I was always ‘a punk’, it’s in my nature…

The Andy Blade Interview 2026

Punk at 50, Rebellion, podcasts, the Brian James EP, gigs and Death Awaits

It has become increasingly obvious that I was always ‘a punk’, it’s in my nature to be rebellious, contrary & averse to phoneys…

Punk Survivor and Eater frontman, in both 1976 and 2026, Andy Blade has had a lot of fun and some success over the past twelve months: A well-received solo album, Tiny Specks in a Huge Abyss, a rollicking covers album by Eater called Duplication and he’s become Punk Rock’s Parkinson with a series of podcast interviews with his contemporaries. An EP of songs co-written with Brian James is out in April. He’s kissed and made-up with Rebellions organisers and Eater play the Blackpool Festival this year. Is he starting to mellow?  Ged Babey has known him for more than twenty years now, and doubts it.

It’s always fun to interview Andy Blade – to some, frozen in time as the 15 year old onstage at the Roxy in 1977, captured in Don Letts Punk Rock Movie – to others, a solo artist with a brilliant, but under-appreciated back catalogue.  He always comes out with great quotes:

I even thought it might be quite cool to hijack a plane at one point in my life, y’know, no violence, pretty female assistants, making your point over the intercom, whilst sharing the airline champagne with cheering passengers.  (2005)

and the classic…

It’s the world that’s fucked up, not me. I probably am a genius. (2017)

I’ve described him once, in print, as having the looks of a sexy ferret (which still baffles him) and he’s called me The Katie Hopkins of Punk -(but I forgive him) and we get on a lot better than how he fares with some ‘punk rock gatekeepers’. His online spats are the stuff of legend – because he refuses to tow the line.

You might have heard by now, Eater are returning to Blackpool this year, doing the Friday night. The Rebellion promoters and I have buried the hatchet. I actually have a lot of respect for Daz and Jenny. The Facebook public love a feud and it can get blown up out of proportion, but usually the reasons are so petty… there was no need to continue it. I am very much looking forward to that. The Rebellion audience are in for a real treat. Happy to oblige.

Well it is “50 YEARS OF PUNK” – there are tours, museum exhibitions, PR bollocks…. Punk as Nostalgia Industry –  Of course, you have every right to try and capitalize on it – you were part of it – and you can’t seem to escape it’s gravitational pull no matter how hard you try ….

I still don’t understand the interest – how that all works, but I’ve kind of got used to it. My knee jerk reaction since the mid-2000’s has always been to refuse to be a part of it, I’ve always been focussed on going forward with solo stuff, but there comes a point where you just have to accept that that the ambition to disassociate completely is impossible when you’re going to be forever connected to it – with or without your permission.

So fuck it, it can never not be fun playing Eater songs with a cool band. I would only ever do something if I enjoyed it, and alongside my solo work, it is a fun balance. I meet people sometimes who will tell me that Eater & punk rock in general was life changing for them. It’s not that I don’t believe them, I just tend to see it differently, because it has become increasingly obvious that I was always ‘a punk’, it’s in my nature to be rebellious, contrary & averse to phoneys. I don’t see it as starting at a certain point in your life, or even specifically being linked to a certain type of music.

I do take it quite seriously – which gets me into trouble – usually with people who display a complete lack of self awareness.

The covers album was as much fun to listen to as to make – is there gonna be a Volume 2 ?

Yeah, we had a laugh recording Duplication & I think it shows. I’d like to do a Vol 2, mostly because I keep thinking of other tracks we should have done. There’s a long list of tracks – especially less well known – I know we could have fun with.

You have of course become The Punk Parkinson with your series of Podcast Interviews – full of honesty, amateurishness but some content that has never been aired elsewhere. (My favourites are Esso from the Lurkers and the brilliant Wobble one) – any particular good ones you’d recommend people re-visit?

The podcast is fun to do, but I’ve learned that simply liking an artist is not always enough, they have to be good conversationalists. I am being more selective now, but have some good ones lined up, including Erica Echenberg, who was one of the scene’s main photographers and Brian James girlfriend during the height of punk – the Keef & Anita Pallenberg of the day. They were a very cool couple. She also added backing vox to the recordings we did.

My favourite episodes are always the unlikely ones, or let’s say unexpected – as you say, ‘Esso from the Lurkers’, Pete Haynes was great. I love him whereas before, I hardly knew him and had him pegged as dull. How wrong I was. A good writer too. I highly recommend that one.

Wobble was a lot of fun. It was great catching up with Dee G, enjoyed that one – very recommended, as is ex Eater bassist Ian Woodcock’s.

My favourite moment was catching out the deadly serious John McKay with a very non-serious question about wanking off a prison guard to get out of jail. The comments went nuts over that. Youtube commenters – what a weird breed they are.

I hope to be speaking Peter Perrett very soon, and am still hoping Bobby Gillespie will take time out from carousing with his celebrity mates to come and chat for an hour. Lydia Lunch should be a good one, doing that in person later this year.

I’m pleased you are playing Rebellion – and have repaired that bridge. Is your tolerance of what you have previously referred to as ‘the punk mafia’ lessening?

I will only burn bridges & go to war if someone really asks for it… I tend to match people’s energy. If they come across snidey and bullish, that is what they will get in return. I have nothing against anybody when it all comes down to it. I am actually very philosophical when it comes to reviewing a situation of ANY kind – as anyone that knows me well will tell you – but there are a lot of Neanderthals out there who can’t even spell it, let alone understand the term ‘self awareness’.

The Ain’t That A Shame EP sounds fantastic by the way. The other two Brian James songs are real beauties – such a shame the project didn’t come to fruition….

I’m glad we did what we did back then – but yes, it’s a pity. I think we could have made a very interesting album, but it wasn’t to be. Brian getting the call from Stiv Bators that he was up for something mid-way through working together – really put an end to it. I must say though, I think ‘Ain’t That A Shame’ has come out great. I prefer listening to the new version, no hissy 8 track rush job.

I liked Lords, but it was too clichéd Rock’n’Roll for me to get excited about. I think Brian should have followed his instinct with both the 2nd Damned album & Tanz Der Youth – to do something less ‘dumb’ – like different. I loved the fact that Music For Pleasure confused Damned fans at the time. Having said that, Open Your Eyes was pretty good. I went to see them a few times – looked like the Only Ones audience – all eye liner… pinned looking.

I am really looking forward to the EP launch gig at the Union, Greek St on 28th April. Billy King from John Mckay’s band is now in my solo band. He played guitar on the EP’s lead track & this will not only be his first gig with me, but the first time we’ll have played any of those tracks live. It is very rare to meet a musician who you feel in tune with on so many levels, but Billy really is like a long lost brother. We definitely would have been mates at school kinda thing. Shooting the video with him for Shame was fun too, which is odd because filming is normally very boring. The location we used was magician Simon Drake’s ‘House Of Magic’ in Kennington, maybe that helped, but we had a real laugh. It has been suggested we are having a bromance….it would be hard to deny the rumours ha ha.

I’m looking forward to hearing Death Awaits played live (the template for every early Wasted Youth song surely?) So weird that you were writing a lyric like that as a teenager, when perhaps it’s more appropriate now. 

Yes, it does seem weird. Mortality has always been on my mind from a very early age. I’m not ‘religious’ but the topic interests me. I find atheists & their closed book mentality very dull. ‘Death Awaits’ is more about being curious than anything depressing or morbid.

And, yeah, perhaps it is the best song Wasted Youth Never Wrote. 

I’m looking forward to the Highbury Garage ‘happening’ on Oct 7th though with our friends Wasted Youth and Quick Romance – that is a classy line-up. Got a couple of great guests lined up too, not least Tim Wheeler from Ash, who I love, will hopefully be joining us for a couple of songs.

…….

With his ever-present cap & shades, his bullshit detector fully functioning, Andy Blade remains the natural-born punk he always was, and always will be.

“Ain’t That A Shame EP” – 3 track 33rpm EP out on 24 April 2026 on Antenna Records Video Premiere on Louder Than War soon! 

LIVE DATES

28 April 2026 – Andy Blade (solo band)  The Union, Greek St, Soho  Ain’t That A Shame EP launch. (Invite Only – DM Andy online if you want to come. No tickets on the door)
Eater play Rebellion Festival, Blackpool on the Friday. 
7 Oct 2026  – Eater play Highbury Garage with Wasted Youth & Quick Romance – Tickets

Andy Blade  Facebook    Instagram

Interview by Ged Babey for LTW (C)

Previously on LTW

Outside View: The Secret Life of a Teenage Punk Rocker: Andy Blade – book review
Andy Blade: Tiny Specks in a Huge Abyss – Album Review
Eater: Ant – album review – 45 years on, the album how it should’ve sounded