The Dirty Strangers: They're Just A Real Good Rock 'N' Roll Band From Shepherd's Bush!

The Dirty Strangers were like a bunch of big brothers to me and Rave-Up photographer Sara Brinker during our 1984 London holiday. They became very special to us, and we hoped that readers of our 'zine back home would feel the same way.

Originally published in Rave-Up #10, 1985
Interview by Devorah Ostrov/Photos by Sara Brinker & Devorah Ostrov

The Dirty Strangers

Photo: Sara Brinker

Brian James, guitarist for the Lords of the New Church, and a man whose opinion we highly value at Rave-Up HQ, recommended that Sara and I see the Dirty Strangers while we were in London. And he proved to be right — we fell in love with the Dirty Strangers' sweaty, unpretentious, good-time brand of rock 'n' roll!

Basically, the Dirty Strangers are a band of working-class guys from the Shepherd's Bush section of London. They've been playing their hearts out to anyone who'll listen for the last four years, and hopefully, they'll never change or stop!

Crime and a Woman - the fourth album from the Dirty Strangers

Released 2016

Q: So, how would you guys describe the Dirty Strangers' sound?

Alastair: We're just a real good rock 'n' roll band. Let people draw their own conclusions, really.

Q: Do you think there's a lack of real rock 'n' roll bands in London at the moment?

Alan Clayton
Photo: Devorah Ostrov

Alastair: There's a lot of rock 'n' roll bands, but I mean...

Alan: We're the best!

Alastair: Yeah, well... That's it, isn't it? Without sounding sort of, uhmm... Y'know what I mean?

Scotty: Rock 'n' roll has been unfashionable recently, but I think it's going to come back because there's no pretense about it. Nobody's trying to give you a message or be political. It's just for people to enjoy. We get up onstage and have a good time, and the crowd have a good time. That's all we really want. And I think it's gonna pay off. Well, I hope it does!

Q: Have you had a hard time getting your style across to record companies?

Alastair Symons
Photo: Devorah Ostrov

Everyone: Very hard!!!

Scotty: They don't want to know about us.

Alastair: I think they also realize that it would be very difficult for them to try to change us in any way. We are pretty resolute in what we do.

Alan: We've had A&R people say that they really like us and want to sign us, but every time that it gets back to the company, it gets blocked. They don't see us as a marketable product.

Q: I know you're working on an independent EP. What songs are going to be on it?

Alan: "Survival Dance," "Hands Up," "Are You Satisfied?" and a live version of "Shepherd's Bush City Limits."

Alastair: You might have heard that tune before.

Q: Yeah, but it didn't sound right. It's supposed to be something else!

Poster for a 2017 Dirty Strangers show at the Bungalow in Paisley

Scotty: Yeah, well... it is, but we added our own words.

Q: And I've heard that Radio 1 is going to be recording you guys.

Alan: We're doing a session called "The Rock Show." We're doing five or six songs.

Alastair Symons & Brian James in SF - 1986

Photo: Devorah Ostrov

Scotty: It's the first time we've been on the radio. It might change a few people's minds, y'know.

Alastair: I'm glad as well, 'cause there's people up north [Northern England] who are into rock 'n' roll, and they deserve to at least know that there's a band in London playing rock 'n' roll.

Scotty: Half of Europe... nearly all of Europe gets Radio 1, so potentially it could be a very big audience.

Q: Is it true that the Rolling Stones are big fans of the Dirty Strangers?

Alastair: I'll tell you what, Keith Richards told us he was gonna sign us to Rolling Stone Records, but at the time something went wrong... I dunno. Anyway, he really likes us. He thinks we're the best band in Britain.

Alan: When the Rolling Stones played Wembley, one of them had a Dirty Strangers t-shirt on! We get accused of being like the Stones in a way, but it's never been intentional, and our songwriting has never gone in that direction. But it's the nearest thing that people can hang on us, y'know. There's only been one really good rock 'n' roll band up to now — the Rolling Stones. They really cornered the market. So, that's the nearest tag people can put on us. But Keith don't think we're like them and I mean, he should know!

Alan Clayton
Photo: Devorah Ostrov

Scotty: Rod Stewart and the Faces is the other comparison we get.

Alan: A lot of people try to conjure up an image that they want people to copy — which a lot of people do. But we don't force anyone to copy us. The only reason [our fans] go out is to be entertained, and that's what music is for. And we come from Shepherd's Bush — the home of rock 'n' roll! The Who, the Sex Pistols, and us!

Find out more about the Dirty Strangers on Facebook: facebook.com/thedirtystrangers

Please enjoy this video for "Shepherd's Bush City Limits"