OK, rockheads - when was the last time that you heard a trashy guitar band in the Top 40 (and I don’t mean Motley Crue either)? Could it have been as recently as earlier this year when Sydney trio Ratcat scored some major chart success with their absolutely smashing Tingles EP? Yes it was! So what is it that makes this scruffy group of kinda handsome guys sound so good - we didn’t have a clue in the office, so we thought we’d better get the lads in to answer a few questions before they became so huge that their heads wouldn’t fit through Countdown’s extra large size door!

OK, lads, what does Ratcat mean?

Simon : “It means ‘Joy for all occasions’ (looks of extreme disbelief from Andrew and Amr), well, that’s what it means to me!”

Why are you a three piece and not a proper band?

Simon : “Whoa! The interviewer has an attitude! The short answer is because it makes us tighter and makes us play better, basically, because you’re not relying on somebody else to cover up your mistakes.”

Who makes the most mistakes?

Simon : “Probably me! (major league size laugh!) I might as well admit it now ‘cos Andrew and Amr will only tell you anyway,”

By this time you’re probably wondering where Andrew and Amr are, well they were right there laughing at Simon with the rest of us; they are about to join in.

Why does Simon do all the graphics for the band?

Simon : “Well, I’ve studied graphic design and I’m supposed to be a designer now (more laughs. Andrew and Amr really liked this one!)…I don’t really have an answer to that question. Hang on, yes I do - yeah, it’s because the less people who have a hand in it the better it’s going to be, the more focussed it’s going to be, so it’ll be able to reflect what the band is all about properly.”
Amr : “It’s really because we’re too lazy to do it.”
Andrew : “That’s right, Simon has these injections that make him want to do more work, ha ha ha…”

Do you like being called the ‘Next Big Thing’?

Simon : “We’re still trying to quantify that. What’s ‘Next’? Is it tomorrow or next year? What’s ‘Big’? We’ve never called ourselves that, we just try to do the best that we can.”

Who would you most like to be?

Simon : “Jesus Christ! God!”

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

Simon : “Yeah, Amr’s the baby of the band, but he’s got the most hair (Andrew laughs)…but he hasn’t got any hair on his back! There is no hair on any backs in this band!”
Andrew : “Or palms.”
Simon : “Oooooo…”

Ratcat facts

Who are they?

Simon Day (lead vocals/guitar), born 06/06/66
Andrew, born 29/02/64
Amr Zaid, born 16/05/68

Do they have a single out?

Yes, it’s massive and it’s called ‘Don’t Go Now’.

Do they have an album out?

Yes, it’s brilliant too, and it’s called Blind Love

Do they like Elvis Presley?

Yes, but Simon loves the big El’ the most!

What would you find behind their sofas?

Simon’s would have loads of comic books hidden behind it, but as Andrew and Amr don’t have a sofa, you’d only find a bit of carpet (except that Amr doesn’t have one of those either)!