Dig It! Magazine

The Dirty Mitts are here and they’re all about bringing back classic rock! 

Last Sunday I went to see and interview the Dirty Mitts. The concert took place at The Dublin Castle in Camden which is already an iconic place on its own, it is a big honour for everyone to be able to perform there let alone discover music you will love forever. 

The band consist of 4 members: Matt on bass, Mateusz on drums, Tommy on vocals and Mo on guitar.

It was my first time interviewing anyone in person but everyone in the band was so humble, thankful and appreciative with such great passion for music, you can tell they are doing it because they have a drive for it.

The concert itself was powerful, energetic and raw, all I need now is a CD to take home and play it until I can’t anymore.

Hope you enjoy the interview, if you’d like me to cover a band send me a message on instagram: @digitmusicmagazine or via email digitmusicmagazine@gmail.com 

So how did it all start?

Mo: Me and Tommy, we’ve been in a band together before and the band disbanded and replaced members after a while and we started having different members until two years ago, now we have the same formation with the newest member, Matt on bass and that is how we started writing new songs!

Tommy: me and Mo have been together on this road and we’ve met many musicians along the way but it’s these two beautiful- it’s because they both have the name Matt, it made it work!

What was your first ‘oh this is getting somewhere moment’?

Tommy: Ah we’re still waiting for it! *laughs*

Mo: To me as soon as I heard Tommy’s recordings with other bands, I knew that ‘okay, that’s a proper singer, something rare to happen’ and all the charismatic people on stage, me and Tommy stuck together for many years and he’s a great friend and human being.

Matt: I think I knew that I was going to join this band because I was looking for a band around summertime last year and when you look up profiles of bands online, it’s really hard to find one that actually sounds like the kind of music you listen to and even when you do, it’s quite rare you meet people you actually like spending time with and that you can actually write stuff with.

The very first rehearsal we did, about 10 minutes in, Mo was like ‘oh I’ve got a fashion designer friend who is dropping by’ so I saw this guy coming in with like really really long hair and I was just like ‘I have no idea who this guy is’ so just that kind of stuff is really cool.

Tommy: I’d just like to add to this, what is the concept of making it? Because if you like it, I think that is enough! The only person you need to please is yourself and that’s all that matters, and that’s making it guys!

Mateusz: the very first time that moment hit me was when I came out from my mom’s belly I knew straight away- ‘that’s it, I was born to be a rockstar and play drums!’ I mean, I’m just joking around *laughs* but the very first moment, I think, in my personal opinion it actually happened quite recently when our bass player joined us and from that moment, – I think I can speak for all of us- started feeling like ‘that’s it!’ that’s what we needed and from now on things will go in the right direction. 

Who is your main inspiration, is there someone you look up to?

Mo: yeah absolutely. All the great bands from the 60s and 70s, so Led Zeppelin, Queen, Free, Bad Company, a lot of bands. All the good blues and rhythm blues, that kinda stuff.

Tommy: Well I love Freddie Mercury, I think he was the greatest showman ever, but I think you get a lot from your teachers, friends and family around you, you look out for big influences but they are all around you and they give you a lot of support as well so shoutout to them, thanks mom and dad!

Mateusz: In my case it was and it still is definitely AC/DC and Phil Rudd, I think the kind of swing he has and the whole band actually is something very unique and which every rock band should have, which is very rare these days and let’s say.. obviously everyone likes John Bonham, Steven Adler, all those guys, there’s plenty of them really.

Matt: yeah lots of those as well, I’m a big fan of classic rock but then I guess there is a slightly funkier side to my music taste so I’ve also spent years trying Flea bass lines, which I think everyone who owns a bass will try to do that, just go and learn every single Flea bass line you could find so I kinda try, but the music that we make doesn’t suit that kinda playing but I guess a lot of people have that thing where they try to sneak in your other music tastes. Mo said he was a big fan of Free, I love Free and I love the bass player Andy Frazer and Paul Kossoff so I think it’s very rare you meet someone and you can make really good stuff with.

How does a recording process go? 

Tommy: It depends on the budget that’s the truth *laughs* because if we have a small budget, we’re gonna try to put out as many songs as possible, we’ve recorded 7 songs in two days as the original, first recordings.

Mo: we try to keep it as raw as much as possible, not overproduced music, I hope you enjoy today, you’ll hear that it’s straight forward rock and roll (it was!) that inspired us and what we are after!

Do you have any crazy stories while on tour/concert?

Mo: usually yeah, when people don’t turn up to the concert *laughs*

Tommy: we did a gig in Northampton last Sunday and it was a very quiet gig so nothing crazy, it just sucked and we went all the way. There was a massive rat that Mo befriended!

Mo: yeah we’ve seen a massive rat as big as a household cat..yeah while you’re sipping your Guinness, just passing by.

Mateusz: I’d just like to add the three different drug dealers in Bolton, and that guy who was dancing in front of the stage, he looked like “I just finished my shift and I’m gonna go and get drunk somewhere with a random band from London!” But he had fun and that’s all that matters.

Plans for the future?

Tommy: we would like to release an album, we’d like to do big tours, we’d like to support really big bands, we really want to play festivals too

Mateusz: We’re releasing an EP which will happen quite soon, November 10th and festivals ,festivals.

Matt: Yeah I mean I’m just really focused on myself right now, trying to keep in shape, eat healthily and the band is just a side project really *laughs* I’m just kidding, obviously festivals, record deals, millions of dollars….mansion on Hawaii.

Find the Dirty Mitts here:

instagram: @dirtymittsuk

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