Cornwall’s vibrant setting has nurtured many bands and artists, including Roger Taylor and Brenda Wootton, who emerged from its sandy shores and caught the Nation by storm. However in recent years there’s has been a drop, with little impression being left from Cornish Bands.
‘Mutant Menace’ band, Rueben and Raffety. October 8th. Photograph taken by Scarlett Jeffries.
However, the young and fresh established Newquay band, Mutant Menace could turn the tides on this barren landscape.
I spoke to Singer and Guitarist of the band, Rueben Carne, and Drummer Raffety Harris after their performance at the Jacobs Ladder in Falmouth, where they conversed full of energy and adrenaline, on their friendship, the beginnings of their band and the excitement of supporting Shane Hawkins, Son of the late Foo Fighters drummer, Taylor Hawkins, and a possibility to tour with him in America.
Reuben told me a story about how they began their band together, they joined together at a time when they where exhausted with their other projects, they’d been in three pieces, and four pieces but never a two pieces, until one night when they decided to give it a go. ‘we had a jam one night at our local studio in Newquay,’ they jokingly reminisced about how the walls of the studio where stained yellow and peeling, ”it was literally a crack den,”
However, they realised that maybe together this could work. “actually we’ve got some pretty good tunes here, and from then it pretty much evolved,” They agreed prideful that now that they’ve fully established in the Cornwall scene they where pleased with their sound. “sonically we’ve got what we wanted.”
‘Mutant Menace’ band, Rueben and Raffety. October 8th. Photograph taken by Scarlett Jeffries.
They continued to discuss their hopes and dreams for the future, “its been my dream since I was little,” Reuben told me on his hope for the future, Raffety interjected with their recent progress, “weve gotten to the point now where we can slowly turn our full time jobs into part time jobs to lay more time into the band. Both boys have until recently been working in hospitality to support their band life, Raffety acquiring a boxers fracture from his job but pushing through the pain in order to perform. “its a very scary jump from having a consistent source of income to then doing this but its worth it.”
“I don’t want to be the top echelon but if we can get to a point where I can live comfortably while playing in the band then I’ll be happy.” Reuben tells me humbly about his plans 10-15 years down the line. He then goes on other tell me about a recent gig they performed with Shane Hawkins, at the beginning of summer, it was the highlight of their career so far, “we’ve got talks about doing stuff in America, but its very early days.”
The boys and the band have a hopefull and exciting future in the world of Rock which will be watched hopefully by local Cornish People.