Legendary dub-punk outfit Ruts DC are in Bristol later this month

Legendary dub-punk outfit Ruts DC are in Bristol later this month

Posted on: 10 Nov 2022

The renowned reggae-influenced punk rock outfit, previously known as The Ruts, are set to visit Bristol’s famous on-the-water venue, Thekla, at the end of the month.

 

Ruts DC will play Bristol’s Thekla on Tuesday 29 November.

 

With their new album, Counterculture?, just around the corner, Ruts DC are bringing their unique musical concoction on tour, showcasing a blend of old and new material to eagerly awaiting crowds all over the country. 

 

Tickets can be found HERE.

 

 

The group rose to prominence in the 1970s as The Ruts with singles such as ‘In a Rut’ being played regularly by legendary alternative trendsetter and DJ John Peel on his BBC Radio 1 show.

 

Widespread success was soon achieved when the band supported The Damned on a UK tour and their 1979 single ‘Babylon’s Burning’, released on Richard Branson’s Virgin Records, achieved a UK top 10 hit.

 

However, in 1980 frontman Malcolm Owen tragically died from a drug overdose, aged only 26. The band continued as Ruts DC (from the Italian ‘da capo’, or ‘back to the beginning’) with a distinctly different style, incorporating reggae and dub elements into their punk-centric sound.

 

 

Ruts DC split in 1983 but reformed in 2007 and have not looked back since, playing shows with the likes of old friends The Damned, Alabama 3, The Stranglers and Tom Robinson as well as playing Rebellion Festival in 2012 alongside Buzzcocks, Public Image Ltd and others.

 

In 2016, the group released Music Must Destroy, with ex-Black Flag frontman Henry Rollins, an album that recalled the punk mindset of their early iteration. Now, 6 years on, they are back with the eagerly anticipated follow-up, Counterculture? – out tomorrow (Friday 11 November) on their own Sosumi Recordings.

 

On the album, bassist/vocalist John ‘Segs’ Jennings has said: “Counterculture? For us, it never went away. We’ve always been on the outside and still are. It’s okay to be a freak. That’s why The Ruts started in the first place. If it’s still inside you, it’s time to light that flame again...Come and borrow my lighter.”

Ruts DC are set to play Bristol’s Thekla on Tuesday 29 November. Grab your tickets here.

 

Head to the Thekla website to see what’s coming up at the venue.

 

Main Image: Graham Trott


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Article by:

Stanley Gray

Stan is a born and bred Bristolian, recently graduated from studying English Literature in Sheffield. His passions are music and literature and he spends the majority of his time in venues all over the city, immersing himself in Bristol’s alternative music scene. A lifelong Bristol City fan, Stan’s Saturdays are spent watching his team both home and away.