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Jammy Dodger-toting ska punks Half Inch Heroes hail from the Dartford/Gravesend area of Kent. With a mixture of ska, punk and some slower melodic stuff they have played their asses off around Kent and in London, supporting the likes of Lightyear, and have a self released EP, Death By Jammy Dodger, recorded at Delta Studios. I got drunk at Tunbridge Wells Forum Monday night Stable and lurched backstage to have a long-promised chat with all seven of them (not an easy task I can tell you).
tp - Right, first off whats everybody's role in the band?
Sharpey - Singer
Goc - Sellout and Guitars (pronounced Jock!)
Dave - Guitar
Beth - Saxophone and Squealer
Mike - Sax, Vox and Smokes
Ross - Bass
Red - Drums
tp - How long have you been together and who/what are your influences?
HiH - Dave and Ross had been playing stuff together for a couple of years then about a year ago they decided to form something a bit more serious. We were called Half Inch Heroes from about December 2001 onwards. Our influences are Lightyear, Less Than Jake, Farse, Rob Zombie, Slayer, The Ataris, The Foos, Bob Marley, Sting, The Hippos, Biffy Clyro, Uncle Brian, Mad Caddies, Jack Daniels . . . but not My Dad Is Big . . .
tp - This Autumn you parted company with your old drummer (Barney was it?), and now you have Red on drums. How has it affected the band?
HiH - Well Red is a drummer who can drum (doh!). No, she's really good and so it's neatened things up a bit. We haven't written any new songs with her yet, we're mainly working on the old ones.
tp - Tonight you played in the Forum Stable. What are your opinions of the Stable and the Forums battle of the bands?
HiH - It's good fun but Dufuz won tonight! Seriously, its a good oppurtunity for up and coming bands to get a bit more recognition in Tunbridge Wells and theres time in a recording studio for the winners. We've played to bigger crowds in the past though.
Red: Yeah, here the audience has a mild sway as opposed to a big bounce-bounce ba-ba-bounce-bounce-bounce . . .
tp - Have you signed the wall in the backstage bit of the Forum?
HiH - Yeah you can see there was a big HiH but they've painted over it . . . That's gross misconduct on the Forums part!
tp - Whats with all the shit about Jammy Dodgers?
HiH - It started off as a bit of a pisstake with Riley and Ross when we were eating jammy dodgers at the time. Now we like to throw them into the audience at every gig, during the song "Jammy Dodger" (Mike sings on that one) . . .
tp - Here's one Tom texted me. New Found Glory, a force for Good or Evil?
HiH - Evil!
Red: They're ugly!
Ross and Beth: A force for good as long as they shut up!
tp - What have you got planned for the future?
HiH - Christmas drinking, probably lots of absinthe! We're recording another EP in the spring at Delta Studios in Chartham and we'll have more gigs in the Kent area.
tp - Thanks everyone, have you got any final words, thanks or shout-outs?
HiH - Yeah, thankyou to Laurie from Immune for coming all the way up from Eastbourne to see us, Barn for driving down here, Sprog for buying Goc's amp, Vicki (aka Red) for drumming, Reds Mum, and Lawrence at the Forum
Ross: Avril Lavigne and Britney Spears
Beth: Dave Grohl
Mike: Sharpeys Mum for letting us invade the garage, Jack Daniels, Ross' Mummy and Daddy, the man who delivers Stella, and feet (because without them you couldn't skank!)
Goc: Stella, Sprogga for my amp and Barney for being a dude and drinking buddy!
Sharpey: Biffy Clyro, my parents, my car, Lightyear and Spankboy and anyone who's ever seen us. And Biffy Clyro again, they rule!
Dave: Avril's arse, vodka and lemonade, Grolsch, Mr. Shiraz, Be Quick Or Be Dead. And a big "Fuck You Greg" twice . . .
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