大象传媒

Formed in 2003, The Rollocks started off as a covers band, evolved into an original rock/metal act and now have taken the road marked 'blues'.

"All of us have known each other since we were five, apart from Rodge who moved here from Australia when he was a teenager," says bassist Tom Lock.

"The new stuff has definitely taken more of a bluesy sound. The Rolling Stones have become a big influence, as has Muddy Waters."

This new sound can be heard on the three tracks contained in this page, taken from The Rollocks' CD released in February 2008.

"We recorded the new album with Paul Haley (Tuscan Raiders), whose got a recording studio up in his barge at Pin Mill. It's been brilliant fun."

I woke up this morning

With the blues inevitably come lyrics of woe, but The Rollocks manage to add an unusual twist. In Tuesday's Paper there are dogs smoking cigars, cats stealing the singer's cash - all sorts of animal related misdemeanours.

"Our drummer James wrote those lyrics. I assume they came from that famous and terrible, terrible painting of the dogs playing cards.

"I really don't understand it, but I'm sure it's got a deep and philosophical meaning."

The Rollocks have become a mainstay on the Suffolk music scene - a scene which Tom's thought long and hard about.

"The Suffolk music scene is coming back. I've got this theory that it has a cycle over the academic year.

"You get people who finally become 18, so from September everyone's gone to uni and no one's here. And then slowly over the year other people turn 18 and think 'ah we can go out'.

"By March and April it's suddenly really big. Summer it gets a bit slower because people are on holiday, and then September it's dead again."

So when the cycle is at its peak, who's worth checking out?

"Force are fantastic. They're all doing performing arts course at Suffolk College and play 80s metal.

"The lead singer and guitarist have cut themselves proper blonde mullets - they're ones to watch.

"Rosalita do well. A year ago they were supporting us, now look at them! We gave them their break."

As for a long-term plan, Tom says The Rollocks are hoping to put together a tour in 2008. In the meantime though they're happy with how things are going.

"It used to be that our friends would come down to our gigs again, and again and get very bored with it. But now we're starting to see people we don't recognise, and that's nice.

"We play a couple of gigs, get some money, do a recording, decide we hate it, play some more gigs, do another recording and slowly filter out all the cr*p."