Roots radicals: punks celebrate album release with GPT show

Devon roots-punks, Crazy Arm, visits Bath's Green Park Tavern onSunday in support of their new album Union City Breath the follow upto 2009's dramatic debut, Born To Ruin.

The Guide spoke to Darren Johns, singer and guitarist of CrazyArm, to find out more: The Guide: Can you tell us how you got intomusic and what you hoped to achieve when you first started out onyour musical journey? Darren: I started listening to my dad's BuddyHolly, Elvis Presley and Eddie Cochran albums when I was eight.

I got completely hooked. Although '50s rock 'n' roll was a sexualsound, I think that I still understood the primitive urges!

I got my first acoustic guitar when I was 10, thanks again dad,heard the Sex Pistols, The Clash and Stiff Little Fingers when I was11 and the rest is history.

Can you tell us how Crazy Arm all came together? We were all goodfriends who were in other bands.

I was in The Once Over Twice, Jon (Dailey - guitar) and Simon(Marsh - drums) were in NoComply.

This was mid-2005.

We wanted to do something outside of the constraints of our'first' bands so started jamming.

Within a year both of our main bands had split up so Crazy Armbecame our priority.

Tim (Rowing-Parker - bass) joined us last August. He's anothergood friend from our home town.

Which vocalists and musicians do you admire and have theyinfluenced your style and approach to music? The Clash, Crass andthe Dead Kennedys pretty much tick all the right boxes for me: formusic, lyrics, vocals, politics, passion and attitude.

It might not be evident in our music but they've been a guidinglight for me since I was a kid.

A lot of American folk and protest music has also helped shapethe band - Crosby Stills & Nash, Woody Guthrie, Phil Ochs, PeggySeeger - although, once again, it might not seem that obvious.

These days, it's all about Nick Cave, Baroness, Austin Lucas,Black Tusk and Bruce Springsteen. You have to keep the blinkers off.

Can you tell us a little about your second album Union CityBreath. Does it differ from the debut Born To Ruin and was there apressure to follow its success? We're pretty proud of the new recordbut we never really saw the full picture until it was finished.

There was no gameplan.

There are things I'd do differently if we recorded it again butthat's always the case with most bands if you get too attached toyour music.

We recorded with Peter Miles again, in a converted Devonbarnhouse, which certainly imbued our country leanings with anauthentic glow! The songs in general talk about all kinds of thingsthat most neurotic middle-aged men like me think about. The onlydifference is, I still hold onto a semblance of anarchistphilosophy.

So it's an angry record but a self-analytical one too.

There was no external pressure as such - we just wanted to makesure that we, as a band, felt that it was a progression.

It's too soon for me to call yet, but it's definitely analtogether different beast to Born To Ruin.

I'd say the new record is more unrestrained, for sure. And moreovertly political, perhaps.

Again, not by design - it's just what came out.

How would you describe a Crazy Arm live show and are you lookingforward to playing Bath GPT? Puddles of sweat, dangerous volumes andendless movement.

That's pretty much the live ethos.

Things can get pretty intense on a good day.

Although I got ill two days into this tour and my voice is nowshot through.

Hopefully it won't disappear completely.

We haven't played Bath for a while so we're definitely lookingforward to it.

What's been the band's biggest highlight so far? Well, it'sprobably one of these: playing Reading and Leeds festivals lastyear, touring with Frank Turner and Chuck Ragan, touring withBangers, touring with Apologies I Have None, playing around Europe,putting out albums one and two, being picked up by Xtra Mile [UKlabel] and Gunner Records [Europe label], anticipating the tour withAgainst Me! next month, recording for Mike Davies Punk Show... Toomany good times!

What does the rest of 2011 have in store for Crazy Arm? As Isaid, we have the Against Me!

tour in November, taking in Europe and the UK, hopefully we'llrelease a new single in December and a mini-tour at the end of theyear with Great Cynics and Smokey Bastard.

We're planning on recording an acoustic EP after our recent, well-received acoustic tour, so fingers crossed we'll get in the studiosoon to do that.

We can't wait to play with Against Me! they're an awesome band.

We were supposed to tour with them this time last year but theyran into difficulties and cancelled the whole thing. We were gutted.

This couldn't have come at a better time. Crazy Arm releaseUnion City Breath on Monday.

Visit www.facebook.com/thecrazy arm for further information.