Ruts D.C. were formed in 1980 by guitarist Paul Fox, bassist John 'Segs' Jennings and drummer Dave Ruffy. With vocalist Malcolm Owen they had previously been The Ruts, one of the best loved bands of the punk rock era, releasing several fine singles (including 'Babylon's Burning' which earned them a silver disc) and two much-acclaimed albums 'The Crack' and 'Grin And Bear It'. Musically they were always more ambitious than many of their contemporaries, mixing reggae and rock in a manner that still influences musicians today; lyrically they reflected their uncompromising support for causes such as Rock Against Racism.
Following Malcolm's untimely death the three musicians regrouped, adding the musical term D.C. (from the Latin for 'from the beginning') to the name. Their first album 'Animal Now' is regarded by many, as a lost classic, whilst their groundbreaking second release 'Rhythm Collision Volume 1' saw the band collaborating with dub producer Mad Professor on an album that is still seen as a pioneering excursion into what was then a relatively unknown style of music. Despite critical acclaim the band folded in 1983, although on the 16th of July 2007 The Ruts played together one more time when with U.S. punk hero Henry Rollins on vocals Paul, Segs and Dave reunited for an emotional performance at the Islington Academy. With Paul suffering from incurable lung cancer it was an evening which also featured many of their punk contemporaries and which will live long in the memories of all who were there.
In the interim years Segs and Dave have worked separately and together with some of the biggest names in the music industry - now in 2014 The Ruts D.C. are back, with the long-awaited 'Rhythm Collision Volume 2' due for release along with some selected live dates featuring guest deejays and vocalists.
