The Ruts

[Burn e 77]

Along with the Stranglers, Damned, XTC, Buzzcocks and Clash, i used to check out The Ruts, they always had energetic gigs with very heavy dub bass riffs and intelligent lyrics, did anyone else on this forum attend their gigs?
Burn e 77

[doninblack]

I was lucky enough to see The Ruts once, at Tiffany's in Edinburgh, 1980. They were excellent, a really great peformance. Supported that night by The Flys, who were also good, and Auntie Pus, who was rubbish and got completely covered in gob - dripping off his glasses! The Ruts are IMHO one of the best bands from that period, I liked them better than The Clash.

[Bobinblack]

One band I missed out on, who I would have loved to see.

Shine on you

I fully ditto that

What a voice Owen had - I remember the first time I ever heard Lydon's voice, I thought I was hearing the devil, and then when I heard Malcolm Owen's voice, I thought he must be the devil's harder and heavier elder brother

[Rockula]

'In A Rut' was and is one of the best and most important records to have come out of the whole punk thing. I'd still put that song in my all-time top 10.

I saw The Ruts at The Nashville in May '79 supported by Hazel & The Unknown (an as yet unsigned Hazel O'Connor) and The Psychedelic Furs. A drunken Rat Scabies was there and pissed on my blue suede creepers. He apologised though.

I saw Ruts DC at Hammersmith in 1980 shortly after Malcolm's death. Unlike many others I thought the band was as good, but obviously different, to the origianal band and bought all there singles and albums (mostly reggae).

Then I followed the band's various members through numerous solo and guest projects. I have their recordings with Kevin Coyne, Laurel Aitken, Valarie Lagrange, Lil Drop (all have Ruts DC as the backing band) and other projects like Aztec Camera (Ruffy), Small Axe (Segs & Ruffy), Zion Train (Ruffy), The Dirty Strangers (Paul Fox), Alabama 3 (Segs) and Dubcats (Paul Fox).
There are hundreds of recordings of these guys with other bands either as guest musicians, part-time members or in the mixing, production and engineering aspects.
I also saw Paul Fox with his 'Foxy's Ruts' (with his son Lawrence on drums) at the Hope & Anchor 30th Anniversary celebrations weekend in 2007.

Also, in 2007 I attended the Paul Fox benefit concert when Henry Rollins (Black Flag) took on the vocal duties with great respect and style and Fox, Ruffy and Segs played those songs together for the first time in 27 years . The charity concert raised money for Fox's family as he was dying of cancer and various cancer organisations. A sad, but at the same time celebratory, concert with support from Misty In Roots, TV Smith, The Damned, Uk Subs and many others. There's a DVD and clips on YouTube.

The Ruts / Ruts DC and all thier subsequent work has a large place in my music collection and it's played a huge role in my life.
R.I.P. Malcolm and Foxy.

Ps. I'm sure all you Stranglers fans are aware it was Dave Ruffy who produced 'Norfolk Coast'.

[Bobinblack]

Great post, Tockula, thanks.

[Burn e 77]

Thanx Rockula for all that info, it seems we might have crossed paths at various gigs back then.
For me they were far more important than the clash when it came to Dub/Reggae beats, plus those
great lyrics. I used to blast out the bass heavy bootlegs to a very young Pidge, he was only ten when
i got him into New wave / Punk.

Thanx everyone else for your memories of this Band
Babylons still Burning!
Burn e 77

[pigeon]

I came accross one of those bootlegged tapes the other day actually. Sandwiched in the middle of 15 radiohead bootlegs. I was looking for Radiohead live at Oxford park 2001 at the time.

[Bobinblack]

I came accross one of those bootlegged tapes the other day actually. Sandwiched in the middle of 15 radiohead bootlegs. I was looking for Radiohead live at Oxford park 2001 at the time.

whatever happened to those Strangs tapes you were gonna lend me, mate?

[pigeon]

Oh yeah there still in the same spot were i put them in my room after i got back from Triumph festival along with Dales copied acoustic dutch gigs awaiting to be sent to him. Do you still want them bob?

[Rockula]

I came accross one of those bootlegged tapes the other day actually. Sandwiched in the middle of 15 radiohead bootlegs. I was looking for Radiohead live at Oxford park 2001 at the time.

Which gig is it? The Ruts bootllegs are pretty few and far between and if, by chance, you have one I don't have......

[Bobinblack]

Oh yeah there still in the same spot were i put them in my room after i got back from Triumph festival along with Dales copied acoustic dutch gigs awaiting to be sent to him. Do you still want them bob?

I wouldn't mind mate, I'll refund you the postage (if sent by pigeon post ) next time we meet. It would be very helpful though if you could pm me a list of what they are mate. I know it's a chore, but I would be grateful as ever