the Scabs
Belgian's band with the highest degree of "rock & roll".
Started as a bunch of angry young men in 1982 and made a smashing knock on the door debut with a few singles ("So called friends / Frozen
faces" and "There's nothing wrong / Beat me up"), a track on the album "No big business" ("Is this life?") and the mini-album "Here's to you
Gang". The group was at the time most often compared with The Clash. The reward : a place at Torhout-Werchter, the biggest summer
festival of Belgium.
After a less well-received second album (produced by the producer of the Bollock Brothers Ian O'Higgi ...read more
Belgian's band with the highest degree of "rock & roll".
Started as a bunch of angry young men in 1982 and made a smashing knock on the door debut with a few singles ("So called friends / Frozen
faces" and "There's nothing wrong / Beat me up"), a track on the album "No big business" ("Is this life?") and the mini-album "Here's to you
Gang". The group was at the time most often compared with The Clash. The reward : a place at Torhout-Werchter, the biggest summer
festival of Belgium.
After a less well-received second album (produced by the producer of the Bollock Brothers Ian O'Higgins) "For all the wolf calls", the group
starts searching for a new direction. This is found on the album "Skintight" and in the person of Willy Willy - the Sir Keith of Richards of
Belgian Rock music.
Ironically the Scabs find their way to a much broader audience with the muted singles "Stay", "Halfway home" and the beautiful "Crystal
Eyes". The albums however contain loud rocking music. "Ballads are the only way to get some airplay", said Willy "A song like that can be
used in more programs than a loud song. Call it compliance, without giving in."
The next two records get a gold status even before their release and the hits keep coming : "Don't you know", "Robbin' the liquor store",
"Nothing on my radio", "She's jivin'", "Hard times", "Hard to forget" ... and a whole bunch of brilliant other songs. This is the second golden
period of the Scabs. In 1992, they finally get another place at Torhout-Werchter after the album "Jumping the tracks".
After 1993, it somehow seems to get more difficult to get their act together on album. Their live-reputation however remains untainted, and
is recorded for their offspring on the double live album "Live dog". The culmination of their shows is the Neil Young classic "Rockin' in the
free world". « hide |
