Fat Wreck Chords

Duncan - Drums
Lee - Bass
Loz - Guitar
Dave - Trombone

North West London 1986, Mario’s Cafe. A waitress called Silvia with sultry Mediterranean looks, a mug of tea and a fried egg sandwich spots three herberts at the table next to her, talking about their new band. She only catches the occasional word as she reads her stars and dreams of Sicily. ‘Punk Rock… Motown… Minor Threat… Miners’ Strikes… Motorhead… DC… early Who…Two-Tone… SX200… Hey ho, let’s go…’ Snuff are born.

They leave the cafe taking with them a vision of punk rock for a new generation and the plastic tomato-shaped ketchup thing. Two years later and the first single, ‘Not Listening’, and debut album, Snuff Said are released on Worker’s Playtime and the band take their sounds from the street out on the road in the trusty tour van, because they can’t get the amps on the back of the Lambrettas. Along the way the unlikely lads convert thousands to the new sound of Piaggio Punk. Taking over where the Specials left off, turning the deserted dance floors of ghost towns into adrenaline and speed fuelled nights of stage diving where punks, mods, skins and all the other young dudes storm the stage every night. They add the bravest trombonist in the world about now and although they didn’t know it then, they set about writing the blueprint for the sound of the California suburbs eight years later. Green Day, Offspring, Blink 182? Man, Snuff wrote that fucking book, joined the dots and coloured it in long ago! The next album, the delightfully titled Flibbidydibbidydob is a covers album paying homage to heroes and pissing on the graves of villains. Reach, released on their own 10 past 12 label came out in 1991 and then the moment of a triumph for the band and the fans alike ’ a sold-out show at London’s Kilburn National. The final vindication! The final show! Bugger!!

It took three years for Snuff to come back. A new deal with Fat Wreck Chords for the States, the addition of a Hammond Organ and Loz in on a free transfer, for Simon on guitar, and they were off again, stronger than ever, better than ever. An album, Demmamussabebonk and an EP, Long Ball to No-One quickly followed. From Tufnell Park to Tokyo we learned to love them again, the man from the NME and the KwikFit fitter pogoing together at the LA2, the mohican doing Northern Soul steps at the Garage. The blistering appearance at the Reading Festival in ‘99. It took the NME 13 years to declare them ‘the best band in the world’ and now, who’d have thought it, their time has come. They finished 2000 by selling out the Astoria and a European tour.

It was all academic from there, they followed up with heaps of hit songs from albums like Tweet Tweet My Lovely and Numb Nuts; then there were tours all over the world including a full North American tour with NOFX. And all those years of magic have been captured for Snuff’s latest release on Fat Wreck Chords entitled Six Of One, Half A Dozen Of The Other 1986-2002. It’s a double-disc offering one CD of Snuff’s greatest hits, and another CD of B-sides, rarities, and even a couple new unreleased numbers. This could be their quintessential release as it’s an exquisite introduction for new fans and a nifty collection of hard-to-find tunes for the Snuff maven. Dig it.

Six Of One, Half A Dozen Of The Other 1986-2002 is released on April 5th on Fat Wreck Chords.

Keep the faith.

Nick Motown