Jenny Woolworth’s Women in Punk Blog

There is a band called Wetdog and it’s three members - (from left to right) Rivka Gillieron, Sarah Datblygu, and Billy Easter - live in London. They make that kind of noise that I find deeply satisfying in that sludgy no-wave punk way, reminding me of my days in the 1990s listening to the Scissor Girls and The Jaks…
The band has been around for a few years now and have appeared on a handful of compilations and produced a CD-R, There Goes a Fiver, (from which the song “Jane Bowles” below is taken). In mid July they release their first proper full-length on Angular Records.
I cornered two-thirds of the band, Billy and Rivka, one summer city night and here’s what they said to me:

JW: What is one of your favorite sounds and what does it mean to you?
Rivka: The merry buzz of an amp on a day off with HOURS to spend recording and limitless FREEDOM or at least a pretense of that. The gentle rustle of our pet stick insects mating in the privet?
Billy: The sound of those really small airplanes you get on summer days when the sky is completely clear and blue. Purely for it’s nostalgic value as that sound reminds me of care free childhood days spent lying in long grass, it may sound corny but I’m a country bumpkin at heart.

Tell me about one of your most cherished records and why it is so important to you.
Rivka: I don’t act much like I cherish records at the moment. I leave them everywhere and ruin them. I must start cherishing them more. It’s not funny. My favourite music of all time is getting covered in paint and dirt and RUINED out of sheer laziness, carelessness and incompetence. I got a blob of vermillion on Elliot Smith the other day, right over ‘Needle in the Hay’. Fkwit. I love vinyl though, don’t get me wrong, it is by far the best format. I heard recently that you should use a rose thorn to listen to precious records on the gramaphone, as this will spare them from damage. I like that. Haven’t tried it yet though… they should be given away free in a packet with the best records you buy… I can’t just pick one record to talk about. It is impossible!
Billy: This is quite a difficult one, I’ve had my entire record collection stolen on two occasions including all my dad’s hand me downs, which was heart wrenching. I try not to get too attached now a days. I do love all my records though and would gladly have all my music on vinyl. I once had an I idea to invent a vinyl walkman that would be worn on ones back oxygen tank styley so there would be no need for cd’s or mp3’s ever again.

JW: What is the stupidest, most ridiculous, most sexist comment/joke you have ever heard?
Rivka: ‘Show us your hole!’ shouted at me and my little sister in a pub in Wookey Hole on our holidays in Somerset. Quite amusing…
Billy: this is on of the grossest/sexist jokes ever to pass my ears: Q. Whats the difference between a fridge and a fanny? A. A fridge doesn’t fart when you take the meat out.

Download: Wet Dog - Jane Bowles