It´s not many times I interview a group just after only four songs but SCared was a band which went to my heart at once so I was forced to do the interview with the group. I did it with Bob and this was taken place in January 2015.

Please tell me a little bit history of the group?
-We used to be in The Sanity Clause until we parted ways with our former singer/guitarist in March 2013. At that point we hadn’t intended reforming as another band but jammed and decided to go for it and played our first gig in early May that year.

Please tell me a little about every member in the group right now, age, family, work, interests and something bad about everyone? Have you been in any other punk bands before?
-Bob- bass and backing vocals. I’m the oldest at 52. I read a lot, love camping, breadmaking and languages.
I played guitar in a couple of local bands that never made it out of the bedroom. The first band I was in that played gigs was Potential Victims back in ’83 but I was only in them for about a month on bass. Then the late 80’s I played guitar in a local band called Barf, we were a drunken shambles to be honest. Then I played guitar in Raw Veg who were mostly from Preston. I joined the Thought Police on bass around 1990. They had been a duo with Iain on guitar and vocals and we recorded a cassette EP before splitting. I wasn’t in bands for about 15 years after that until Iain asked if I’d play bass for The Sanity Clause in 2007 or 08 I think? That lasted 5 or 6 years until it fell apart and Scared rose from the ashes. I’m supposed to be playing bass for a band with Doddy from Total Bloody Chaos and others too but our first practice isn’t til this weekend so who knows . . . (we will see if the other ones will be answering this soon)

You have listened a lot to older 77-punk? Am I right? Favorites from the past?
-I started with 77 punk but also like later stuff. We do sound 77-ish which is probably Neil’s influence as he writes the songs. I’m crap at picking favorites as they tend to change depending on mood etc.

Scared, are you satisfied with the name? Other bands named it? How did it came up? Which is the best bandname you know
-I don’t know of another band call Scared. We are named after a song we did in The Sanity Clause, the singer brought it to a practice and we turned it into a Discharge style number with me shouting the lyrics. He really didn’t like what we did with it, so of course we kept playing it! In part it led to the break up of that band. He later claimed he wrote it to take the piss out of us, things got a touch acrimonious. When we needed a name I think it was my suggestion plus spelling it as SCared meant we kept the initials of Sanity Clause just to twist the knife . . .

What´s the best thing with playing live?
-Just getting up there and doing it. If people like what we do that’s even better but we’d probably do it anyway.

And where is best to play?
-Star and Garter in Manchester is a great venue but the Council want to knock it down, we’ve played there twice and really enjoyed it.
Snooty Fox in Wakefield has a really good set up.
The Bath in Morecambe is a good venue too.
We’ve played the Napier in Blackburn a few times but the turnout’s declining so don’t know if there’ll be many gigs there now.
Probably our best gig was at the New Vic in Penrith with No Thrills amongst others.

How is it to play this sort of music in England?
-Most gigs we play tend to be bands playing to bands but that’s partly because so many punks form bands, DIY J. There’s always a crowd for the ‘bigger’ bands but we’re not on that circuit . . .

How would you describe your music in three words?
-Melodic 77ish punk

What does punk mean to you, is it only a word or is it a lifestyle?
-Lifestyle and I don’t mean a uniform or just music. It’s a mindset and attitude to living. Not being subservient, asking questions, thinking for yourself not afraid of being out of step.

How do you see on downloading, mp3 and that stuff?
-It’s OK but it’s not the same as having a physical artefact. You only get the music not artwork, lyrics and stuff.

How is it to live in the England now? Politically?
-Quite depressing politically and I’m not sure it’ll get any better. If people don’t unite and stand up for themselves in this climate I’m worried they won’t until resistance becomes all but impossible. Too many people blame those around them for their problems rather than those who run things. Hence the rise of UKIP.

Is there any good bands from England now? Is the punkscene big? How is it in your hometown?
-There’s no scene in my hometown Darwen and if turnout at local gigs is anything to go by there’s not much of one in Blackburn either.

What do you know about Sweden?
-I holidayed in Sweden in 2001 in a log cabin near Virserum. We drove from Goteborg to Virserum and also visited Kalmar and Öland. Thought it was a lovely country and probably the best holiday we ever had, though it might have been because it was a blistering summer and it might not always be like that?

Have you heard any good bands from Sweden?
-Totalitär is about all I can think of, but I don’t have my finger on the pulse.

Your lyrics, who does them and what influences you?
-Neil writes the lyrics so I’ll leave him to answer that.

Is there any subject that you never will write anything about?
-I doubt we’d write songs in favour of white power!

Politic and music, does it goes hand in hand?
-I’d say it’s very difficult to separate politics from any part of life. How you live, behave, think are political, perhaps not along party lines but the way you treat others is political.

Best political band/artist?
-It’s Crass for me although with hindsight it looks like things weren’t as together as they seemed at the time. It does make you wonder whether their ideals could work in practice?

Do you think that music(lyrics and so on) can change anyone’s life, I mean people who listens to music?
-It might be clichéd but it’s true, Flux’s Neu Smell EP prompted me to go veggie. Maybe if I weren’t punk I’d not have stopped eating other animals, who knows? So I reckon there’s a potential to make people think and maybe change the way they act.

Have you only done the demo/CD Jennys social suicide?
-The CD is all we’ve done so far, we’d like to do more but Iain’s been ill lately. We were going to get it copied and printed professionally but with Iain being ill we’re unlikely to be playing many gigs to sell CDs at so released it DIY instead of spending money we might not recoup.

Is it important for you to get out your records physical also?? Something new on it´s way
-Who knows? When Iain recovers we should have enough songs to record again. I’ve not enjoyed recording in the past but this time it went much better think we work together better as a trio, less tension. Too many guitarists spoil the broth?

Please tell me a funny thing, which have happened during your career and under some gig?
-We played a gig in a pub near Wakefield and when we arrived at 6.30 the landlord was already pissed as a fart and walking like he was on a ship. Us and No Thrills played to one guy and the bar staff with the landlord joining No Thrills ‘onstage’ at one point. He wasn’t going to pay us either but it wasn’t our fault he’d not publicized it and drunk any profits his pub ever made.

How does your audience look like? Which people do you miss on your concerts?
-Mostly middle aged. I think it’d be good to have younger people at our gigs but they probably don’t want to watch some old blokes shouting?

Please rank your five favorite records, five favorite concerts and five most important things in life?
-As I said I’m crap at picking favorites. Went loads of gigs years ago but because I was usually off my face can’t remember many of them, which makes it even more difficult to pick favorites. Maybe the other two can answer this one better . . .

Is it boring with interviews? IS it much interviews??
-This is the first interview we’ve done, we only did one as The Sanity Clause plus one on a radio show which was a bit chaotic but fun!

Futureplans for the band?
-Wait for Iain to get better then start gigging again and maybe record some more songs.

For yourself?
-Work out what to do with my life.

Wisdomword?
-Love trumps hate every time

Something to add?
-You can contact us on Facebook www.facebook.com/SCaredband
Our four track CD is just £2 inc postage in the UK or £3 in Europe via Paypal.
Thanks for the interview Peter