Back in the day, the north Hulme sound of the Ruthless Rap Assassins was the most exciting, unique vibe in the country. Listen to the Assassins' Killer album or the track Justice (Just Us) to hear just how fresh they still sound. Meanwhile, back in the day, Happy Mondays were tearing it up as the most exciting, unique band in the world.
When both outfits crashed, Black Grape was the fall out, with the ace album It's Great When You're Straight Yeah filling the vacuum as Kermit, Shaun and Bez continued the party.
Now, twenty years later the three of them are stood in the sterilised zone of Salford's Media City gawping off a bridge for a bank of photographers, to formally announce the reunion (as exclusively revealed by Salford Star in February click here).
The gig, at the Old Granada Studios on 11th April, sees the trio back on stage as a fundraiser for the We Are The Reality Party's bid to get Bez elected as Salford and Eccles MP and for the top Salford based Coffee4Craig organisation which helps homeless people and those in poverty.
After the photo shoot Kermit explains that both he and Shaun are well up for both causes...
"We're all behind it" he says "We wouldn't have got together and made this the first one if we weren't behind it; we would have done something else and got paid. But this is a really good cause.
"It's disgusting that people have to live on the street in this day and age" he adds "It's an awesome cause. People have not got meals, they're living on the streets, they've put these spikes down to stop them sleeping, it's awful - what are they going to do next, round them up and put them into camps? It's frightening when you think about it.
"Because someone doesn't have a roof over their head they don't get no respect" he explains "But most families are like two or three pay cheques away from losing their housing; everyone's struggling. There should be a bit more compassion for people like that. We all fall down sometimes and we all need help. Just because someone's living on the street doesn't mean it's because of drugs or something. There are always extenuating circumstances."
And the Reality Party cause is also being backed by Black Grape..
"I'm all for what Bez is doing, it's a good cause and he believes it with all his heart" says Kermit "I've known him for nearly thirty years and I've never seen him get fired up about anything like this. He's dedicated. And fracking? It's like `Oh my god', they can drill underneath your house and take the gas without your permission, and flames coming out of taps and stuff...
"Most politicians are liars" he insists "My dad said there was only one politician in the country who he had any respect for, Tony Benn. This is an alternative and, like it says, a Reality Party for the reality of things. Governments are always going to lie to us but if Bez got in you'd have like full disclosure, I know that much. Bez for Prime Minister! And I'd definitely get in the Cabinet...Minister for Education!"
While the causes are good, it's the Black Grape reunion that's causing a frisson of excitement around those old enough to remember, or young enough to re-discover, the attitude and top tunes that ended an era before mainstream bland came back to prominence. All three are up for the challenge of re-firing it...
"Shaun's done a few things with other people and done Black Grape tracks but this is twenty years since the first album was released and that's a good reason to do it" says Kermit "It is an awesome album. I had to re-acquaint myself with it but we had a rehearsal the other week, went in and it was a case of 1-2-3-4...bang! Straight through, no stops, no mistakes, nothing, first time. Shaun said it was like putting on a comfy old pair of trainers or slippers or something.
"We toured that and the second album around the world for like five years, every night and the band were kicking" he adds "I know the faults...the band used to do this, and we used to do that, and we used to be like this; but when it came to the music...we're musicians, the shows were always good, the band was always on point - it was just after the gig, and before the gig, in the spaces between gigs...that was when all the madness was."
And now? It's Great When You're Straight, Yeah?
"Now, I'm not a mad bastard, I've got a one year old baby girl, I've moved out of Manchester, to Chester, in a quiet little street with all families and cats" he laughs "It's nice. Everyone knows I was a raging heroin and crack addict at one point, and it's nice to be normal and just live my life nicely."
Away from the new Black Grape reunion, Kermit's got his own project, Blind Arcade, working with legendary Rap Assassins producer and mixer Greg Wilson. There's an ace hour-long free download of the Greg Wilson mixtape, Blind Arcade Meets Super Weird Substance In The Morphogenic Field, on Soundcloud (click here).
There's also talk of Kermit working again with Anderson and Carson of the Rap Assassins... "We're trying to sort it out" he says "Anderson's a brilliant lyricist, I think he should have carried on doing what he was doing. Been on his case for about a month trying to get him to get his lyrics over...
"The Rap Assassins were three angry young, nice, men" he adds "We were quite politically motivated; the SUS laws were going on, everybody who lived in Hulme was practically squatting - they stopped taking rents in the crescents at one point - but what an awesome place of creativity it was. Gerald came out of there, Ed Barton, Rap Assassins, The Kitchen...loads of stuff, it was a good place."
Indeed, many would argue that Hulme and Salford fired the whole `Madchester' thang. And it's fitting that those who lit the match are still out there, with the music, the attitude, the politics, the compassion...and the best parties in town.
Evolution Presents: BLACK GRAPE
Main room: Skittles and 8 Gold Rings; Red Eye Hifi Live - Feat Fox; Kathika and Guests; Jenna and the G's; Backhanders; Alias Kid; Metrodome,T-Man and Black Josh (LEVELZ)
Bar Stage: Clint Boon; MC Tunes; DJ Mica; DJ Robin Smith; JB Barrington
Old Granada Studios, Quay Street, Manchester
Tickets price £25 available click here
See also previous related Salford Star articles...
Coffee4Craig - click here
We Are The Reality Party click here
See also the Ruthless Rap Assassins website click here
And www.superweirdsubstance.com
See also: Coffee4Craig `Overwhelmed' By Support - click here
Photo by Steven Speed
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