Dear Scratchers,
It’s been nearly 5 years since The Scratch played the Dublin Castle, this time was different in the fact that we were playing the much vaulted Club Fandango… but other than that, it was the same venue, same clientele, same beer and toilets…. In the end it’s just the same…
Tonight’s set was different and for the first time in our seven year history, the line up was also officially different, with the addition of Steve ‘Kid’, ‘Zamo’, ‘The Boy with a man’s voice’ Whittaker… 5 people however small Steve is… (think a sideways Rizzla)… is a squeeze on the stage of the DC… the lack of usual movement however, was more than made up for by the ‘attack’ of the set… 9 tracks crammed into 30 minutes, that still left our contingent fairly gagging for more….
The set kicked off with Destroyed by the look of Love (my daddy was a Pooh bear) affectionately and more concisely monikered ‘Pooh’ for live dates… DBTLOL is indeed due to be the title track of the next ep (out on Mon March 31st Scratch fans!!!), there ain’t no stopping the releases this year, far from settling into our dotage ’09 is the year of fighting back, the year of action… missing tonight were the staples ‘Numbers’, ‘Fakers’, ‘Spiral Scratch’… but in their place were new ‘young turks’ like
‘You want the World’ and ‘Whatever happened to Friday night’… both surely destined for the LONG awaited album 3.
All in all the set was received as ever with furver and fever, The band were excited and the crowd played their huge part, Whitty’s additon brought comparisons with the Libertines, which can never be a bad thing, the fuller sound and particularly Steve’s great backing vocals, have given The Scratch a turbo edge for the exciting things in the next 6 weeks we’ve got a BBC session and the first night of our Horn residency, where we support Goldblade on their opening date of their uk tour. In the current climate of depression, recession and stale, generia (yes I made that word up), It’s great to be in a band right now, especially when you’re independent and unrepentant like The Scratch.
You said you loved it, we loved it, who needs anyone else for a goodtime… not us!!!!! We love all of you who came. As you know, we are nothing without you.
The Scratch
Xx
… btw… I cut this bit out… but felt it needed putting back in for our children and our children’s children…
Speaking before tonights show a few of our amazing fan base were discussing our apparent lack of London gigs… but were too busy working out how to split our tenner five ways, so we smiled and then bought them a drink and 25 straws… The London scene… In the end its just a game and has no meaning….
CU at the Horn!
x
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Whitty puts the record straight... "I didn't play M.E.N!"
The write up from outa space! - Whitty - it's official!
Dear Scratchers
At last Steve Whitty has put the record straight about who played the M.E.N. in a candid interview with the Stevenage Comet newspaper...
11:22 - 05 February 2009
'Scratching around'
THE Scratch play edgy, humorous British punk pop and have just released
latest single Against the Grain - a Supergrassy supercharged pop fest.
Formed
in 2002 the St Albans-based five-piece are working on their third album
to be released on their DIY label Ponyland Records.
Having
played the MEN Arena in Manchester to 22,000 people as part of the
Versus Cancer gig supporting Noel Gallagher, Echo and the Bunnymen and
Ian Brown, they also gig regularly on the London circuit as well as in
Herts and Beds.
Guitarist Steve Whittaker has just joined the band after fronting Stevenage/Letchworth/Baldock rockers Look At It Go!
He
said: "My first gig with the band will be on February 17 at the Dublin
Castle in Camden, followed by a BBC 3 Counties session on March 6.
"We
have also confirmed a residency at The Horn is St Albans, with the
first show supporting Goldblade - fronted by Stone Roses biographer
John Robb - on the first date of their UK tour."
Against the
Grain is available for download at iTunes, Sony Connect, Music Now, MP3
Tunes, Greatindiemusic, Flip, Rhapsody, Nifty, LoudEye-OD2 and CDBaby.
Check them out at www.myspace.com/thescratch
Dear Scratchers
At last Steve Whitty has put the record straight about who played the M.E.N. in a candid interview with the Stevenage Comet newspaper...
11:22 - 05 February 2009
'Scratching around'
THE Scratch play edgy, humorous British punk pop and have just released
latest single Against the Grain - a Supergrassy supercharged pop fest.
Formed
in 2002 the St Albans-based five-piece are working on their third album
to be released on their DIY label Ponyland Records.
Having
played the MEN Arena in Manchester to 22,000 people as part of the
Versus Cancer gig supporting Noel Gallagher, Echo and the Bunnymen and
Ian Brown, they also gig regularly on the London circuit as well as in
Herts and Beds.
Guitarist Steve Whittaker has just joined the band after fronting Stevenage/Letchworth/Baldock rockers Look At It Go!
He
said: "My first gig with the band will be on February 17 at the Dublin
Castle in Camden, followed by a BBC 3 Counties session on March 6.
"We
have also confirmed a residency at The Horn is St Albans, with the
first show supporting Goldblade - fronted by Stone Roses biographer
John Robb - on the first date of their UK tour."
Against the
Grain is available for download at iTunes, Sony Connect, Music Now, MP3
Tunes, Greatindiemusic, Flip, Rhapsody, Nifty, LoudEye-OD2 and CDBaby.
Check them out at www.myspace.com/thescratch
Saturday, February 7, 2009
VS Re:Charged ... the interview
www.vsrecharged.com
Dear Scratchers,
As you know, the secret of our ‘success’ is never giving up and taking our chances when they come up… so there was no way, a few flakes of the wrong type of snow were going to keep The Scratch from their appointment with VS Recharged radio !
A mildly surprised Jordan the shows producer/compare and ‘guru’ greeted John, Andy and Sam (Scratch fashionista and PR Tzar) Vince... “Grim is already here, I was only expecting one of you… but the record label* who you were sharing the show with haven’t turned up, so we’ll get you all in around the table if that’s cool” “Yeah cool”… lucky eh… (*I wonder when their bound and gagged bodies will be found in that Wheely Bin behind Radio 1?!?)
The first thing that hits you is what a really modern and clean studio Jordan and co-host Alex are broadcasting from… it knocked the squash and squeeze of XFM Manchester’s broom or should I say ‘Boon’ cupboard into a cocked hat! Although we did get alcohol there my dear Scratchery readers!!!… VS Recharged has only been going for a couple of years now but is already building a dedicated fan base which is no surprise when they can list the likes of Marco Pirroni, Andy Weatherall (Primals Screams producer) and Steve Jones and Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols among it’s superstar music heroes and legends who have already (dis)graced the show!?… Tonight it was The Scratch’s turn!
Sat in the airtight studio were Jordan’s co-host Alex, John, Andy, Grim and looking on Sam who declined the offer of a microphone (this time)… while Jordan played ‘puppet master’ from the control room.
What followed for the duration of the two show was a VS Recharged version of Jukebox Jury as the ‘panel’ listened and then discussed the latest submissions by this weeks batch of unsigned hopefuls, interspersed with general and more importantly for the assemblage all things The Scratch. The show also included a play of Against the grain, which was greeted by a rather charming email from listener Jackie… who reckoned ATG was the best song of the night and that the band had come across as very interesting… (the tricks of radio huh!)… but you were right of course about the music!… Having written this up the day after the night before, without any notes and in possession of an extremely fuzzy head… the only other band name I can remember is that of Foxtrot Bravo a band Jordan had praised, plugged and played who are due to be produced by Oasis’s producer… (Check out Salad’s two albums from the mid/early 90’s and you won’t be very far away at all from FB’s sound).
A few further plugs for the Horn gig, the Dublin Castle, the Tour dates single giveaway, Grim struggling to remember ANY band names and a message from Manilla PR’s Tony later and Team Scratch and Jordan’s crew were soon supping assorted beverages in the Tavern around the corner, while reflecting on a thoroughly enjoyable and worthwhile evenings entertainment!
Conversations veered this way and that on many subjects, but try as he might Jordan was unable to crack the ‘Age Question!’… (he’ll never believe the reason we took Sam along was to make our collective age just 2 years under 200!!)…eh Sam… lightening reactions… lightening… (xx)….
Thanks a lot to the guys for a great evening, hope to catch you on 17th at the Dublin Castle.
Ps Grim, I won’t be taking advantage of that email address… not without the proper authorisation that is…
Dear Scratchers,
As you know, the secret of our ‘success’ is never giving up and taking our chances when they come up… so there was no way, a few flakes of the wrong type of snow were going to keep The Scratch from their appointment with VS Recharged radio !
A mildly surprised Jordan the shows producer/compare and ‘guru’ greeted John, Andy and Sam (Scratch fashionista and PR Tzar) Vince... “Grim is already here, I was only expecting one of you… but the record label* who you were sharing the show with haven’t turned up, so we’ll get you all in around the table if that’s cool” “Yeah cool”… lucky eh… (*I wonder when their bound and gagged bodies will be found in that Wheely Bin behind Radio 1?!?)
The first thing that hits you is what a really modern and clean studio Jordan and co-host Alex are broadcasting from… it knocked the squash and squeeze of XFM Manchester’s broom or should I say ‘Boon’ cupboard into a cocked hat! Although we did get alcohol there my dear Scratchery readers!!!… VS Recharged has only been going for a couple of years now but is already building a dedicated fan base which is no surprise when they can list the likes of Marco Pirroni, Andy Weatherall (Primals Screams producer) and Steve Jones and Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols among it’s superstar music heroes and legends who have already (dis)graced the show!?… Tonight it was The Scratch’s turn!
Sat in the airtight studio were Jordan’s co-host Alex, John, Andy, Grim and looking on Sam who declined the offer of a microphone (this time)… while Jordan played ‘puppet master’ from the control room.
What followed for the duration of the two show was a VS Recharged version of Jukebox Jury as the ‘panel’ listened and then discussed the latest submissions by this weeks batch of unsigned hopefuls, interspersed with general and more importantly for the assemblage all things The Scratch. The show also included a play of Against the grain, which was greeted by a rather charming email from listener Jackie… who reckoned ATG was the best song of the night and that the band had come across as very interesting… (the tricks of radio huh!)… but you were right of course about the music!… Having written this up the day after the night before, without any notes and in possession of an extremely fuzzy head… the only other band name I can remember is that of Foxtrot Bravo a band Jordan had praised, plugged and played who are due to be produced by Oasis’s producer… (Check out Salad’s two albums from the mid/early 90’s and you won’t be very far away at all from FB’s sound).
A few further plugs for the Horn gig, the Dublin Castle, the Tour dates single giveaway, Grim struggling to remember ANY band names and a message from Manilla PR’s Tony later and Team Scratch and Jordan’s crew were soon supping assorted beverages in the Tavern around the corner, while reflecting on a thoroughly enjoyable and worthwhile evenings entertainment!
Conversations veered this way and that on many subjects, but try as he might Jordan was unable to crack the ‘Age Question!’… (he’ll never believe the reason we took Sam along was to make our collective age just 2 years under 200!!)…eh Sam… lightening reactions… lightening… (xx)….
Thanks a lot to the guys for a great evening, hope to catch you on 17th at the Dublin Castle.
Ps Grim, I won’t be taking advantage of that email address… not without the proper authorisation that is…
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