A NIGHTMARE ON EMBANKMENT STREET

Bad Manners, the Rough Kutz, Michael Caine at the Embankment Club, Wellingborough, 5/5/00

The plan was I would meet up with the band on the outskirts of Wellingborough. So at 7 PM I was at the Watford gap services when they were still on the outskirts of Derby. So I headed off for the venue to await their arrival. So whilst I enjoyed a drink and a decent Disco, they were on the M1, as the other bands went through their sound checks the Rough Kutz were still on the M1, as the first band went on stage (a Madness cover band) the Rough Kutz hadn't even made Northamptonshire.
This was the first outing of the new band bus! which is more comfortable, and more spacious but extremely slow. (and when it did arrive it had a cracked windscreen due to Scudger's head hitting it, they breed them tough in Stoke, he came out of it OK).
After their journey the band were well hammered so even before unloading their instruments they and their mates began dancing on the deserted dance floor. At least this proves this band are into he music they play and don't mind mixing with the audience.
(Its' not fair for me to comment on the Michael Caine band since I feel cover bands are never as good as the originals and if they show any talent they should be doing original stuff anyway)
With their set completed it was now the time for the Rough Kutz to invade the stage to get ready for theirs. So band members stood with wires in their hands saying, "Does anyone know where this wire goes?". When they tried a sound check half the instrument's can't be heard. This is the point when all reasonable people who don't know the band wonder why they've handed over money to see such a bunch of nutters.Yet the nightmare ends when the first song Friday Night is announced. And then the unbelievable happens, the chaos is suddenly transformed into the best sounding ska you'll hear from any current ska band.This band really do love the music they play and give it everything they can. The disorganised pre-gig chaos is forgotten as their talent takes over and they perform the crowd pleasing classics. This isn't 90's boring ska but ska that takes you back to when ska was vibrant, original, fun, aggressive and meaningful. Whilst staying true to their roots they let other musical influences play their part from seventies punk to soul. Their original material is mixed with some brilliant covers(their version of Murder is better than the original by a long way). The crowd danced away to the music of Gob Iron, the strangeness of Edna tales, the pure fun of Runaround Sue. Skinhead Symphony and Moonstomp kept the skinheads and others more than happy, The 400+ crowd was a good mixture of people who all seemed to be determined to enjoy themselves. And so were the band as Hazza the keyboard player did several stage dives in the middle of the set. This is a band who know how to enjoy themselves and make sure their audience do as well.
Some of us managed to dance to the end of the set, a mean feat when it finishes with the long and fast fistful of Ska.
Then it was Bad Manners who entertained as they always do and kept the crowd jumping to the very end. This was one of the best gigs I'd been to for a while and I'm sure the punters went home happy inspite of the pricey £12-50 it had cost them on the door,
So if you like listening to ska, if you like the Rough Kutz, then get out and see them live. If they don't play near you then travel. It was well worth the 1.5 hours I had to spend on the motor way( at least I wasn't in the bus with the band!)

Tony, Rotherham

Kent Ska Festival,May 29th 1999,The Red Lion,Northfleet Kent

Organised by Porky (the main south east Ska promoter),there were "seven bands for seven quid" which wasn't bad really.Me and my mate Mick (Mick from Beckenham - this guy deserves a mention 'cos he's sorted) turned up a little late, around 7.30 PM, and missed the first band, 'Hey Rudy', which was a shame 'cos I've not seen them before.We missed a lot of 'Rebelation' too,but I saw this band two or three times before and I really like them. They play really great Ska from Rocksteady to faster stuff. The girl on vocals has got a fab voice and the geezer with the dreads is really cool to talk to!The Xplosions were up next,and they were really great. I really like this band, they play a lot of traditional sounding stuff. I like more 2-Tone stuff but I like these anyway. (I would like to apologise to Rich, the bassist as I'm always hassling him for lifts back to London, Sorry Rich!).

Ska'd For Life were great,  much more poppy, faster Ska, this band have much more life in them. They were like The Rough Kutz who came on later -2-Tone style being these two bands main influences. The first time I saw Ska'd For Life was last year when they were minus their Sax player, (she'd broken her leg, apparently), and they were much better this time.Gangsters from Ireland, took part instead of Too Many Crooks for some reason. This was a bonus because I've not seen them live before. They were really great - faster Ska, again.

Next were my favourites of the whole night - The Rough Kutz. This is my favourite type of Ska, 2-Tone drenched, with lots of 'lift' to the music. They were great (as always). They stole the show, in my opinion.

Intensified rounded off the show nicely. They play a lot more traditional sounding stuff. Everybody was either really pissed or on their way home by this point. It was a good do, all in all. I  saw many people that I haven't seen for ages.

TOOTING JOE

The Rough Kutz-The Corperation, Sheffield, 2nd October 1999

(Supporting Mark Foggo's Skasters)

Another gig which confirmed The Rough Kutz as England's leading ska band. Another set played with enthusiasm and energy to get any ones feet moving. This is ska that is meant to be enjoyed and danced to. The band obviously enjoy playing ska as much as the crowd enjoy listening to them. This band don't have to beg the crowd to dance for their music does it for them. So it was hardly surprising that people were dancing from the opening drumbeat to the final note- not bad considering they had to begin their set before 7 pm!
The set contained that unique Rough Kutz blend. Their covers such as 'Murder' and 'Johnny Too Bad' were authentic but still given a Rough Kutz flavour. Songs such as 'Run Around Sue' bring the fun back into ska.
Yet it is their original stuff which is most memorable. They remain true to their skinhead reggae roots with soon to be classic songs as 'Hurt Again' and 'Crazy About You'. Their slower pace is certainly appreciated by all on the dance floor.
The dance floor is always fuller for their faster songs. Who can resist the aggressive beat from their punk influenced songs like 'Supergrass' and 'What Goes Around'.
This is a band, which inspite of their recent highly deserved success, still mange to keep their feet firmly on the ground. So there are no fancy gimmicks, no pop star antics, for with The Rough Kutz, what you see is what you get.
This is shown by their lyrics which draw on their experience of how life is. 'Skinhead Symphony' may be about growing up on a council estate in Stoke-on-Trent but as Brigga the singer said, "It is a song for kids of the street anywhere".
The serious subject matter of some of their songs is never allowed to dampen the humour of this band and the pleasure they get from writing and playing the music they love.
It always seems strange paying to see The Rough Kutz since their gigs always end up more like a party than a gig and this one was no different. As their final song, 'A Fistful of Ska', keeps you dancing long after your legs told you to sit down, this is one band you just have to see again and again because you know you won't be disappointed or bored. If only we could say that about all ska!

ANTHONY ATKINS