Rat in the Smash It Up car October 1979. Photo by Mick Young.
After the release of the I'm Alright Jack And The Beanstalk album Dave said he'd never wanted it out and the band died. Then Dave reunited with the Captain, toured and released a new Damned record. Their version of the events are all over the internet, here's Rat's. Never mind who's the biggest bastard, when the band lost Rat they lost a lot of personality and originality. On top of that they also lost the finest drummer in the world - and that's not just my opinion - that's a fact.
This interview with Rat Scabies was made in October 2001.
- Dave did want to make the I'm Alright Jack And The Beanstalk album, that's why he went into the studio of his own free will and sang on it (not just the once either). We eventually fell out over writer credits, his heart just wasn't in it, he never managed to contribute so much as a single word.
Why bother to carry on ?
I'd had enough of DV and the machinations around him. After a lot of reflection, I decided that it was time to move on.
- Was there a point in time when you could have sorted things out, like you've done so many times before? Any regrets?
- Yeah, of course, but I really had had enough of swimming upstream, I felt that I would rather cut out while I (and the Damned) still had some credibility left.
- Captain says you owe the rest of the band money from the back catalog - what's that about?
- I find it amazing that a man of his age doesn't know who pays his royalties.
Rejected pic from the session for the cover of
the first album. Taken by Peter Kodick 1977.
Rat backstage spring 1977. Photo by Jill Furmanovsky
taken from Sniffin' Glue #9 April/May 1977.
- You were the one member who kept the band together for so many years, it must feel strange not being part of what was more or less your band? Do you feel bitter?
- No, I don't, it was my decision to leave Dave to do whatever it is he's done, It's not hard to move on to newer more progressive ideas.
- There were some talk about you owning the rights to the name The Damned, does this date back to 1980/81 when your dad was the manager?
- No, not really, as there was often no one else to organise the band, I often slipped into the role of manager. Eventually, I was trading as the Damned, paying tax as the Damned, and signing contracts as the Damned. This was as well as finding musicians, writing songs, booking tours, TV shows and organising the crew, not to mention the endless hours spent hunting out record labels that were still prepared to work with the band. I was busy digging out artwork, artists and programmers in between meeting the lawyers and DV's personal manager.
You tell me who had the right to the name ?
- I guess you've heard Grave Disorder, what did you think of it?
- Actually I haven't. I looked at a copy in my local store but that's all, it's nothing to do with me.
- Certainly not, they were already ruined...
- Before the new version of the Damned the band did a bunch of gigs with you, Dave, Paul and Captain, what was that like? How was it to work with all of them again, your relationship with both Paul and Captain had not been the best for a long time?
- They didn't give a shit about anything except getting paid, so everyone made the effort to ''bury their differences'' until the cash was handed over. That worked until we tried it a 2nd time (this time with the intention of making an original line up album later on) which got as far as Washington DC before the captain managed to piss Brian off so much that the whole idea collapsed then and there.
- Have you met Dave or Captain recently?
- Not that I can remember.
- I personally hate the records Damned did for MCA. Was it the label's idea to present the band with an all-gothic image? I mean, originally what was great about the band apart from the music was that you were always 4 very, very different individuals - that was sort of lost with MCA.
- Yeah, I know what you mean, it was time to sell Vanian by the pound and assume a corporate identity, hence the pasty palours and the commercial success.
- Pick your favourite Damned records and songs.
- When I compiled ''Light at the end of the tunnel'' I put most of my favorites in. But since then I'd have to include the live video version of ''I need a life'' from the IAJBS cd +
New Rose October 1976. Photo by Caroline Coon.
Rat with his kids in 1994. Pic by Steve Pyke taken
from ES Magazine 11 March 1994.
- I know you've played with Nosferatu on and off since 1997 and you did a demo with them 6 months ago. How did you get involved with them?
- In true Hollywood style it began with a phone call...
The reality is, that I'm a drum whore. I enjoy a lot more variation in life by sessioneering and like not having to worry about being dependant on a couple of psychotic egomaniacs for my job security.
- What else have you been doing lately? What happened to that band Slipper?
- Nobody ever knows what Slipper is doing, last I heard we were all finally going to be in the same room at the same time in Moscow later this year, but who knows. I've also been playing in an as yet untitled punk project, which I'll anounce later.
- I read somewhere that you were working on a autobiography?
- I did want to spend this year writing, but theres so much to tell, and I'm still sifting through my memory for a good place to start. At the moment I'm looking for a publisher with vision and cash flow.
- So if Dave or the Captain asked you to join them again would you?
- No, would you?
- No
The Damned - Grave Disorder CD review
**UPDATE 2**: I've added a page with Rat's post-Damned bio written by the man himself.
**UPDATE**: This interview was discussed by fans on the official Damned message board and most of them didn't like it at all! Actually, most of them didn't like me. That's ok, I slag people on the site all the time, so I should expect people to slag me. You should check it out. I especially like the posts about how the interview must be ''a hoax'' since Rat Scabies couldn't possibly grant someone with a simple angelfire.com-url an interview! Link below:
'Rat Speaks' topic on the Official Damned Message board
And, as always, feel free to E-mail Me Your Views. I try to answer all.