Rat Strikes Back

This October 2001 interview with Ratty caused quite a stir when it first appeared on the Summer of Hate website. I've added it because it tells the truth behind the 'official' Damned version of the story that was put about by Dave after the break up. I've edited it a little bit:

Rat Scabies needs no introduction. In a world of zeroes he's a hero. To me he IS the Damned. The only member who was always loyal to the band and the one who kept them together through the bad years. It's hard to imagine Rat without The Damned and even harder to imagine The Damned without Rat. Not that he's faultless, he's got a reputation for being a violent pig-headed bastard and he was in the band when they did their MCA crap, but live he was always great. After the release of the 'I'm Alright Jack And The Beanstalk' album, Dave said he'd never wanted it to be put 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.

Give us your version of what happened
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 catalogue, what's that about?
I find it amazing that a man of his age doesn't know who pays his royalties.

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.

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