"Not only are The Scratch knocking out some of the best new punk rock in Britain today, they’re a pleasure to watch live too. Everything’s right about them. The sound, the look, the spirit. I’m a fan for those reasons. Onwards and upwards Scratch people. The new album’s f**kin ace! Clint Boon - XFM
"An amalgam of T.Rex, Velvet Underground and other good things including a big dollop of themselves, The Scratch do eccentric English rock ‘n’ roll with weird but catchy riffs over the top of it all. At times dark and other times funny, they don't do po faced indie. Thank God! Check them out guys!" Marco Pirroni (ex-Adam & the Ants/The Wolfmen & Howl Records)
The Scratch - Five St Albans based dayglo new wave sorts tuned into radio sets from a yesteryear era where pop was at its zenith and songs of the day became a generations vocabulary rather than the here today forgotten tomorrow production line wannabes of now. Handcrafting rumbling sorties of purring party pack hybrids whose turntable trouncing brew is a mainlining feast of psychedelicised garage glam new wave mod, the Scratch like you and me remember those long far off days when the transistor was your first true love.
Being firm believers in the punk DIY ethic The Scratch decided to release their first single as 7” vinyl only, on their own Ponyland Records imprint - ‘I Relax to Spiral Scratch’ a nod to one of our big influences, The Buzzcocks was released in 2003 and gained some good reviews and was stocked by Rough Trade in London. 2004 saw the first album – DIY , (burned at home and sold at gigs.
“The Scratch, as the title of the record suggests, got tired of waiting for the music industry to give them a chance and like many artists we talk about on W&H have decided to make their own way. The fact that they’ve achieved such a diverse yet coherent set of songs and that it sounds so damn professional is to be applauded.” [www.whisperinandhollerin.co.uk]
Following a couple of years of solid gigging in, second album Night Bus or Milk Train was released in 2006 through iTunes and Ponyland records.
“Night Bus Or Milk Train’ by The Scratch is genuinely the mutt’s nuts!! - all delivered in a pop-punk package akin to The Buzzcocks mutated with T.Rex and a pinch of Kinksesque flourish.” Peter J Brown aka toxic pete (Rhythm & Booze rating 10) [www.toxicpete.co.uk]
Things moved up a gear in 2007 with the patronage of XFM DJ Clint Boon who via a listeners votes competition on his Manchester show offered the band the chance of opening the Versus Cancer show at the sold out 22,000 capacity M.E.N. arena. Opening for the likes of Noel Gallagher, Paul Weller The Charlatans, Ian Brown and Echo & The Bunnymen, this led to a live session on Clint Boon’s Exposure show and three further appearances on his Drive Thru and evening session programmes.
“Guitar Gold dominated their sound and their set is full of great tunes” John Robb - Live review at Manchester’s Night and Day music venue.
2008 saw the release of two further singles and numerous Internet and Student radio playlistings, backed by live acoustic sessions. The supporting videos were shown on heavy rotation on Sky Channels, a short promo tour saw us support The Holloways and appearances on BBC 3 Counties plus a first festival appearance in August in the company of Alabama 3, Buzzcocks and Goldblade. A second regional XFM response session with Colin Frances (at the sadly now defunct XFM Wales) in Cardiff was also of note. The year finished on a huge high with a spot at the prestigious In the City music festival in Manchester.
‘You want the world‘ is a superb narcissistic cutie”, losingtoday.com
2009 has seen the release of third album ‘Whatever happened to Friday night’. Featuring 3 singles that have all been top ten ‘hits’ in the Tourdates unsigned chart. with ‘You want the world’ reaching number 1 in June/July.
“Teen Idol by The Scratch Rocks” - Marco Pironni, The Wolfmen
