1.  Tell us about the ethos of Last Rough Cause and what are the aims of the band?

It’s all about enjoyment otherwise we wouldn’t do it and of course beer! If it wasn’t for beer we wouldn’t do it either. I also find it is a great comfort to me whilst I am on the toilet: Some people read a book, some read the paper, I play the guitar. Many a person has tried to use this as a weapon against me and take the piss but it doesn’t work. I’ve been doing it for years and it’s become a family tradition, it annoyed the hell out of my father and now it annoys the hell out of my kids as we only have one toilet in the house.

2.  Describe the sound of LRC and what are the nearest sounding bands you can think of?

I think we’re best described as a melodic punk band but other people have said we sound like the Buzzcocks or SLF and The Clash which is quite complimentary.

3.  The best LRC song to date please - who penned it, what is it about and what makes it so special?

It’s very difficult to say what is the best song to date as I could pick different songs for different reasons and say well that’s good because I like this bit and something else is good because I like that bit but 'My Life' is a good song that I wrote. I also like 'Feel The Fear' which was written by Max and Ste. I think it’s a really great song but although we were playing it when we first got back together we don’t do it anymore. Another personal favourite for me which I wrote is 'Divide' which sadly we don’t do either and off the new album it’s 'Angry Feeling' which is the last track on the album.

4.  Keith Chegwins anus or Dierdre Barlows right pap - which one would you serve has a side salad with prawns and would there be any underlying message?

It’s difficult one to answer for me as I’m a vegetarian but 30 years ago I would have said Deidre’s right pap, the underlying message would be you don’t get many of them to the pound and they were certainly firmer back then too.

5.  How tdo you see the punk scene at the moment - shite, bright or are you just indifferent to it?  Also add what punk means to you!

With exception of the big festivals Punk is very much an underground thing but there are some great bands and great venues out there and we try to support our local bands and venue’s the best we can. There’s also a lot of people like yourself who are trying really hard to keep the scene alive which is good for the lesser known bands like us. One thing that does piss me off though is the public’s attitude to live music for example you can pay £4 or £5 to watch a couple of underground bands and nobody’s interested but as soon as U2 or Madonna come round people are digging deep in their pockets and spending hundreds of pounds on tickets. Where’s the logic?

6.  Tell us the best and worst of these - a. gaffs b.  bands you have played with c.  Cd's in your personal collection  and d.  Pies you have tasted

A) Can’t think of anything although I did forget the words to one of the songs as we were recording it.

B) Best bands that we’ve had the pleasure of playing with would have to be but in no particular order: The Dipsomaniacs, Gimp Fist and The Steady Boys to name but a few. Worst bands, if they are really that bad I tend not to remember them but there was one last year who did a cover of a Rick Astley song and they were terrible and I actually saw them again a month or so later but I honestly cannot remember their name.

C) Worst CD has to be 'Rude Box' by Robbie Williams; I mean come on Robbie what the hell is it all about? What happened to the guy who brought us 'Angels'? Best CD at the moment is Gimp Fists new album, Chris gave me a promo copy of it and it's great.

D) The best pies I have ever tasted are my own, that I have no doubt about and then my mother’s God rest her soul even though they were made out of chappie dog food. Worst pies are pork pies that are made out of fingers and bones at Taylors pies.

7.  What would your advice be to any new band on the block regarding the scene and getting gigs and promoting their wares?

I would say don’t take it too seriously and just enjoy yourself. With regard to getting gigs nobody is gonna kill you if you ask for a gig so you might as well be cheeky and just ask. With regard to promoting yourself, try and keep it DIY where you can and try and get the best possible recording done of the band.

8.  Vandam Vinegar once ate 2 cobblestones and a streetlight for a free trip to Penistone.  This is complete lies but the name of the town Penistone tickles me and I wanted to mention it.  Tell us the funniest name places you know and if you can't think of any just make em' up ha, ha.

I live on the edge of town and spend a lot of time in the countryside when I am not busy and often ride out on my bike to a little place called Wankoff. It’s a small village about 15 miles away and there’s a pub there that serves very fine ales and hand jobs delivered by dark dusky maidens. I’d recommend this to many a weary traveller passing by Darlington rather than stopping off at the town itself.

9.  Tell us about you highs and lows within the scene and what drives you on to keep having ago?

In the early days when we were playing it was very difficult to keep the line up going. We lost our first guitarist to the RAF which was a low point and struggled for a while to replace him. Then we took on a singer after the first few shows and he didn’t stay very long and then we lost our 2nd guitarist to the RAF. We replaced him quickly enough but then Max left. High points was the first single which was a DIY effort and then 'Skins And Punks' but by then the band were no longer together and then the 2nd album with a different line up. The next low point was calling it day as it was too much of a struggle to get gigs and stuff. The next high point was the first album getting re-issued on CD but that was followed by a low as I was the only one interested in playing again. Another high was recording 4 new songs in 2003 with the original 3 piece line up followed by a low as the others didn’t want to go any further and finally a high note when we got this going again in 2008. The biggest high though will be the new album in 2010 - we’re really looking forward to getting it out.

10.  You are promoter for the day and have 7 slots to fill - whose on it and why?

Last Rough Cause: there’s nothing wrong with a bit of self promotion.

The Dipsomaniacs: they are a great band.

Gimp Fist: same as the above.

The Steady Boys: same as the above.

Keyside Strike: same as the above.

Loudmouth: same as the above and also I’ve never seen them.

The Speed Dogs: same as the above.

Sorry if I missed anyone out chaps.

11. 'Corn on the nob' - food, a disease or a bad genital joke - you decide and what is the worst vegetable you have ever had a conversation with.

Corn on the nob is every man’s dream but it’s a delicacy men can only enjoy out of wedlock as any man who has sealed the deal with a £22 gold ring from Argos can testify to.

The worst vegetable I have ever had the displeasure to speak to was a beetroot, my dad used to grow it and my mother used to boil it in a pan and it stunk something awful. When it screamed in pain I would yell 'die you mother f****r you, smelly piece of shit'. Now childish as that might seem it did make me feel good for about 5 minutes.

12.  And lastly - push yer cause even if it is the lst and is very Rough.  Go for it - why should anyone reading check you guys out further!

Where does one start with this one? We write some good songs and we can play them all by ourselves without the need of backing tapes unlike some people. We don’t ask too much, we are undemanding but usually pleasing to the ear. We don’t take ourselves too seriously except when drinking. We‘re worth listening to and there’s no fear of us running off with your girlfriends as our wives have said we’re not allowed to.