If I was going to sum up The Rough Kutz in a few choice words it would probably go something like this. A lazy,unorganised,unproffesional, idiotic rabble. But one thing I would say about us is that we wouldn't have it any other way and as a band we are true to ourselves and more importantly I think, we are true to our audience.

After a few years of gigging it starts to hit home to you, what the Ska scene is really all about. Maybe we, as a band, are a bit naïve, I don't know but we play gigs for the enjoyment, for the buzz of it. If we get paid a few quid for doing it, great. But more often than not we barely cover expenses, van hire, diesel etc. We get to meet lots of people and other bands and have a good piss up with people we haven't seen for a while and we get to play on the same stage as certain bands that we grew up listening to and have our own opinions on these bands, some excellent, some good, and some bad, we also seem to always get people up dancing which is a great buzz. These are the reason that make us travel 2 or 3 hundred miles in all weathers, for next to no money, THE SCENE!!

There is also another side to the scene. The bitching, backbiting and wannabe popstars. There are the bands that refuse to play with other bands because of their position on the bill, and those that lock themselves away in their precious dressing rooms refusing to have any contact with the very audience they hope are going to dance to them. Some won't even have a drink with or speak to us and the other bands.

Only by being in a Ska band or any band for that matter, can you begin to understand what kills off the scene. If more people would stop ripping each other off, stop backbiting and get back to the basics of what Ska and being in a band is all about the UK scene would be in a much better state than it is.

The Rough Kutz play what The Rough Kutz enjoy! We try to write songs about real issues and try and vary our sound so all the songs don't sound the same. I suppose what I am trying to say is that for all of our shortcomings , we have one thing over and above some of the 'PAY DAY POPSTARS' we find ourselves meeting and that is we are all mates first and foremost and then we are in a band, and we really do live the lifestyle and don't just pull on a pork pie hat come gig night .

I for one just can't wait till the pretenders move on to something 'new' and leave the real Ska bands to it.

Cheers for listening.

P.S. This rant isn't aimed at all Ska bands, just the ones that are only in it for the money, and there is no reason for us to name names as the real Ska bands know who they are anyway. So all the best to the bands who are doing it for 'REAL' and UP YOURS to the CABARET BANDS.