Interviews index.

This is an interview with Jay from the band earlier in the year.

Q1. Who's in the band & who plays what?

Jay Splitter - Bass, Paul Braidley - Vocals, Harmonica,
Dr G. - Guitar, Fez McFerran - Drums, Drew Stansall - sax, Steve Esteves - Trumpet.

Q2. What are the bands main influences?

The bands influences are a bit difficult to define because everyone in the band are so different from each other so I can only speak for myself and my influences are pretty varied. Things like Slackers, specials, and most other stuff on 2-tones, as well as stuff like The Clash, Rancid, P.A.I.N. / RDF etc.
And a big influence on my playing were people like Sly &Robbie, Scientist, King Tubby, The Skatalites etc.... The list could go on and on and on.....

Q3. How did Roddy Playing with the Splitters come about?

By Chance really. We met the Specials playing at the Half Time Orange in Leicester where we supported them and gave Roddy a tape. Then a few months later our brass section were guesting with skaboom who Roddy was also helping out on guitar, he offered to come and guest at one of our gigs.  We all had a great laugh and now Roddy's a pretty regular guest at our gigs he also guests on our new album. "International Smugglers" out in May 2000.

Q4. What our the most recent albums you've been listening to?

Jay - Pilfers "Chawalaleng", Toots & The Maytals "Greatest hits" and King Prawn "Fried in London".
Fez - Jackie Mittoo "keyboard king at studio one", Slackers "live at Ernesto's" and Trojan Box set "Instrumentals".

Q5. What do you guys do outside the band ? i.e job wise.

Dr G - Ambulance Driver, Jay - Lion tamer, Fez  - Lavatory Attendant, Drew - Manages a dating agency,

Steve - researching self employment, and Braidley - Graphic Designer.

Q6. What are the bands current plans?

Hopefully you get you mailing list which keeps you up to date on most things.
Belgium at the end of May, Glastonbury - hopefully and Europe for a month in September - now being booked.

Q7. You've played with the Slackers and the Skatalitres, What have been the best gigs and the bands best bands you've played with so far?

Best gig so far would have to be The Selecter gig in Norwich which was brilliant, the Slackers gig at The Charlotte in Leicester and Abbey Park festival in Leicester last year.
Best bands we've played with are - Definitely the Skatalites who really something else, but where was every one? (Jay's referring to the Skatalites gig at the  Charlotte in Leicester, the only poster I saw for the gig was in the Charlotte after the gig had taken place!)
The Specials were also brilliant as were the Slackers, the Pilfers, Bad Manners were also wicked.

Q8. What the best gig you've been to?

Me personally, the Who's Quadrophenia, at Earls Court.

Q9. What covers do you play in your set?

We play Guns of Navarone in our set pretty regular and also pressure drop, but covers always seem like hard work it seems much easier to write our own stuff. Monkey man also used to be a regular in our set but was dropped quite a while a go.

Q10. Finally what are the bands plans for the coming year?

Well there's our new album called "International Smugglers" which will feature Roddy Radiation somewhere, it will also be produced by Gaz Burtles of the Beautiful South, but enough of the name dropping. Hopefully September should see in Europe for gigs in Holland, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Denmark, Norway and Sweden being offered and maybe another UK tour around August. Ad Glastonbury id someone out there can get us in. As you can see.. busy..busy.. busy.

So We'll leave the splitters to get on which there European domination and Hopefully they'll be back in the UK soon. But until then we can just keep playing their new album.