If you’ve ever walked along Park Row in Leeds, you may have heard the sound of a rather whimsical wooden whistle coming from the Mill Hill Chapel area. If your curiosity was then piqued to find out who was playing these mystical melodies, you may have discovered “Rat”! Not the kind one finds running out of the bins at five o’clock in the morning, but long-time Leeds busker and Beeston resident who goes by the name “Rat”.
I was a big “Damned” fan back in the 70s
He takes his nickname from drummer Rat Scabies of the band The Damned and he says that “I was a big [The] Damned fan back in the 70s”. Rat himself, is now sixty-years young and has been busking in the same location for the last ten years. For a man of sixty, Rat still exudes a lot of energy, and he can be found busking in the same location most days of the week in all kinds of weather. I myself, have kept a close eye, and keen ear on him, for as long as I can remember.
Rat was born in Iceland but moved to the UK when he was around five-years-old. He calls the move from Iceland a “cultural backdrop” which I can only assume means that he sees the move as a “step back culturally”. With his wiry dreadlocks, colourful hats, and bold teeshirts, I am reminded of Björk, another exponent of Iceland. This is pure conjecture, but perhaps there’s something about living in the icy outreaches of a cold and northerly island that breeds a unique approach to music?
The music that he performs on his wooden flute sounds otherworldly and I must confess that on first hearing him, I wondered if he was stark-raving bonkers or a misunderstood genius. I don’t believe it’s my place to judge him, for music is a subjective art form and what seems beautiful to one ear may sound dissonant and alien to another. His music, while not delicate on the ear, certainly sounds like a language of his own invention, and it may be something I have yet to grasp.
Whatever Rat is striving for in his music, I believe that it would be foolish to assume that he is just a lonely old nutter. I have personally taken a lot of inspiration from hearing him play, if nothing else for his sheer commitment to performing. Although his music lacks clear melodic direction – in the traditional sense at least – there are some very interesting rhythms hidden within his rhapsodic solos. Ultimately, Rat has a sound all of his own, a kind of musical signature, and that is far more interesting than factory-produced pitch perfection – at least in my opinion.
You can hear a sample of Rat’s unique performance style in this audio clip.
His earliest memories of music are listening to his parents’ record collection, which included legends such as The Beatles. The first instrument he picked up was the recorder. He later “had a little go on piano and keyboard” but it seems he was always destined to be a wind instrumentalist and he has made the wooden flute his primary instrument ever since. This is something that greatly interests me: how musicians seem naturally inclined to a certain type of instrument. Myself, for example, although I have tried many instruments, have always come back to the acoustic guitar.
When I asked him why he chose music as a career instead of a “normal” occupation, he told me that it’s because he doesn’t have to “follow any rules” or “take orders from people”, something, I am sure, that many musicians can relate to. He also said that he enjoys meeting and entertaining new people. Rat often has a collection of stuffed toys that he takes busking with him, making for a very interesting and interactive sight. He moves about freely as he performs, making conversation with people as they make their way through the centre of Leeds.
I asked him if there was anything about music that he didn’t like and his answer wasn’t surprising “….some of this repetitive chart stuff I’m not keen on”. When I dug a little deeper and asked him what he thought about the music industry today, he summed it up in three words: “Pretty dull really”. As someone who is strongly opinionated about the modern music industry, I can say that I agree with him absolutely.
…some of this repetitive chart stuff I’m not keen on
I finished off the interview by asking Rat what music means to him. He told me it’s all about the lyrics and that when punk music came out, the things they were singing about made you think, and had the power to change your views on society. I think this was a strong point from Rat as there has been a general trend towards throwaway pop music after the 1960s when music helped to give rise to huge social change and a spiritual awakening among the youth.
He finished off on a hopeful note by saying “there’s still plenty of punk bands around”, something, I assume, shows his optimism for music to once more become a vehicle of self-expression and a means to educate and change society for the better. It was a pleasure to interview Rat and, despite the connotations of his name, he is anything but a despicable rodent.I wish him all the best and may he long continue to haunt the lower end of Park Row with his magic flute.
Is it not mankind that pushed the rat into the gutter?