The Cockney Rejects must be one of the most earthly, solid punk bands to have arisen in the last couple of years, and one of few to present punk in the way it should be heard.
Nowadays bands use all sorts of gadgets which detract from the spontaneity asnd simplicity of the music. The Rejects, however resist this and are writing and playing songs in the way groups did some three years ago.
This is what they had to say after their set supporting Slaughter:
- Is the new single (Greatest Cockney Rip Off) a reference to Jimmy Pursey?
Micky Geggus: No, well it's a bit of a piss take really, like he goes round calling himself the great cockney cowboy and all that but he never goes near the place,y' know what I mean?
- Did you have an argument with him ?
MG : Yeah, a bit — let's drop it though 'cos he isn't really worth it. l've had enough
of him.
- How did you feel about the press the album got ?
MG : Well, I was happy with the album and that's all that really matters to me. I reckon it's a good album, and that's good enough for me, the press ain't all that important — Gary Bushell gave it a good write up though.
- How did the Gary Bushell link come about ?
MG : Well, basically I sent him a tape and he liked it and it all went from there. But he had to choose between writing and managing and he chose writing 'cos you can't do both properly at the same time.
- Why is no-one credited on the album ?
Nigel Woolf : The guy who played on the album was bought out and so they didn't have to credit him. £200 was all it cost to buy him out. I arrived to late to have anything on the album. It was too late to do it all again so no-one was credited.
- Why did you choose EMI ?
NW : They choose us. Someone came to one of our gigs and liked us and it all went from there.
- How do you get on with them ?
NW : Well, they're really great to work with, they give us everything we want and they're really generous and helpful.
- Why did you leave Small Wonder ?
Vince Riordon : Well, they're a bunch of wankers, always trying to rip bands off, all this talk about them being good 'cos they're a small company is crap. Small Wonder are only interested in Crass who are a bunch of bloody hippies - crap. We've no regrets about choosing EMI. A lot of bands go around saying its best to be on a small label and all that, but that's a load of bollocks really. You hear about how EMI treated the Sex Pistols and all that, but they're great really. Other groups only say small companies are best 'cos the big ones aren't interested in them and won't give them a major recording contract.
- Do you have any particular musical influences?
NW : Well, Micky and Stinky are influenced by God Save the Queen and all that stuff.
- How did the Rejects get started ?
NW : Well, Micky and Stinky used to be in a band called The Shitters then Vince came in from thE Deadflowers and then me from Back To Zero.
- Are you pleased with the way the album's been selling?
NW : Yeah, very pleased. It's outsold Sham's first two albums already, and I think that's really great.
- What exactly happened about Jimmy Pursey?
NW : Well, he'd come in and start telling everyone what to do and he'd try to change things, to how he wanted them, and not how the band wanted them to be and they just told him to fuck off.
- Have you been asked to do TOTP?
NW : Well, do it when we get asked. And Tiswas - I'd love to go on Tiswas.
- Why were so many dates cancelled on your recent tour ?
Simply because they thought there was always trouble at our gigs.
- Is there ?
VR : No, not really...well, you saw tonight - when have you seen so many punks and skinheads in one hall
and there was only one fight, which we sorted out ourselves. But there isn't much violence at our gigs at all. A lot of people say skins are violent but the ones who follow us around are quite peaceful really.
- A lot of bands that started off in the early days of punk have changed musical direction, like The Clash, and many have become more commercial. Can you see this happening to The Rejects?
MG : No, I hope not. I Can't see any reason why we should. We'll just keep on going as we are.
And on that optimistic note we left it - lets hope they keep to their work, for I would hate to seet The Rejects enegy surpressed, and for them to follow the same course as many other Punk bands, that arose before them.
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