“The girls wanna shag you, the blokes wanna be you! What’s wrong with that?” Well… When you put it like that.

The Raid’s down-to-earth take on rock ‘n’ roll bravado is ballsy and refreshingly passé. It's reminiscent of the ‘lad’ culture that went out of date in the nineties, but is threatening to find its way back into music as a reaction to the knowing electro chic of the naughties.

“In order to walk out on stage in front of an audience you have to be confident,” continues swaggering front man, Adam Robinson (the cocky 21-year-old has already been compared to, wait for it… Liam Gallagher - how imaginative).

And rhythm guitarist Andy Maguire’s no shrinking violet either. “There’s been so many crap bands over the past few years,” he tells me. “I suppose we have got that attitude, we’re five lads in a rock ‘n’ roll band who have something to say and if people don't like it or don’t want to listen to it then we're not going to loose any sleep over it. You either get it or you don't! If you don’t then fuck ya, you must be deaf.”

Five 21-year-old lads from Hemel Hempstead (if you don’t count the 24-year-old northern one), The Raid are a no-nonsense English guitar band. Inspired by Oasis, The Who, The Smiths and The Stones, they combine primal guitar chords with raw vocals to create a classic garage rock sound you can set your watch by. Songs like ‘We Know Best’ have all the spiky punk energy of early Manics, while the catchy accessibility of ‘Show Me’ is reminiscent of The Stereophonics.

But what might set The Raid is apart is their attitude. They’ve had a couple of triumphant festival performances this summer already, and the band are confident it's their live show that will make them mighty…

“You get bands with albums that sound good but are shit live,” brags Andy. “What’s the point? The live show is all to us. It's what makes a world-class band.

“We played to 18,000 people the other week. It felt natural. We rocked. Our live shows have plenty of attitude. It just comes naturally with the sort of songs we write. It’s loud and in your face!”

There's no doubt about it… The Raid are making a noise. They are loud and they are in your face. They’re about guitars. They’re about drums. They’re about screaming rock ‘n’ roll vocals.

What then do they think of their contemporaries… those crazy fools in shiny clothes, crossing guitars with keyboards and digi-electro sounds?

“Never!” says Andy. “I don’t get this nu-rave! They can't even spell it, properly. That says it all! Klaxons are all right but I don't reckon my kids will know who they are say in 30 years or so. Just doesn’t do it for me personally”.
And bassist Sam agrees. “I appreciate people who try and break barriers and Britain's gone mad for it, I mean just look at some of the clothing in TopMan.”

And that defines The Raid. Their sound’s not sickeningly of-the-moment. They don’t adhere to the trends of many of the bands their age. They haven’t bowed to London fads and you won't find their clothes in TopMan - or Urban Outfitter for that matter. While detractors might say they’re not pushing boundaries or embracing the future, their supporters will call their sound honest and raw, saying it transcends throw-away modern trends.

So then… Could The Raid be the band to show the namby-pamby Hoxtonites a thing or two about real rock ‘n’ roll? A band of the people, The Raid are grounded and gritty. More than happy with the old-fashioned ethos of being a ‘hard-working’ (we haven't heard that since The Commitments) band on and off stage, they’re driven by making a real connection with the fans.

And they’re from the mean streets of Hemel Hempstead (well, four fifths are anyway)… “Well, if you speak to anyone who lives in a concrete new town, they’ll tell you it’s a shit hole where nothing happens,” says Andy, a bee in his bonnet.

“Same with Hemel Hempstead. Except we’re making something happen. Music is our way out. For me it’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do. To be in a rock ‘n’ roll band. I don’t think it’s something you just decide to do one day.”
It’s timeless stuff, and you really don’t hear it that much any more. While a lot of bands try and avoid outdated stereotypes, The Raid still really believe in them - really!

And with the type of following, crowd reactions and recognition they’re currently attracting, why not?

Andy’s certainly sure that it’s gonna happen for The Raid - and he seems to know a thing or two about what you need to make it. “We’ve been offered deals,” he tells me. “We’ll know the right one when we see it. A band will rise or fall largely depending on the people around it, not the amount of money you chuck at it.

“Our manager, our lawyer, our press people, our fans, they all get it. Really get it. Just like us. That’s what we will require from a label. There’s no compromise. Simple, really.”

Simple… Some bands are trying their best to evolve guitar music and create something new, but in The Raid’s case, if it ain’t broke…

And bassist Sam Street’s parting words perhaps sum it up best… “We have blind faith. We want it and it wants us.”

www.tourdates.co.uk/theraid

The Raid play Brixton Jamm on 29 September 2007.