EMQ’s with UGLY CLINIC
Hi everyone! Welcome to our new EMQ’s interview with Aberdeen, Scotland based Rock/Punk band Ugly Clinic. Huge thanks to guitarist Pete for taking part.
What is your name, what do you play, and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?
I’m Pete the Riff, I play guitar in Ugly Clinic, and we are a rock and roll band. I already knew Bass player Davie X previously; we were both in a punk rock covers band. Richard (lead Guitar), Jed (drums) and Chloe (vocals) were recruited specially for Ugly Clinic because they are great musicians and they have the required rock n’ roll attitude!
How did you come up with your band name?
The name Ugly Clinic comes from an old Judge Dredd story in 2000AD comic. It’s the opposite of a beauty parlour, people go there to deliberately get ugly! As we generally despise all forms of bland, manufactured pretty-boy pop music, the name resonated with us.
What country are you from and what is the Metal/Rock scene like there?
We come from Aberdeenshire in the North of Scotland, which is quite a remote area, far away from London. Aberdeen is a college town with two universities, so there are a lot of young, creative people around. It’s a lovely place in the summer, but it’s cold and gloomy in the winter. I think because we are so far away from everywhere else, we aren’t so influenced by whatever the music industry decides to push as the latest trend, and people tend to pick their own style and stick with it. There’s a long Heavy Metal and Rock tradition in this part of the world, and a few decent bars and clubs to play in. In a lot of respects, it’s a bit like Seattle, but with less people!
What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)
Our new single is called ‘Hot Knife’ and is available on all major download platforms now. We will be releasing more tunes from our debut album throughout the rest of this year.
Who have been your greatest influences?
We don’t copy anybody, or any specific era or genre. As a group of individuals, our personal tastes tend towards the Punk/Metal/Classic Rock/Goth. Our biggest influences are bands like The Damned, The Clash, Motorhead, AC/DC, Blondie, Pink, Buzzcocks, Hanoi Rocks.
What first got you into music?
At around age 15, it was listening to two albums that a friend of mine’s older brother had in his collection. The Ramones ‘’It’s Alive’’ and The Damned ‘’Machine Gun Etiquette’’. One live album, one studio. Both brilliant in their own way. We played them to death, and formed our own band soon after.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
Captain Sensible from The Damned. Brilliant songwriter and a criminally under-rated guitar player.
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
For me, it has to be Glastonbury. I’ve been before as a fan, and just loved it. The atmosphere is truly unique, and the line-ups are so eclectic there’s something for everyone.
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
A broken wah-wah pedal. I have no idea why.
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Don’t be a cynic – join the Ugly Clinic!
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
I wouldn’t do that. Coronavirus is bad enough; we don’t want a zombie outbreak on top of it.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
I enjoy recording in the studio, I find it very rewarding building tracks up from nothing into the finished article. The worst thing is hanging around waiting to play before gigs.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
I would make boy bands illegal.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
Television – “Marquee Moon”. I love the way Tom Verlaine plays guitar.
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?
Vinyl without a doubt. Best sound reproduction and best format for artwork too. I love the smell of fresh vinyl in the morning!
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
The Market Bar in Inverness. It’s tiny, like playing in someone’s front room. But the crowd are usually well up for it.
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
Prime Minister. I could probably manage that. Boris can do it, so how hard can it be?
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
Churchill, Keith Moon, Harry Flashman, Socrates (the Brazilian footballer, not the philosopher) and Alexander the Great.
What’s next for the band?
We’ve already started making demos for Album number 2, and hopefully a whole lot of gigs once we are allowed to venture outside again.
What Social Media/Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
We are on Facebook and Instagram, and our music is available on all major download and streaming platforms.
www.facebook.com/uglyclinic/
www.instagram.com/ugly_clinic/
Jaffa Cakes? Are they a cake or a biscuit?
Definitely a cake. The manufacturers went to a tax tribunal in 1991 to prove it. Also, the word biscuit comes from the Italian ‘’biscotti’, which in English means ‘’twice-cooked’’. Biscotti are supposed to be hard, and Jaffa cakes aren’t.
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Beware of false biscuits passing themselves off as cakes!
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