Chaos 8, Hi-Fi Spitfires, Loaded 44 & UK Subs

 

Beki – We have to be organised! We’ve got an A3 sized calendar that is getting too small! Everything is worked out around the bands – our son, who is 14,  is a drummer in a band too, so that’s 6 bands to sort out. It can be fun, especially when all 3 of us have gigs in separate places! I work from home so at least I can work on a night to work around school holidays or recording. It all works fine really as long as we are organised. Busy is life!

 

Steve – Up to now it’s all worked out really well. However, joining the UK Subs has taken priority on the calendar with the extensive tour dates. It’s a busy schedule but it’s what I’m kind of used to, my life being crazy and fucked up! I love it!    

 

 

 

I’ve always made or altered my own clothes and then I started doing it for Steve when I met him when I was 18. Friends started to ask for stuff to be made or altered and once I had our son and was at home all day I decided to set up shop properly. Racket Clothing has been going since 2006 and its been doing well. I have a website – www.racketclothing.co.uk – and as I like to keep all my business as personal as possible, each item is made to order and I discuss all the details via email so I know each customer is getting exactly what they want. I do custom orders too. I prefer to keep it as a small,  handmade, personal business, rather than have stuff made elsewhere on my behalf. I like to make everything myself. A lot of our friends are in bands so as they were wearing my shirts, other bands were seeing them and ordering from me. I don’t advertise, all my business comes from word of mouth or Facebook. I also do craft fairs where I sell things other than shirts – like knickers, bags, embroidered towels etc. I make things that I would like to have.

Beki – How are preparations going with the forthcoming Chaos 8 album and tour, the first album was really impressive, have things gone in a different direction on the new album?

Steve – Our sons band is called Symbient, its a punk band and they’re all 14 years old and younger. Mensi asked me if Jay would like to get up and play the drums at the fundraiser gig the Angelic Upstarts were having to replace the guitars and bass that had been stolen. Jay chose to play Anti Nazi. I couldn’t be there as I was gigging in Slovakia with the Subs, but Beki was there.

 

Beki – It was the most proud I’ve ever been I think! I couldn’t even hold the phone to video him, my hands were shaking so much! My friend had to film it. He absolutely loved it, he played great, and the video has had 4800 views so far!

Beki – Yes, they are wanting to get an album recorded by October. They’ve been writing their own material so it will be full of original songs. They are doing it all themselves.

 

Are there any projects in the pipeline,or older bands we need to know about?

Steve – I’m going to record a few more solo tracks for my side project “The Last Gang” and put them on an album with a re-mastered versions from the last EP of solo tracks. I will be recording new versions of the tracks that I wrote from my old band, Holy Racket, and adding one or two new ones that I currently play live with Hi Fi Spitfires but haven’t recorded with them yet. I’m really looking forward to getting that finished.  

 

 

Steve – I’ve just played an amazing one with the UK Subs, Know The Future Festival in Vienne, France. What made this concert different, apart from being an outstanding line-up, was that it was held in an ancient amphitheatre.  It was so good to play. Also another amazing gig was playing Punk Rock Bowling in Vegas with the Angelic Upstarts. In the early days I supported Rancid when I was in Holy Racket.

 

Beki – I have so many great memories of playing over the years. One of my favourite gigs was with Steve Ignorant’s Last Supper Band. It was in Edinburgh and it was our 4th gig. During the song Shaved Women, it drops right down to drums and bass and all I could hear was the audience starting the chant “In all your decadence people die” which is the lyric that brings the song back in. It was totally brilliant and a great feeling to be part of such a massive song. Also there was Loaded 44’s second visit to Dublin a few years ago when we played Sweeneys. It was a small venue and the audience went completely mad! People were rolling about on the floor and everything.