With The Great Skinhead Reunion looming we dropped into Jamie from Tear Up to see how things were cooking, so here’s a 5 minute interview
Whilst looking for new bands to introduce to the skinhead world, i came across Tear Up last year, and after a brief chat with the singer Jamie, sussed out, he had the right attitude and decided to give them a whirl at the Great Skinhead Northern gathering, an event which i thought might intimidate a young band, being in the deep dark north East town of Sunderland, home of British ship building and strong working class community, but they rode it like professionals and brought the house down. Apprenticeship served, they are up for smashing the fuck out of the Brighton Skinhead Reunion.
Takes me right back to early Cockney Rejects with a touch of Peter and The Test Tube Babies
1. the first thing that jumped in my mind when i saw Tear Up was, why would a young bloke be into oi?
Well I grown up always loving the cockney rejects and I have known Jon from argy bargy and Nick from angry agenda since I was really little so they got me hooked on the oi scene I love the passion and aggression behind it
2. why did you decide to form a band
I wrote a few songs in prison and when I came out I tried giving them to Terry Hayes from the east end badoes but he said I should start my own band so got on stage with them a few times then started my own band
3. where are you from, whats your history and connection to the oi/ skinhead scene
Im from watford I was a bit of a scallywag growing up but I got a my little boy Ronnie now the only thing I love more than the band as I said previously there is a few bands out of Watford u go to a gig talk to people and your network just gets bigger and bigger
4. who writes for tear up
I write all the stuff for us I co wrote a song with Steve thurlow from Peckham Rolex and I am currently writing a song with John mundy from vicious rumours top bloke he is
5. what was your first song
My first song was bollocks to the smoking ban
6. what was your first gig, and the highlight so far
My first gig was angry agenda nicks birthday at some club in Watford I was so nervous I pace up and down and drive everyone mad lol we played 4 songs I think
7. whats the plan for 2016 -2017
Just gotta finish recording the album and get it out there hopefully get a few gigs over the water
have you released any material for people to buy
We have a 5 track ep called fuckin av it I’m sure we will have a couple kicking about in Brighton
9. why did you ask to play the skinhead reunion, a tough crowd to please
We played the northern gathering and people loved us not as tough as they look lol I had lost my voice as well I’m pretty sure you asked us when we had all them jager bombs
10. can we expect new material from tear up soon
We have 3 New songs called dodgy Dave, punch the cunt out of you inspired by the YouTube video cockney rejects trouble at bridgehouse and another song called retribution .
See u all in a few weeks
