The Ruts were a UK punk rock band of the late 70s, early 80s. Combining straightforward beefy Punk tracks, such as Babylon Is Burning and In A Rut with dub reggae classics like Give Youth A Chance and Jah War, they were most similar to The Clash in terms of stance and influence, walking the walk and talking the talk.
Many of the Ruts best gigs were RAR (Rock Against Racism) gigs with Misty in Roots, and Jah War was written in response to the Southall Riots where the police attacked the Anti-Nazi League that were protesting a National Front march through the predominantly British Indian Southall area.
The Ruts, in their attitude, politics and music were truly representative of the best Punk had to offer. Sadly we were never to discover how they would develop as Malcom Owen, their charismatic front man, died of a heroin overdose in 1980, aged 26.
|
