Ryan's Gig Guide

www.ryansgigguide.com 6 rgg May 2018 Sunday 6th May Claptrap, Stourbridge  “One of the greatest bands in the history of the world” - Henry Rollins Jazz-punk pioneersThe Cravats, formed in Redditch way back in 1977. A year later, they self-financed their debut sin- gle "Gordon" and were invited to record a session for the legendary John Peel the same year.After being signed to Small Wonder Records, an indipendent label run by Pete and Mari Stennett, debut album "In Toytown" was released in 1980. Subsequent years saw the band recording three more Peel Sessions, spawning several spin-off bands includ- ing "The Very Things", "DCL Locomo- tive" & "The Babymen" before the final release by the original line-up entitled "The Land of the Cravats" EP in 1985. Other than the "The Land Of The Gi- ants -The Best Of The Jazz-Punk Colos- sals" released on Overground Records in 2006 and a re-issue of the debut album in 2012, eager fans had to wait until 2016 for new Cravats material which came in the form of "Jingo Bells"/"Batterhouse" which received favourable reviews from Gideon Coe, Marc Riley and Henry Rollins.Their sec- ond album "Dustbin of Sound" followed in 2017.This year, sees The Cravats out on an extensive UK tour which takes in Claptrap in Stourbridge on Sunday 6th May with support from Turning Black Like Lizards. AHH THE MEMORIES We asked lead singer 'The Shend' about his mem- ories of early gig-going in the local area,