Grip" and these helped to crank up the excitement levels to breaking point. For a full review of The Stranglers and Ruts DC at Guildford including photos by Derek D'Souza then please check out the Blog feature here. In the meantime, here's some photos from the Reading Hexagon show.

Ruts DC at Reading Hexagon - Photo by Retro Man Blog

Ruts DC at Reading Hexagon - Photo by Retro Man Blog

Ruts DC at Reading Hexagon - Photo by Retro Man Blog

Ruts DC at Reading Hexagon - Photo by Retro Man Blog

Ruts DC at Reading Hexagon - Photo by Retro Man Blog

The Stranglers at Reading Hexagon - Photo by Retro Man Blog

The Stranglers at Reading Hexagon - Photo by Retro Man Blog

The Stranglers at Reading Hexagon - Photo by Retro Man Blog

The Stranglers at Reading Hexagon - Photo by Retro Man Blog

The Stranglers at Reading Hexagon - Photo by Retro Man Blog

The Stranglers & Ruts DC at G-Live Guildford, Thursday February 3rd 2022

The Stranglers at Guildford G-Live - Photo copyright Derek D'Souza

It was such a thrill to be able to witness The Stranglers emotional Guildford homecoming and for once I wasn’t down the front but up on the balcony so could fully appreciate the great lighting and sound at the G-Live. When the farewell tour was announced, I guess like many fans, I was intrigued maybe even in two minds about the decision to go ahead after the sad passing of Dave Greenfield. I didn’t know how they were going to do it, would it be an acoustic tour or would they incorporate backing tapes of Dave’s recorded organ parts? Who knew what was in store? The announcement that the band had recruited someone to play keyboards was interesting, after all Dave was a musical genius and of course a much-loved original member of The Stranglers. In the end, the band certainly made the right decision as the amount of dates marked as sold out undoubtedly proved. But let me put your fears to rest as the new keyboard player Toby Hounsham certainly excelled in what must have been a very daunting task; I mean it’s not as if he can take a back seat given that Dave’s iconic trademark keyboard sound was so integral to the very core of The Stranglers. However, Toby did a fantastic job, the highlight of which was probably the extended instrumental on “Walk on By” which was faultless. I didn’t hear one negative comment about his performance from fans either at the show or on-line and what with such a positive reaction and the band proving to be on such good form, I think they would be silly to call it a day completely. 

The Stranglers at Guildford G-Live - Photo copyright Derek D'Souza

From the opening bars of “Toiler On The Sea” it’s apparent that The Stranglers sound has certainly not been comprised and neither has their energy or seething aggression, “Something Better Change” and “Sometimes” are both as vicious as when I first heard them. The band are on top form and the chemistry and friendship between JJ and Baz shines through, their on-stage banter is always a joy. Toby is introduced and it’s all handled perfectly with the right balance of respect and determination to pay tribute to Dave in the best possible way, to fully enjoy The Stranglers music. Of course, they treat us to all the hits and favourites such as “Peaches” and “Nice ‘n’ Sleazy” but it’s always interesting to discover what curveballs The Stranglers will throw at us and tonight we got one of my favourites “Curfew” which was amazing and “Baroque Bordello” which was slightly less so. The band’s commercial peak is nicely covered by “Skin Deep”, “Always The Sun”, “Golden Brown” and “Strange Little Girl” but there is a bit of a lull as “Don’t Bring Harry” doesn’t quite do it for me. “Water” and “The Last Men on The Moon” from the critically acclaimed new album “Dark Matters” are both cinematic and atmospheric slow burning numbers with strains of Ennio Morricone’s Spaghetti Western soundtracks. The over-the-top disco beat of “White Stallion” with its pulsing sequencers and operatic recorded backing vocals reminds me of Sparks and is a bit out of place but “This Song” is a real modern day Stranglers classic that captures all the aggression and energy that we love. Strangely enough, I’m sitting next to football legend Stuart Pearce,  star of the “This Song” video and of course, huge Stranglers fan. 

The Stranglers at Guildford G-Live - Photo copyright Retro Man Blog

The Stranglers at Guildford G-Live - Photo copyright Retro Man Blog

“Nuclear Device” is ear-splittingly powerful and the three-song salvo of “Straighten Out”, “Duchess” and “Hanging Around” that closes the main set cranks up the excitement to fever pitch but then it’s all over. JJ and Baz come back on for an acoustic interlude of “The Lines” and an emotional “And If You Should See Dave” during which the stage lights dim to leave the keyboards bathed in blue light as Baz sings, “This is where your solo should be…” It’s a moving moment there’s no doubt about it. Then Jim and Toby return for the final encore of “Go Buddy Go” and of course “No More Heroes”, JJ climbing up onto the drum and keyboard riser to deliver that iconic bass intro. What a show and what a performance, The Stranglers never cease to amaze me with their resilience in the face of so many trials and tribulations, and long may that continue. The good news is, it probably will. Although this is billed as the farewell tour, I don’t think it will be the end of The Stranglers. 

The Stranglers at Guildford G-Live - Photo copyright Retro Man Blog

The Stranglers at Guildford G-Live - Photo copyright Retro Man Blog

Ruts DC opened the show and treated us to a stunning set, in fact, it turned out to be one of the best I’ve seen the band play and it was good to see a large crowd already in place to appreciate it. The Stranglers were obviously generous with the sound and lighting, a luxury not always afforded to support bands on large tours and Ruts DC took full advantage. Right from the first blistering riff of the classic “Something That I Said”, Leigh Heggarty’s guitar sound was immense, filling the large rather soulless auditorium with a wall of sound. Rather like Toby joining The Stranglers and having to replicate Dave Greenfield’s iconic keyboard sound, Leigh had the unenviable task of following one of Punk’s most innovative guitarists Paul Fox. Leigh captures Fox’s trademark glacial sound of “It Was Cold” and “S.U.S.” perfectly, but still adds his own character to the Ruts DC. There’s a manic rush through “You’re Just A…” another classic album track from “The Crack” which positively crackles with energy. The excellent sound means that you can really appreciate Dave Ruffy’s peerless drumming and the deep growl of Segs Jennings bass, proving that the pair are certainly one of the best rhythm sections to have emerged from Punk. They haven’t lost any of that creative chemistry either, in fact Segs nails yet another killer bass riff on the slow burning and atmospheric new song “Born Innocent” which promises much from the next album. Segs says he usually hates it when a band announces they are going to play a new song, but he need not have worried as “Born Innocent” definitely hits the spot and certainly gets an encouraging response from the crowd. 

Ruts DC - photo by Retro Man Blog

They run through a perfectly plotted set-list that’s heavy on Ruts classics, no doubt bearing in mind they are playing to a partisan Stranglers crowd, so there’s nothing from the “Animal Now” or “Rhythm Collision Vol. 1 or 2” albums. Instead we do get a wonderful “Jah War”, “Staring At The Rude Boys”, “West One (Shine On Me)” and the crowd singalong “In A Rut”. They did play a great version of “Kill The Pain” from their latest studio LP, the critically acclaimed “Music Must Destroy”, which sits easily alongside all those familiar classics. In fact, it’s such a fantastic album that I’m not surprised when they choose to close the set with “Psychic Attack” instead of “Babylon’s Burning” and it goes to show that the band are far removed from being a nostalgia act. Ruts DC are going from strength to strength and if you can’t make any of their shows with The Stranglers then don’t worry, the band will be out and about on their own headlining “Faces In The Sky” tour in November/December and you can check out all the details at Ruts DC web-site here. 

Ruts DC - photo by Retro Man Blog

You can hear a wonderful re-working of a classic Ruts song taken from Ruts DC excellent new “Electracoustic” album in the latest episode of Retrosonic Podcast here. Leigh Heggarty also has his own Blog, the always entertaining "Leigh's Mad World of Guitars". Our Retrosonic Podcast with Leigh is still available at our archives on Spotify, iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music or you can stream/download directly from our SoundCloud site below.

Retrosonic Podcast · Lockdown Lowdown Episode 2: Leigh Heggarty of Ruts DC

The Stranglers farewell tour with support from Ruts DC continues and you can find out more information at The Stranglers official web-site here. Top two photos copyright and courtesy of Derek D'Souza, for more information on Derek's photography please check out this web-site here.

Retrosonic Podcast Lockdown Lowdown Episode 2 with Leigh Heggarty from Ruts DC

Leigh Heggarty at The 100 Club - Photo by Terry Heggarty

In the second episode of our Lockdown Lowdown series, we welcome Ruts DC guitarist Leigh Heggarty into the virtual Retrosonic Podcast studio. Leigh talks us through some of his most memorable musical moments from hearing The Beatles for the first time to gigs and records that made an impact on him and his guitar playing, right through to the present day touring and recording with Ruts DC. Along the way we learn about his encounters with Henry Rollins, Wayne Kramer, The Stranglers, Alvin Gibbs, Wilko Johnson and of course Paul Fox, Segs and Dave Ruffy of The Ruts/Ruts DC. There's also a look back on the now legendary but hugely emotional benefit show for Paul Fox, his last with The Ruts, which featured Henry Rollins on lead vocals and many special guests including The Damned, Misty In Roots, U.K. Subs, Tom Robinson and many more. This hugely enjoyable trip down memory lane is soundtracked by some of Leigh's favourite tunes from The Beatles, Marc Bolan & T-Rex, The Who, Rory Gallagher, Bruce Springsteen, Dr. Feelgood, The Stranglers and The Flamin' Groovies and of course The Ruts. There's also a pick of Leigh's own work with The Price, Alvin Gibbs & The Disobedient Servants and of course, Ruts DC.

Full Tracklisting:

Ruts DC "Music Must Destroy"

The Beatles "Ticket To Ride"

Marc Bolan & T-Rex "Metal Guru"

The Who "I Can See For Miles"

Rory Gallagher "Tatoo'd Lady"

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band "Candy's Room"

Dr. Feelgood "Roxette"

The Who "Won't Get Fooled Again"

The Price "So What About Love"

The Ruts "West One (Shine On Me)"

Ruts DC "Mirror Smashed"

Ruts DC "Psychic Attack"

The Stranglers "Hanging Around"

Alvin Gibbs & The Disobedient Servants "Ghost Train"

The Flamin' Groovies "Shake Some Action"

Ruts DC are keeping busy during the lockdown, broadcasting regular Ruts TV episodes, details of which can be found at their official Facebook page here. They are now taking orders for a new live album "40 Years of The Crack" recorded throughout the 2019 "Crack 40" tour and expertly mixed in the USA by Lee Groves. This very limited edition release will be available with unique double gatefold packaging containing two beautiful clear vinyl platters from 5th June 2020. Each gatefold sleeve will be lovingly signed by Segs, Ruffy and Leigh and will include a full download code sent to you personally on the morning of release while you await delivery of your package. You can order the album and keep up to date on all Ruts related news at their official web-site here. As discussed in the episode, you can also check out Leigh's excellent Blog/Tour Diary "Leigh's Mad World of Guitars" here. Info on Alvin Gibbs & The Disobedients Servants releases can be found at the Time & Matter web-site here and you can check out our features on the band in our Blog archive too.

Podcover photo by Terry Heggarty. Subscribe to Retrosonic Podcast for FREE at iTunes or at our Soundcloud site/archive here. This episode can also be downloaded or streamed below.

Retrosonic Podcast · Lockdown Lowdown Episode 2: Leigh Heggarty of Ruts D

The Stranglers & Ruts DC at Guildford G-Live March 21st 2017 with Photos by Derek D'Souza

The Stranglers - Photographed at Guildford G-Live by Derek D'Souza

The Stranglers story started here in Guildford, indeed there was a far from subtle clue in their original choice of name – The Guildford Stranglers. Thankfully they ditched the prefix pretty quickly, I mean it doesn’t quite have the same Rock’n’Roll ring to it as say, The New York Dolls or Hanoi Rocks does it? It’s hard to believe that this green and pleasant area of Surrey could spawn a band that would become arguably one of the most challenging, violent and unpredictable bands of all their so-called Punk peers. The typically English picture postcard idyll of Chiddingfold, Bramley Village Hall and the Scout Hut in Shalford sound more like locations from an episode of Midsomer Murders rather than important landmarks in The Stranglers story. But just like a plot from the unlikely crime series there was something dark lurking beneath the veneer of suburban commuter belt respectability. But the inner cities don’t have it all and probably Paul Weller’s line “I know I come from Woking and you say I’m a fraud” came the closet, not just geographically (Woking is less than 10 miles away from Guildford) but also philosophically to prove that the "uncool" suburbs can also be a hotbed of seething, righteous anger and creativity.

JJ Burnel of The Stranglers - Photographed at Guildford G-Live by Derek D'Souza

The Stranglers played their first ever gig in Guildford and were initially buoyed by Jet Black’s local ice cream and off-licence businesses but the band seem to have maintained a rather ambivalent attitude to the town over the years. After all none of the members were born there and tonight there’s none of the usual trappings of a “hometown” gig as such. Indeed during the early years tensions seemed to be fraught between the band and the town and somewhat ironically, tonight's venue, the G-Live was built on the site of the old Civic Hall from which The Stranglers were once banned by the local council. Just down the road from here nearly 40 years ago, The Stranglers walked off stage half way through a gig being filmed for the BBC's "Rock Goes To College" with the parting shot "Guildford University never represented Guildford, we hate playing to elitist audiences so f**k off!" Unsurprisingly, the BBC never televised the show. Luckily nowadays there’s no such animosity between The Stranglers, the town and its local audience and the band are playing to a loyal and enthusiastic crowd where elitism couldn’t be further from anyone’s mind.

The Stranglers - Photographed at Guildford G-Live by Derek D'Souza

There’s nothing quite like that sense of anticipation when the lights go down and the familiar strains of the "Waltzinblack" intro boom out of the PA system. I still get shivers up and down my spine even now. The band takes the stage and they launch straight into "The Raven" which is the perfect opening number with its lengthy, pulsating intro. After last year’s stunning “Black And White” tour tonight, the emphasis is back on the "Greatest Hits". There is a twist though in that we don’t get "Duchess" or "Nuclear Device" but instead we do get "Who Wants The World" and "Bear Cage". These two tracks always seemed to be hiding under the considerable shadows of the band’s more commercially successful singles but tonight both sound unbelievable, particularly “Who Wants The World” which is transformed into a massive terrace chant with it’s slamming singalong chorus. Anyway, with such a huge back catalogue they are always going to miss out a few of your favourites but the one and a half hour show is packed with enough of the old familiar crowd pleasers to keep everyone happy. "(Get a) Grip (On Yourself)", "Nice ‘n’ Sleazy", "Peaches", "Hanging Around" and "Something Better Change" all sounding as fresh and vital as ever. There’s also the occasional album track thrown into the mix, “Never To Look Back” proves that despite “10’s” weak and dated production and its somewhat pedestrian cover versions, there were a few moments of sheer class to be found on the album. From the debut we get “Sometimes” and from the latest album “Giants” we get “Freedom Is Insane” and “15 Steps” which highlights Baz’s excellent guitar work.

Baz Warne of The Stranglers - Photographed at Guildford G-Live by Derek D'Souza

Baz certainly relishes his role and he’s got the balance just right - he can croon “Golden Brown” in his impressive baritone but also exudes that necessary Stranglers menace. He has a great rapport, not only with his band-mates, but also with the fans. I was reading some comments on Facebook after one recent show and someone mentioned that they thought Baz had 'saved' The Stranglers. You know, I think they might have a point in a way, he definitely re-energised and enthused both the band and many of those fans disillusioned with Hugh's departure and the Paul Roberts era. The band certainly look like they are enjoying themselves, at no point do you get the feeling that they are going through the motions despite JJ and Dave performing with the band for over 40 years. JJ has hardly changed over the years and his bass still sounds like a Triumph Bonneville revving up. He makes eye contact with members of the crowd, acknowledging some familiar faces with a grin here and a wink there and tries to upstage the serious tone of “Golden Brown” with some neat ballet pirouettes behind Baz’s back. Dave Greenfield takes a swig of drink while playing one of his trademark keyboard runs one-handed and takes over the lead vocals on “Genetix”. Now this track does your head in just listening to it on record so I’m not sure how they can play it live. With its weird time signatures it’s not exactly what you would call a dance number, well unless you’ve had a few pints and “have your feet the wrong way round” as Graham Day once sang. Although he is still considered part of the band Jet no longer performs live due to health issues and has been replaced full-time by the excellent drummer Jim MacAulay, who even resembles a young Jet! It’s a shame that Jet can’t make an appearance tonight here in the town were he somehow assembled the band from such an unlikely and disparate bunch of people. I bet during those early rehearsals in the Shalford Scout Hut they would never have imagined some 40 years later that they'd still be playing to sold out venues all over the world. So, thank you Guildford!

Segs of Ruts DC - Photographed at Guildford G-Live by Derek D'Souza

You certainly get value for money when you go to see The Stranglers - as support they have had acts of the calibre of Wilko Johnson and The Alarm and on this tour Ruts DC have been invited along to open the shows. Ruts DC, just like The Stranglers, are still producing superb new music and are riding high on a wave of positivity with the release of their excellent new album "Music Must Destroy". Following the "Rhythm Collison Vol. 2" Reggae and Dub orientated collaboration, the new album sees them stripped back to a more guitar based 'Rock' sound. The band have also pared down accordingly to a three-piece featuring the original Ruts rhythm section of bassist Segs Jennings and drummer Dave Ruffy with Leigh Heggarty on guitar. Such is the strength of the new material that it comprises a large chunk of the night's well received set, "Kill The Pain" has a soaring memorable chorus and "Psychic Attack" is an absolute belter, spitting vitriol with a blistering energy that belies the band's age. You can hear what I mean in Episode 24 of our Retrosonic Podcast. Segs is looking dapper in his suit and trilby, he shows us a bright blue plaster on his finger and jokes "I’m struggling, me and JJ had a bit of a fight backstage but I think I got off quite lightly". It didn’t affect his bass playing noticeably! He handles most of the vocals and has a suitably gruff voice which is ideal when you think back to Malcolm Owen's trademark growl.

Dave Ruffy of Ruts DC - Photographed at Guildford G-Live by Retro Man Blog

Talking of gruff vocals, on the album itself Henry Rollins provides the backing vocals on the title track "Music Must Destroy", it's a slower paced yet heavy number which played tonight is another stand-out. The quality of the new songs and the fact that they are much rawer means that they fit in seamlessly alongside the familiar classics such as "In A Rut", "Staring at the Rude Boys" and "West One (Shine on Me)". Segs and Ruffy have sometimes been labelled the "Sly & Robbie of Punk", they even appeared in the BBC's "Story of Reggae" documentary. Tonight "Mighty Soldier" and a peerless "Jah War" remind us that they always had an instinctive love and grasp of Reggae that informed, but never overpowered The Ruts sound. It's a treat to watch Dave Ruffy drumming on these tracks. Of course we are treated to "Babylon’s Burning" and they even manage to squeeze in the manic two minute blast of "Society" before leaving the stage to warm and rowdy applause. You can check out some photos and see our feature on the now legendary Paul Fox benefit show at the Islington Academy back in 2007 here. The gig was sadly one of Paul's last ever live appearances with the band and featured some impressive special guests including Henry Rollins, The Damned, TV Smith, UK Subs, Misty In Roots and many more. Leigh Heggarty writes a humorous Blog about his exploits as a touring musician called "Leigh's Mad World of Guitars" and its well worth checking out.

Leigh Heggarty of Ruts DC - Photographed at Guildford G-Live by Derek D'Souza

Thanks to Derek D’Souza for the excellent photographs, you can check out more of Derek’s portfolio at his blinkandyoumissit web-site. Derek spoke to us about his new book on The Jam, "In Echoed Steps: The Jam and a Vision of The Albion" in our latest Retrosonic Podcast. You can listen to or download the episode below or subscribe for free on iTunes or Mixcloud. You can read more about the band’s Guildford connections in Malcolm Wyatt’s interview with JJ in his superb Write Wyatt Blog here and check out more photos of the gig at the Retro Man Blog Facebook page here. For our feature on The Stranglers "Black And White" at Brixton Academy and Reading Hexagon last year please check the Retro Man Blog archive here.

Ruts DC "Music Must Destroy" - Title Track of the New Album featuring Henry Rollins Released as Single and Video

Ruts DC have just released a single and video for the title track of their forthcoming album "Music Must Destroy" which features Henry Rollins on backing vocals. This will be the band's first studio album since 1981's "Animal Now" and features the Ruts legendary rhythm section of bassist Segs and drummer Dave Ruffy joined by guitarist Leigh Heggarty and an impressive cast of guest vocalists and musicians including the aforementioned Black Flag vocalist and long time Ruts fan Henry Rollins alongside Captain Sensible from The Damned, Boz Boorer from The Polecats and Morrissey's band, Jake Burns of Stiff Little Fingers, Marco Pirroni from Adam & The Ants and more.

The album "Music Must Destroy" is out now on CD or Vinyl and available to order from the Plastic Head on-line store here. For more info on forthcoming gigs please check out the Ruts/Ruts DC official site here. You can also hear another excellent track from the new album called "Psychic Attack" in Episode 24 of Retrosonic Podcast, which you can subscribe to for free on iTunes or download at our Retrosonic Soundcloud site here or just listen in below...

The Damned "The Captain's Birthday" with Ruts DC & TV Smith at The Forum Kentish Town

Captain Sensible and Dave Vanian - Photo by Paul Slattery

I first saw The Damned at The Lyceum in 1981, my second ever gig, and it is etched forever in my memory as being one of the best shows I have ever been to. Mind you, at the time I would not have imagined that over 30 years later I'd still be going to see them play and ironically enough the set-list was pretty similar too, with most tracks being taken from "The Black Album" and "Machine Gun Etiquette", so no complaints from me. Tonight's show was a very special celebration of Captain Sensible's 60th birthday along with guests TV Smith, Tenpole Tudor, Johnny Moped and Ruts DC.

Captain Sensible introduces TV Smith - Photo by Steve Worrall

I made it just in time to see the Captain introduce TV Smith, who for the first time in the U.K. was joined by Vom from Dr. & The Medics and Die Toten Hosen on drums. I have only ever seen TV perform alone with an acoustic guitar so Vom added a totally different dimension, a powerful backing to TV's heartfelt songs and it suited the large auditorium of The Forum. We were treated to a selection of his solo songs like "Immortal Rich" and "It's Expensive Being Poor" along with some choice cuts by The Adverts such as "No Time To Be 21" and "Gary Gilmore's Eyes". I missed Tenpole Tudor and Johnny Moped but it was time for The Damned and they opened up with "Wait For The Blackout" and "Lively Arts" and proceeded to play some of my favorites such as "Stranger on The Town", "Disco Man" and "I Just Can't Be Happy Today". Captain introduced "Happy Talk", "well it's my birthday!" and they play a Punked-up version of his biggest hit. "New Rose" brings the house down and "Neat Neat Neat" closes the main set to wild applause. The encore starts off with "Glad It's All Over" and then at the shout of "Smash It Up" balloons and confetti rain down on the crowd. It was a great set by The Damned and nice to hear a few less well known numbers thrown in. Ruts DC played a really impressive set too, a mixture of their dub reggae tracks and excellent newer material such as "Mighty Soldier" which was one of my highlights. The band build up to a crowd pleasing selection of Ruts classics such as "Staring At The Rude Boys", "Babylon's Burning" and "In A Rut" and leave the crowd wanting more. Paul Slattery was in the photographers pit and now he has finally cleaned all the confetti from his lens has kindly contributed these great photos...

The Damned by Paul Slattery

The Damned by Paul Slattery

The Damned by Paul Slattery

The Damned by Paul Slattery

The Damned by Paul Slattery

The Damned by Paul Slattery

Ruts DC by Paul Slattery

Ruts DC by Paul Slattery

Ruts DC by Paul Slattery

With thanks to Leigh Heggarty and to Paul Slattery.

For our very special Retrosonic Podcast with TV Smith, which features an exclusive acoustic session, please check out the Retrosonic Soundcloud page or listen/download below...