Coming up to their 48th anniversary Fire Exit hit the stage once again at Rebellion Festival armed with their latest release titled Alex EP, a dedication to Alex Harvey of Scottish rock legends The Sensational Alex Harvey band. With two new tracks plus a revamp of one of their classics as well as a new album in the works, these guys are not short on inspiration as they continue to fire out fresh songs. Aggy Gillon has a catch up chat with front man Gerry Attrick about the story behind their latest release, what they have been up to since they last talked and the plans for the year ahead.
You played Fire Exit on Friday, how did you find your set?
Gerry: I absolutely loved it. The hall was full. We were in at 1:45 in the afternoon and we didn’t think we would get a crowd at all. Not like last year when we packed out the Casbah stage. I thought, oh, It’s a big hall to fill. After about ten minutes when I was getting everything ready on stage I looked up and I thought woah! It was great.
What stage do you like best to perform at Rebellion?
Gerry: We have played everywhere. Now I have played the Empress, now I know why the guys like it. I have played Empress before but not at the big stage where it is. The one at the side we did that with Cocksparrer at the one during Covid. The sound on stage is amazing.
You have your new release titled Alex EP and we have got to say we absolutely love it, in particular your song titled Alex in dedication to Alex Harvey of The Sensational Alex Harvey band.
Gerry: I was brought up with Alex Harveys band playing. As we got older the band kept going. I think it was 1979 we got asked to play at the Ally Pally (Alexandra Palace in London). Alex Harvey had left The Sensational Alex Harvey band and he went himself. Alex Harvey was playing and various other bands. I met him backstage and I got talking to him. It turned out I knew his son. His son worked in Tom Dicksons the camera shop in Glasgow. We were looking for a guitarist at the time and we went to a place called McCormicks and there was a phone number there that said to contact Alex. I phoned him and he was just around the corner so I went round and had a chat with him. We were punk and he was heavy rock. Over the years we have played with Zal of The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, we played with his band the Sin Dogs. So over the years there has always been a connection and I just love the Alex Harvey music. One of the most underrated bands ever. As you grow up people were saying how could a punk like rock? I love music. I dont give a shit.
He isn’t necessarily what you would stereotypically describe as punk but he is punk, isn’t he?
Gerry: Oh, he is. He was definitely an influence in punk, the same way Iggy Pop was. He had the attitude, he didn’t give a shit.
After watching his live shows after listening to your EP it’s crazy that not everyone knows about them.
Gerry: I know, In Scotland they should be taught it in school! They don’t need to know about Mozart or Beethoven *laughs*.
The last time we spoke to you at last year’s Rebellion you were talking about writing a song in dedication to Alex. You guys have put a lot of thought and effort into it.
Gerry: There is. You got to think of George, Iain and John, the guitarist, bassist and the drummer. They kind of locked themselves away. I wasn’t well for a while, again. I had an operation last November. I didn’t know if I was going to get back out. I wanted to record the song. That was my aim. When I had recovered from it these guys had gotten it all together so we could get in and record it. We were rehearsing it and I was like wow. Everything was there that was in my head and more. We took bits out of Alex Harveys intros to various things, and wee riffs and we had all our own stuff. The guys went away and worked on it. I gave them the lyrics and the idea of the song but they went away and totally put it all together. Total teamwork. It blew me away when I heard it and I thought this is a winner.
I contacted Alex’s son, young Alex and I said here look here’s what we have done. The guys were apprehensive of whether we should send it to him or not before it was done properly in the studio. We got to get, no his permission but just a wee nod.We let young Alex hear and his quote to me, I still have it in my phone, was ‘my Dad would be very proud of you. And he would be saying that’s what I would be doing now’.
We do SAHBROCK every year which is an Alex Harvey day in Ivory Blacks. Next one is on the 8th of February next year. So the guy who runs it asked me to book two bands along with Fire Exit for the afternoon show. We have The Filthy White Suit and Hugh Reed & The Velvet Underpants. In the evening we have bands including a tribute band The Sensational Alex Harvey Experience. We usually get Chris Glen or Zal coming in. All the money goes to the sick children’s hospital. I think up to last year we have had something like sixty seven thousand pounds go to them. It’s great and people come from all over the world for it.
Thats amazing! The song is so iconic.
Gerry: We are writing a new album and that’s come off of it. We have the EP now, we have got it on CD and we have got it on a seven inch EP. It’s got ‘Radio Mania’ which I wrote back in 1976 but the guys have got that all fresh. We also have a new number called ‘Numbers’ We gave young Alex a copy when it came out and he has a wee mention on the back of it.
It must feel so good as you guys have been going for forty odd years…
Gerry: Its going on 48 now…
Oh aye when we first spoke it was 46 wasn’t? *laughs*. It must be so cool though after 48 years you’re still releasing absolute bangers!
Gerry: Thank you very much.
You guys are timeless and it’s not just going out and playing all of your hits you guys are still creating new hits.
Gerry: Keeping it fresh, you know, and things that mean a lot to us. We do a cover version of ‘My World’ by The Crack. I’ve just left Mark, the drummer of The Crack there the now. Again like the Alex thing I gave him a copy of that. That’s going to be on the new album as well. He was like I fuckin love it! Put it out! We were playing in San Francisco at the Crash Festival in June and we played it over there and it went down a storm and so did ‘Alex’. We had bands like Bad Ass and all these hardcore punk bands saying thats fuckin brilliant! Were more the rock in punk rock. We all came from different backgrounds from the rock side. John never, John was just total punk and oi. The lineup now is just so nice, everyone is doing their thing and it’s making it so fresh again. No disrespect to anybody who has ever played with Fire Exit but you go on the stage and you turn around and look at them and they have all got smiles on their faces and they are into what they are playing. It’s a whole part of it, four of us doing our own thing and bringing it all together. I just love it.
Living the dream!
Gerry: Yeah, but we are getting to the end of the dream. We are getting offers right left and centre and it’s a shame it wasn’t thirty years ago. We’re getting really good offers.
I saw a comment you left on a poster for next year and you commented something like “I see Fire Exit are playing next year, cheers!” *laughs*.
Gerry: Aye well, we always say we want to come back. I speak to them regularly, always texting each other and sending each other jokes. I take nothing for granted from them. They might turn round and say no you’re not on next year. The great thing is George came down with Elaine on Tuesday night and Lee Wood and Caroline Wood who does the Morecambe Punk festival took a photo of the back of a programme, they weren’t even open until the wednesday, they got a copy of the programme and Lee Wood sent me it. I took a photo of it and sent it to all the guys and said are we all ok for next year? *laughs*. I hope so because were on the fucking programme *laughs*. Never ever take it for granted as anything could happen.
Yeah, for sure that’s the best way you’re absolutely right. So of course I spoke to you last year, don’t want to keep you forever although we could speak to you all day *laughs* we have covered the new EP, how is the book going?
Gerry: Oh aye, the book is going great. I think we are onto the third or fourth press now.
Have you got many shows coming up after this?
Gerry: Yeah, we are pulling a lot back. We came back from San Francisco a few weeks back and did the Kirkcaldy punk festival. Couple of the guys done the whole weekend but I was in bed. I was pretty ill. After the operation I shouldn’t have flown for a year but I didn’t know that and It’s a big flight. You know, the long haul flights. We done the festival and went home and I wasn’t well and was in bed for nearly three weeks on and off sort of thing. So, I kind of made the decision that with some gigs that are coming up that are too far to travel down in the car and travel back. If we pace stuff out we’re fine. These were kind of running into each other. So I kind of made a conscious decision not to play a couple of gigs this year.
What we have got now is after Rebellion we are doing Largs and East Kilbride on the 5th and 12th of October. In November we have Daz’s fortieth anniversary with Cock Sparrer down in Wolverhampton and I’m getting driven there so I am really quite comfortable with that. We have Glasgow on Saturday the 7th of December.
Thing is, we all love you and we need you to be healthy so pacing it out sounds like a great plan. We know you would love to be on stage every night *laughs* Taking care of yourself is important though!
Gerry: Aye, that’s the aim at the moment. We go into the 48th year of Fire Exit in October so we have two gigs, one in November and one in December. Nothing in January as we’re all getting drunk and partying. In February we have got the SAHBROCK. Nothing in March. George goes away with The Stiff Little Fingers. In April we are playing Benidorm. The day we got back from San Francisco I got a call from the promoter of Scotland Calling asking if we wanted to play there again next year. I said certainly aye i’ll text all the guys. So we agreed and he said that’s great as the poster comes out tomorrow and your name is on it! *laughs*
What would you like to say to your fans?
Gerry: Aw, massive thanks. Between the fans and the promoters we wouldn’t be doing this. Especially to the guys in the band and their partners and wives. The support form everybody over all the years, it’s just amazing.
Interview And Photos By Aggy Gillon