Spunge

15 years ago, Tewkesbury ska punk legends [spunge] hit the Gloucestershire music scene.
They went onto release four albums, which received national underground acclaim, and toured alongside high profile bands, such as, Green Day.
I caught up with [spunge] to talk about the music industry and their eagerly anticipated fifth album, when they returned to the Cheltenham Town Hall on Saturday 25 April 2009 for a charity show in aid of Help For Heroes.
Your show was in aid of Help For Heroes, how did you get involved with the charity?
Des: We get asked to do quite a few charity shows per year, and, you know, we'd love to do them all, but we can't, so we are very selective. It's a very good cause and it's local to us so it means a lot to us, so we'd like to do anything we can to help.
Despite touring relentlessly, being in the top 40, and being tipped by former BBC Radio 1's Alex Donnelly, you seem to have been overlooked by the mainstream, why do you think that is?
Des: Being in a band is a privilege, it's hard work, but there is no justice in the industry, same as any industry. It's a question of who knows who, and flavour of the month. It's a social club, there is no question of ability.
Alex: We've actually met some of the best bands we have ever heard on the road that have never been heard anywhere else and the only reason is because they have never had any backing from anyone, that's all it is. They would be infinitely better that a lot of bands, but without the backing they are never going to get heard.