I've got to be honest. I'm not sure if I'd want to live in the mind of Richie Tyler. It seems a bit hectic to me (I guess I enjoy being boring and having the routine of a predictable life). I often see his Facebook posts about his various music projects. One minute he's solo artist Rum Lad, the next Rum Lad is a band but then it's all over and he's doing Dino Zoff or Revenant Sons or The Guv'nor...
It's sometimes hard for me to keep up (and I'm sure he often struggles too!).
Even when we get promised new material there's a nagging doubt as to whether it'll materialise or will that complex mind be diverted away towards something different. Creativity seems to be running amok and isn't always easy to channel.
But Rum Lad (https://www.facebook.com/rumladuk) fans rejoice . Not only is there a an collection of rerecorded songs imminent, we've also been treated to an album of new material. It's titled Hold 3 Times & Cancel and it's Richie at his best and most opinionated. It's not made it to his Bandcamp page as I type this so I'll give you the Spotify link https://open.spotify.com/album/5IKoy3w9bQ8A8FXNReWwud
This one's an early favourite, it's about his working class upbringing and it's called Mum & Dad Were Skint...
Richie Tyler-Young lives in South Normanton in Derbyshire. He's very opinionated. He believes in using his voice for good, in standing up for the downtrodden. He doesn't like Tories.
He has an alter ego, Rum Lad (https://www.facebook.com/rumladmusic/). Rum Lad's featured on here numerous times. Unfortunately he shouts a lot and all that shouting is wrecking Richie's vocal chords. This means Rum Lad is sadly being retired.
Hang on a minute! Richie misses Rum Lad already so he's trying to find a way to carry on without doing irreparable damage... "my voice needs some rest but rest willing ill be back if you'll have me at some point. I'll get this sorted one way or another and be fighting fit. Life is too short people.....I'd rather die with my voice doing some good than sat with my head in my hands."
Let's hope he finds a way. At the moment he's cancelled most of his gigs but still intends to play Rebellion and the Morecambe Punk Festival.
I nearly forgot to mention. He's just released a new album. It's called Chat Shit Get Banged and it features a mammoth 19 tracks (well over an hour of opining about the state of the nation and the clowns in charge of running the shit show, plus songs about stuff like football, conspiracy theorists, little men in big cars etc. It's a great listen and you can get it here : https://rumlad.bandcamp.com/album/chat-shit-get-banged
Let's pick a track to highlight.
Just to demonstrate that it's not just Tories that he aims his ire at, this one goes out to bare faced (B)liars everywhere. It's called Sir War Crimes...
Usually you can hear him gobbing off about how the Tories are twats and other undeniable political truths but he eschews all that today with another important working class concern...
The energy levels are as high as ever, the vocal performance as powerful but this time around he's singing about our favourite sporting pastime. He's rhyming Zinedine Zidane with Kevin Keegan, Graeme Souness with Uli Hoeness and even Carlton Palmer with Valderama. He's scattergun shouting Maradona and name checking both Ronaldos (big and small!). It's a joyful celebration of the beautiful game and some of the great names who've graced the field of play. It'll be available on digital platforms (aside from Spotify) on April 8th.
The lad's hit the back of the new with this one. It's called Football...
(It looks as though you'll have to click watch on youtube to view the video so do that now!)
Those that were paying attention will have noticed that chart bothering, potty mouthed The Kunts weren't the only band that were critical of Boris and his capitalist wide boys in 2021. Wonk Unit topped the Just Some Punk Charts with an anthemic singalong criticising the government and today I bring you another song in a similar vein.
Rum Lad (https://www.facebook.com/rumladpunk) has featured on here several times previously. He's from South Normanton and is a modern day Mr Angry. My Facebook feed is often full of his withering put downs (recent examples including; "The rumour is Boris Johnson is set to be cleared by Lord Geidt over the donation for the Downing St flat refurbishment. Does that sound ok to you? Do you go out your mind worrying about paying tax etc to see it spaffed up the wall like this? Im calling all you bastards out next year.....", "Lets make this clear...the Maxwell guilty verdict means absolutely fuck all unless they start naming and shaming the cunts that were buying young girls and abusing them...until then sex trafficking will remain" and "Are we knighting war criminals now?? Fuck all surprises me anymore....jobs for the boys."
He says it as he sees it.
And this applies very much to his music. He's just followed up LP1 Vandalism and LP2 Punk AF with LP3 Wonder Meat. It'll be out on blue vinyl sometime later this year but for now you can get it digitally (pay what you want) here : https://rumladuk.com/home or here : https://rumlad.bandcamp.com/album/wonder-meat
For one man, it's a big sound. Don't expect 70's style sub 2 minute traditional punk ditties. The anger is the same but the songs are a little longer giving them more room to breathe. It's biting acerbity that could quite easily be filed under post punk and it works.
This is probably the most simplistic song on the album and it's the one I'm sure will be sung loudest at upcoming live shows. It's called Hate Tory Scum...
Has he quit as Rum Lad? Is he going to recruit a full band for gigging or carry on as a solo act? Is he going to keep changing his mind on a near daily basis?
Who knows? Probably not even Richie Tyler-Young is 100% sure!
Happily he appears to have stopped dithering about whether or not to carry on (it's not as though there's a lack of things to shine an acerbic spotlight on) and he's giving away 2 new songs free : https://rumladuk.com/store
Both bangers (as a certain punk dj would say), both topical, both accompanied by videos.
This one's probably my favourite at the moment, the title's fairly self explanatory, it's called Gullible Cunts Abound...
It can't be easy being in the music industry during the pandemic. Pretty much impossible to tour, hard even to meet up to practise or record. I know of a few big name bands that have managed to record but are holding off on releasing new material till they can get out on the road. A couple of acts though that have stuck two fingers up to Covid and are more productive than ever are Norfolk duo Das Kapitans (https://www.facebook.com/daskapitans) and gobby, working class Derbyshire bloke Rum Lad. Both have featured on here recently but both keep popping up with great new music.
Das Kapitans are Stephen Potter & Simon Bailey who took advantage of their other band, Fuzz And The Felts, being unable to get together to set themselves the goal of releasing a new album every 5 minutes during 2021. A daunting task but one which left them enough spare time to release even more extra tracks, including the one you'll see below. It's a football song for the Euros and it's bloody good. You can snap it up name your price here : https://daskapitansband.bandcamp.com/album/on-me-head-son
It's called On Me Head Son...
John Barnes dancing in the Maracana
Carlton Palmer a midfield disaster
David Platt’s wonder goal
Extra time sent Belgium home
Stuart Pearce changed my Life
When he showed that three lions pride
Andy Sinton how the hell did he up in the national team
Now i understand the offside rule
I know where Beckham went to school
But what’s a false number 9 when its home
On me head son
Stick it in the back of the onion bag
England til I die
I know I am
I think I am
Maybe I am
They said i am
I must be true
I feel like i am
My tattoo confirms just who i am
Peter Shilton was our super saver
Le Tissier our unsung greatest
Chrissy Waddle grace and style
Gazza’s tears made hearts collide
Peter Crouch had lovely feet for a big man
That’s true at least
There’s one man missing, would’ve been the key,
Number 6 Darren Huckerby
We called Sterling overrated
We said Kane looks so lethargic
Sorry Gareth we trust you
With super Jack Youl get us through
Harry Maguire handsome man
Four clean sheets master plan
Jordan Pickford number one
Keep ya cool boy marching on
Poor old Sancho can’t get on
Youl be ok your only young
Kyle Walker lots of pace
You or des Walker who’s win that race
Rum Lad (https://www.facebook.com/rumladuk) meanwhile has been agonising over whether to carry on or whether to concentrate on other projects, happily sense has prevailed so not only do we get new album Punk AF (out soon on red vinyl https://rumladuk.com/) we can also look forward to more great stuff like the track released earlier this week (Tin Foil Hat : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrsncqunP_A) and the brand new banger you're getting today.
Whilst you're checking out that link, you'll notice a successful Crowdfunder for album number 2. It'll be titled Punk AF and if all goes well it should be available around June on red vinyl. Will it be any good? Well thanks to Paul Hammond, host of the Punk AF radio show (https://www.mixcloud.com/Mistergit65/) I can tell you that it'll be very good indeed. I've been listening to the album and without wanting to reveal too much too soon I can tell you it's more of the same but maybe just a little better. It's a wake up call to an England that is being led astray. Richie's just as angry but this time around it's a notch above musically (as you'll hear if you listen to this week's Just Some Punk Songs show https://www.facebook.com/events/256251512750898/ when I'll play a 5 minute track called Mouthoid).
Today though I'm posting a song which recently surfaced on Youtube. It's called Clip Round The Ear...
I think as good a way as any to follow up yesterday's update (which featured Rats From A Sinking Ship) would be to post a song by Rum Lad (https://www.facebook.com/rumladuk/), especially as it went down a storm when I played it on this week's Just Some Punk Songs show.
Citing influences such as Slaves, Idles and Sleaford Mods and having been brought up on a Nottingham council estate around the time of the 80's miner's strike, it's no great surprise that his songs are about real life, honesty, tragedy, romance & council estates. It's also no surprise he's not the biggest fan of the Conservative Party. Like Rats From A Sinking Ship, he's an observationalist who writes about what is going on around him. The picture he paints isn't always pretty but it's from the heart.
Real name Richie Tyler Young, he's recently released a debut album titled Vandalism and if you like your punk music to be shouty, opinionated and socially aware then you're advised to give it a listen : https://rumladuk.com/album/1738564/vandalism
The vinyl version is going to be out in January and there's also a 4 track ep on the way too.
This song is about those who drive around in flash cars, wear pinstripe suits and are all take, take, take. Polished politicians seeking photo opportunities... Rum Lad's got your number and he's telling you to fuck off. It's called Tory Boy...
