Their performances this weekend during the Festaħwid music festival may be their first in Malta, but German punk band Cut My Skin is no stranger to the live circuit.
The spirit of punk is not gone, and it never will be as long as people open their eyes and act against what is wrong
Formed in 2003, the Berlin-based band has garnered a vast following across Germany thanks to its raw, energised music, shaped by a punk ethos and fronted by colourful, vibrant and edgy vocalist Patti Pattex, who many local underground music fans will also know as the singer of Maltese punk band R.A.S. Pattex spoke ahead of the music festival about the band, the music, her connection to Malta and why punk is not a fashion.
What was it that first attracted you to punk?
I was about 13 and quite the rebel. I never liked conformity, which, of course, meant trouble on the home front. I listened to and was inspired by rebel music, and had seen ‘real’ punks when I visited London.
At 16, I lived in the US for a year, and when I came back I decided I liked my independence and moved out from home. I moved from squat to squat and befriended some punks along the way.
Surrounded by music that shared my frustrations with the injustices, corruption and lies around us inspired me to speak out about how I felt.
Punk allows me to be true to myself and find true friends. The spirit of punk is not gone, and it never will be as long as people open their eyes and act against what is wrong. Punk means action. Everybody should be responsible for their own lives.
What has your musical career been like?
Before Cut My Skin, I was in a band called Scattergun for seven years, which was quite well-known in Germany and some other countries.
I looked for all-new musicians through newspaper adverts and flyers, and once I’d felt we had the right line-up I approached my former label boss Horst Barthel (of Nasty Vinyl).
He didn’t even need to listen to the songs, saying, “If you’re behind it, it can only be good.”
He hadn’t ever produced a record like this, as he usually always drew up contracts and insisted on listening to the music in advance. Unfortunately he passed away in 2005, and after that we couldn’t work with another label, so we set up our own.
Why the name Cut My Skin?
It’s the name of a song I really like by US punk band The Gits. Their singer Mia Zapata was beaten, raped and strangled in 1993. The story of her murder came to me after I listened to their music and I was shocked. I felt that taking that name would be a tribute to her and all other victims of violence everywhere. We wrote a song called Cut My Skin, which is about not giving up.
How do you feel punk continues to inspire 35 years since it first surfaced?
In the 1970s the word punk was coined to define a rebellious sound and lifestyle. I feel it’s still inspiring today because the problems people faced back then are still being faced now.
I’m talking about genuine punks, not those who jump on the ‘fashion’ train or those bands that ‘steal’ the punk ideal and dilute it into an acceptable money-making pop product.
Those who really want to know punk look deeper than the music and appreciate that it is a way of life. Punk exists all over the world and will continue to exist as long as stupidity rules the world.
Given that your songs are mostly related to the themes social injustice, violence and frustration, do you see yourselves as a protest band?
Yes, of course. What’s the point of singing about beer? – that’s for drinking, not to talk about. I don’t mind party bands but I hate bands that think having sexist, insulting songs is funny or entertaining. They’re worse than the establishment and it’s definitely not punk.
There are so many issues – war, racism, fascism, the destruction of the environment, sexism, corruption, human and animal rights and so many everyday or personal problems to face at work, at home and as a society – which bands can address in their songs. We have clear points of view about governments, political parties, political world affairs and power structures, and we have our own way of putting that across in our music and our attitudes.
Your records are released on vinyl as well as CD. What’s your preference?
I grew up with vinyl, so it’s my first choice. Listening to the crackling sound an LP makes as it plays has a certain charm to it. The downside is you can’t play it in the car, but there are tapes for that. All the new technology is over-running itself at amazing speed.
When CDs came out we were told they were unbreakable and wouldn’t skip… yeah right. Smaller modern hi-tech equipment will never give me the same thrill of holding a vinyl LP and taking in its fantastic cover art, going through the lyric sheets – there’s more of a personal rapport there. Some CDs have this too but perhaps I’m just old school.
Besides Cut My Skin, you also sing with Maltese punk band R.A.S.
I’d been coming to Gozo for many years, and in 2007 I heard the Resist The Abuse album by Maltese band Subculture and found out they were playing in Valletta. That evening I met various people from the local punk scene. I kept in touch with Ray (il-Baħri, of RAS and Subculture) and came back to Malta for the release of Subculture’s Revolt album in 2008. You could say we’ve been close friends and soul mates ever since.
One day he asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I said we should do a song together. More than just one song, he asked me instead if I would sing some songs on an album he was working on with R.A.S.
We recorded the album at Steve Lombardo’s Hell Next Door Studios and we’ve played five gigs together so far. The distance between us makes it harder to write new songs, but I work on lyrics in Berlin and when I come over on holiday we rehearse. I’m happy to be part of R.A.S. – they’re great people and I love the music we play.
So your Maltese connection got stronger…
Over the years I’ve made many friends here, so I’m really looking forward to finally bringing my own band over. We’re especially looking forward to playing at V-Gen and celebrating the spirit of punk together with all the Maltese punks and the other great bands performing over the two nights.
FESTAĦWID 8 will be held at V-Gen in Paceville on Friday and Saturday. Besides live performances from Cut My Skin, the billing also includes Vixaw, Xtruppaw, Dripht, Rage Against Society, Batteries Not Included, The I-Skandal, Wan Choo, Pupi tal-Logħob, Beer Bellies, Errormantics, Bark Bark Disco and Kontroll. Tickets for both nights cost €10 (advance) or €12 (at the door). The first 50 people will receive a free CD compilation featuring all bands. For more information, look up Festaħwid 8 on Facebook.
www.myspace.com/pattypattex
www.cutmyskin.de