They're an integral part of the scene that is fast evolving in Leicester (see below). With an impeccable rock and roll outlook and image to match, Ego Armalade are at the forefront of a new wave of bands that are about to hit the headlines more widely. They have some demo ep's that are well worth checking out. The deliciously titled “Face Like A Smacked Arse” leads the way into a selection of tunes that will raise the roof on the dwelling of the most conspicuous raver. Tunes such as “Flyin V”, “Mama's Got Milkers”, “T.D.T.O.A.M” and “The Fox” showcase raunchy guitars, in your face vocals and a generous helping of attitude.  They  demonstrate influences from The Stooges to Bob Marley, delivered in their own unique style.

The band is: GRAHAME - Vox/Guitar
JJ - Drums/Vox
LEWIS - Guitar/Drums
MICHAEL - Guitar/Vox
WILL - Bass Check them out at www.myspace.com/egoarmalade . Rob caught up with them and asked them a few questions.

How long have you been playing those tunes?
mmmm…couldn't really tell you to be honest with you, ‘cus we're always writing new tunes, and love to get ‘em tried out either ‘Live' or ‘Recorded'. Just like the man…the legend… Bob Marley, we're well into our ‘JAMMIN'!

Jam doughnuts too, but that's for another interview. …tangent! I do know the oldest songs in our set though are ‘The Fox' and ‘See No Evil', which are about a year old.


How did the band form?
This is an extremely long story that involves four schools, a Leicester music venue, a whole lot of bullshit and whole lot of Ganja!! Additionally, a Mr Pecko Smalls, a Prince, a Roman, a Quando and Lord von Winkler III.

So we just like to tell people we met at the Beaumont Leys maypole dancing festival.


Which bands/artists would you say have been a particular influence on you?
Definitely ‘The Who'… unquestionably ‘The Specials'… beyond doubt ‘The Coral'… undeniably ‘Led Zep'…and any band our age has to say (and some will deny it, though they're kidding themselves)…OASIS!!

Oh yeah...The Beatles and Beastie Boys ‘un all.


Is there a particular phrase you would use to describe the Ego-Armalade sound? Yeah we did say Geezer-Rock-Dub-Reggae-Rebellion, but that just sounds a bit…I dunno…long!! [sounds all right to us, SS]

So we've recently decided on Geezer-Skunk. Which is a bit of ‘Swagger' mixed with ‘Ska' and ‘Funk'


I love “Face Like A Smacked Arse”. There must be a story behind it! Enlighten me!
Well ‘Face Like A Smacked Arse' is a sayin' in Leicester we've heard since we were kids, and we say it to each other when one of us has got a cob on and that, so we just thought we'd make a song out of it.

It's principally about them people who can never be arsed to smile, who've always got a massive greasy chip on their shoulder, who never nod there head and say ‘ello, even when it's sunny, people who think too much!! Surely you know the type, the half empty sort, rather than half full.

Fockin' have a laugh you lot…you might get knocked down by a bus tomorrow and then driven over by the following car…INNIT!!!


Any other tunes you would mention in particular?
Yeah all of ‘em, come see us play very soon y'all, check ze ‘ol myspace for gig dates, we can all share a pint-y and take on some merriment.


Tell me about the Leicester scene.
The Leicester scene is pretty good now, though a few year' ago it was pretty drab, consisting of bands who'd slag each other, and exist in competition with one another, this still goes on to a degree, but there's a whole new load of potential come through in the past year or so, which has created a ‘NEW' Leicester Music Scene.

One which is standing apart from everyone else, we've now got club nights like ‘Porked' and ‘D-Day' where you can see bands and have a good time at the same time, there's some energy in Leicester now, and its ready to blow up!!


And now the dreaded Desert Island question. Which album would you take with you?
Is that one each or one between the lot of us???

Michael: The Beatles - White album
J: Led Zepellin – Remasters
Will: The Doors - The Doors
Grahame: The Coral - The Coral
Lewis: Beastie Boys - Sounds of Science

SAFE!


And finally - what are your plans for the future?
Reaching to tomorrow!