GIMP FIST are a long running street punk band based in Darlington, England. I had a chat with Jonny(guitar/vox) who answered the questions.
1. How and when did Gimp Fist form? What is the age and occupation of the members?
Hi mike. GimpFist formed in 2005 when the Ska/punk band we were in called it a day. I joined as the guitarist n chris was already in playing bass. My brother Michael joined a couple of years down the line. Two members of the band were goin out n would always turn up to practises late so us 3 would jam out some tunes id bin working on. As much as I love Ska I was always a punk at heart so when they jacked it in we just carried on as a three piece. I (jonny) am 38 yrs old n drive a non emergency ambulance for a living. Mike is 40 and is a ground worker on the building sites n Chris is ermmmm 50 I think n currently employed at GimpFist HQ.
2. How your style changed at all thru the years? If so, in what way? What bands influenced you in the beginning, and what bands do nowadays?
In the early days GimpFist were a bit more hardcore. I think a lot of that was due to a lack of confidence in my song writing. As I gained a little bit confidence the songs slowed a bit and you could make out the lyrics lol. Still love doin the odd fast song however to mix it up a bit. The biggest influence for be has to be the clash. Absolutely love them. I think strummer could sing anything n I’d love it. I also got into reggae from listening to the clash too. After most practises chris would lend me some of his albums or 7”singles. I remember one of these bein razors in the night by blitz n I was totally blown away so blitz was a big influence on me. Others influences were rancid, cockney rejects, the business, da skywalkers, cock sparrer, jimmy cliff, minor threat, buddy Holly, quite a broad spectrum really. Rancid still continue to influence. They’ve never done a bad album n always stay true to they’re roots. As for new bands...noi!se have been a stand out band. There’s something a bit different about them that sets them apart from the rest. Great riffs N great songs. Also Old firm casuals, the interrupters, arch rivals, to name a few.
3. You play in the Northeast alot to very receptive crowds. Is there anywhere else that you've played where it's in the same league?
Yeh. From early on the north west have always gave great support. We did a lot of early gigs in Penrith n Carlisle n have made some of the best of mates from this region. The club Victoria in Carlisle was always a favourite of mine. We got treat like family from the start. Just last year we got to play Carlisle again. First time in four years n it was amazing. Dave bell puts gigs on up there n is doin a great job of keeping the scene alive. Similarly in Uttoxeter there is always a great crowd n a fantastic atmosphere. Made some brilliant mates down there too from gigging over the years.
4. What have been yer favourite bands to play with? Favourite place to play outside the UK?
The business were always one of my favourite bands to support over the years. Supporting a band you’ve listened to and looked up to for years is a great feeling. Micky Fitz n the business lads have helped us out a lot over the years n we’ve become great mates since. Supporting rancid was a highlight for me n just recently supporting the interrupters on a couple of dates. They were amazing gigs. Jumping from start to finish. Just last year we got the chance to support cock sparrer in Edinburgh. Probably the highlight of my year n possibly my gigging career. Was a great night and one I will never forget. Bein signed to sunny bastards we have done quite a few shows across Germany and we have always had a great reception. Loved the gigs in hamburg with Sam harder. You get well looked after. Also just recently we played oi! This is tegelen in Holland which was amazing.
5. What's in store for the future with the band? Any upcoming releases or tours? How can folks get merch?
I always try to keep on writing new material. Sometimes successfully sometimes not so ha. But to see a new song coming together, for me Is a huge buzz. Keeps things fresh n from going stale. We’ve bin working on a few lately so hopefully they’ll be more albums in the future. We’ve got some good gigs booked this year. We’ve got the London rebellion one day festival in February and also the one in Amsterdam in June. A trip to Marseille in March and Hamburg in September n uk dates in between so quite a bit to keep us busy. If people are interested in merchandise they can contact chris directly thru GimpFist Facebook page or either myself or mike n we will try our best to sort it out. Also via sunny bastards website. Or u can come see us at gigs. We’ve always got plenty of merch with us.
6. Any final comments?
I would just like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us over the years either promoters putting us on or people coming to watch us. When we started out in 2005 i never dreamt anything like this. Still blows me away to see people turning up n singing along to the songs so thank you from the bottom of our hearts. N cheers for the interview mike! Take care.
You can reach Gimp Fist at: https://www.facebook.com/gimpfist/
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