New Blood: Take A Worm For A Walk Week

 

"I look amazing in my jockstrap. It just feels so good, I didn't take it off until about three hours after the gig had finished," enthuses Take a Worm for a Walk Week's guitarist Johnny Docherty. Drummer Jonny Scott looks slightly more reticent. "I was a little uncomfortable."

The issue at hand is one sure to trouble the minds of Ron Burgundy as much as grinding blowtorch hardcore bands across the land. Spandex. Man spandex.

Scott has mercy and puts the incident in context. "The fire alarm went off and we all had to get outside. The rest of the band all had time to get some clothes on but I was left strutting around the street in my spandex with basically everyone standing and pointing." The spandex project was accidentally rolled out at King Tut's on 2 Feb and seems to have gone down a treat with fans.

"We'll try and do that everywhere if there's a place to change. Otherwise I guess we'll just have to wear it constantly, at truck stops, in the van and stuff," warns Scott.

"That's the only clothes I'm going to take on tour. My spandex and my jockstrap. I'm going to get mine as mouldy as possible," adds Docherty, with a little more verve than necessary.

Exciting wardrobe adventures aside, these Glasgow purveyors of rapid distortion and silly nomenclature are looking forward to an exciting 2008. An EP split with fellow experimental rockers Orion Arm and With Scissors hit shelves on 25 Feb, followed by a week-long UK tour in March. Southern destinations like Brighton and Leeds hold the most allure for this quartet.

"They've got quite a good buzz down there," says Docherty. "That's got quite a bit to do with Midmarch [the band's label] being based in Brighton, and With Scissors are from there so they always pull a good crowd. It was totally rammed the last time we played as well, and it seemed everybody left as soon as we finished - awesome!"

One particular night sticks in Scott's mind from a previous tour. "We played in this tiny room in Brighton, it was full of wee kids and they'd stuck us on the bill with an emo band from the States because they fucked up the booking. That night Ian our bassist stood at the merchandise table with his top pulled up, staring at people. We didn't sell much. In fact, there were a lot of kids crying. Especially when we started playing."

Nice. Besides scaring kids, the fearsome foursome are looking to get into recording the follow-up to last year's eponymous album, and it's expected to land this May. The details of which are being held close to the chest. "We're talking to a label but we don't want to say anything just now," teases Scott. "Yeah we've not signed anything yet so we're being tight lipped in case they turn round and say 'naw'!" adds Docherty.

Adolescents reduced to tears? Man spandex? Who wouldn't want Take A Worm For A Walk Week on their label?