Ruberlaris

MyGen Profile GeneratorAs a music journalist, you begin to grow weary with the ever-increasing number of conventional posey, hair obsessed acts currently occupying the live circuit. Their music is always humdrum at best; repeating the three tried and tested chords that they’ve been playing for the last ten years on a guitar so highly slung over their shoulders it hinders the audience from catching a glimpse of their pretty-boy good looks. That’s why having bands such as Ruberlaris emerge from South Yorkshire is such a relief. Ditching the image laden shortcut to success, the band stick to their roots and play their music. How refreshing it is to see a band play the music they love, not worrying about where it will end up in the chart or being pressured by a record label into sounding like another commercialised indie product. On the contrary, Ruberlaris’ favourite song they’ve written is ‘Fuck The Label’, which gives an indication that Ruberlaris aren’t going to be another mediocre brit-pop group from Yorkshire. Ruberlaris had just completed a brief yet dazzling set at The Harley in Sheffield when I caught up with them. I say dazzling as although their set time only totalled a mere half an hour, ninety percent of those crammed inside the passé surroundings of Sheffield’s most overpriced pub were there purely for Ruberlaris [myself included]. The catchy nature of Ruberlaris’ ska/pop sounding music or “Skarb” as lead singer Chris Alsop refers to it as had the whole pub moving as if they were performing at the Academy. It takes a quality band to draw middle-aged men away from the plush sofas of The Harley, but such was Ruberlaris’ great showmanship and ability to perform live it outweighed the laziness of the common man and his lust to occupy the leather coated thrones stationed inside the pub.
As with all quality bands, questions tend to linger over what genre they fit into. Dubbed as “Indie-Ska-Fusion”, “Ska-Pop” and “Rastabilly Skank” by the band, the Chesterfield five piece carry a cocktail of influences in their music, offering a folk sound which parallels The Levellers as well as elements of both indie and reggae. It’s this abstract mix of genres that makes Ruberlaris such a unique commodity; whilst the group’s down to earth stature has certainly helped them engulf a wave of support. Despite only having released one E.P, the band has developed considerable support in Yorkshire, with the band’s management frequently laying on coach trips for their fans to watch them across the country. It’s because of this level of support that Ruberlaris can travel the country so frequently, gigging most recently in Camden supported by fifty travelling fans who assured me the gig was worth the trip. Chatting with the band, it becomes apparent that they’ve put all their eggs in one basket with Ruberlaris. “I’d be doing what I do in the day, being a VAT man” is saxophonist Andy Copeland’s response to what he’d do should the band become unsuccessful. “I really hope we do make it so I don’t end up being a VAT man for the rest of my life”. So sociable are the band we drifted massively off topic on numerous occasions during the fifteen minute interview, discovering that we both share a distaste for the cliques in Sheffield, as well as bassist Mickey Beswick interrogating me into how I lost my shoe for a day at Leeds festival.
As our conversation moved on from long lost footwear and debt management consultants, I query the group over their odd choice of band name. “There’s no real source to it” explains Chris, “We just wanted something original sounding, something that sets up apart”. This is swiftly following by Andy describing the name as “a load of shit”, although he concedes he has to accept the band name as he joined Ruberlaris after its original formation. As the interview drew to a close we agreed to bypass the predictable discussion surrounding the bands future, instead discussing which pop act they’d like to collaborate with. “I’d love to collaborate with Steps or Take That. Maybe even Kylie, she’s been through some hard times just like we have” is the answer from Chris. “It’d be great to work with someone from Sheffield, maybe will give Arctics a ring” jokes Adam. And so we parted, descending back into the outmoded looking Harley for a final pint, before heading our separate ways. With plans to release a new E.P and an upcoming tour of Ireland on the horizon, the future looks bright for Ruberlaris and their odd breed of ‘Indie-Ska-Fusion. The band are embarking on a short UK tour before hitting Ireland in early April.
BOOKING AGENT: RICHARD ALSOP - 07970520322 EMAIL: [email protected]