Rumble Strips
I’ve been to Tavistock, Devon, and let me tell you – there ain’t a lot to get excited about. Unless you like granite, and being in close proximity to Dartmoor, that is. However, given that all four members of the Rumble Strips fled the place for the bright lights of London (as did I, come to think of it), we can assume that these few factors were not enough to get the boys excited.
Things such as Adam and the Ants, Dexys Midnight Runners and Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band certainly did invigorate the boys, however. It would be artists such as these who head ‘Strip Charlie Waller would take inspiration from, writing songs in his spare time after completing an art school degree and working as a painter and decorator.
These songs would eventually be filled out by old Tavistock friends, now all located in the big smoke, namely Tom Gorbutt on saxophone and bass (though rarely both at the same time), Matt Wheeler on drums and Henry Clark on trumpet and keyboards, Charlie taking up guitar / vocal / general rock god frontman duties. Despite all knowing each other back in Devon, it wasn’t until 2004, with them now all living in London, that the band known as The Rumble Strips would get together.
In the meantime, Charlie was also playing with Vincent Vincent and the Villains, as he happened to be co-habiting with the head Vincent at the time. Being in both bands full time lead to a ‘traumatic’ period of feeling not particularly dedicated to either (the VV&TV’s song ‘Johnny Two Bands’ may or may not be written about this exact situation), and Waller proceeded to quit not one but both acts, and return to working for his uncle on a building site. The other Strips were traumatised.
As were we – our sister label Transgressive records had been following the band’s progress closely for a while now, and stepped in offering to release a single for the band (if they’d get back together, that is). Waller and co., a new ‘what the hell, let’s go for it!’ attitude in tow, proceeded to cut the minor classic ‘Motorcycle / No Soul’ and head out on tour with Trans-label mates The Young Knives. The success lead to a further single for Transgressive, ‘Hate Me You Do’, and supports with ever-grander bands, such as Dirty Pretty Things and The Zutons.
Heading to Fallout / Island records for their next release, the EP ‘Cardboard Coloured Dreams’, the same label are also about to release their debut album. An LP recorded with Tony Hoffer (Beck, The Kooks, Air) in Los Angeles, it features the lovely current single ‘Alarm Clock’, and gets a full release later this Spring.
RUMBLE STRIPS OFFICIAL: Up to date news, exclusive features and a members area, the joining of which will reveal secrets about the workings of government, the economy and the human soul in general.
RUMBLE STRIPS MY SPACE: Three tracks to stream from the upcoming debut LP, along with the band’s remix of ‘Back to Black’ by the seemingly perpetually ‘merry’ Amy Winehouse.
SAD CITY – LIVE VID: The boys play a track from their upcoming debut live for you to watch at your convenience.
CARDBOARD COLOURED DREAMS - REVIEWED: Our take on the band’s first effort for Fallout / Island – impressed we were that it came out on 8 inch vinyl… how bizarre, eh?
ALARM CLOCK - REVIEWED: The Rumble Strips’ current single assessed. “A sprightly, enlivening burst of sax-driven pop with an incessant, infectious joie de vivre”, we called it.
RUMBLE STRIPS @ THE BASEMENT CLUB #29: Amidst a line up also containing a first on from Jamie T, the Oceanic sludge rock of Bird Blobs and myself DJing all kinds of insufferable nonsense, the Rumble Strips first appearance at our Basement Club evening was a sheer delight.
RUMBLE STRIPS @ THE BASEMENT CLUB #33: …so good, in fact, that we got them down again a few months later – this time in support to Plan B. One day we’ll book them with bands who don’t play sludge metal or uber offensive rap music. Maybe.
MOTORCYLE:
HATE ME YOU DO:
OH CRELOE:
ALARM CLOCK: