Third of the interviews, so, once more returning to the corner table, it’s the turn of Dog Toffee to undergo the ordeal. They’re pretty much due to go onstage now, so nothing major here. And besides a band from Manchester, that’s about all I knew, so don’t even begin to expect any “insightful” questions. Not that I do that sort of thing anyway.

So, settling down, I tell the band that I’ve not seen them before, or heard anything from them, so, unless they want to be known as Dog Toffee No 1, etc, then they may have to introduce themselves.

Dog Toffee No 1 starts. I’m Dog Toffee No 1, Gav - guitar / vocals, passes the recorder on, I’m Dog Toffee No 2, Ged - drums. Gav answers for Dog Toffee No 3, Sean - bass/vocals, whose talking to someone.

Right, so, what can I expect from the gig.

Punk is the succinct answer from Gav in one word. It’s got a groove to it though, a kind of a groove to it. Like a fifties type of punk adds Sean. It definitely grooves Gav is keen to point out. Bit of metal in it, punk and some hardcore, but there’s always a tune underneath it all, y’know what I mean. Never any real like hardcore metal.

I’d read somewhere that one of your major influences were the New Bomb Turks. Would you say that you sound like that?

We liked therm obviously. If someone says like what’s your heroes and bands like, we admire the Bomb Turks like more than any. We’ve got a couple of tunes that are like the same speeds as theirs, like any other punk band. Apart from that, no.

We don’t have any influences that make us sound a certain way. It’s like we’ll listen to a lot of different music, but we don’t try and sound like no one. we don’t want to sound like an American band full stop, y’know what I mean. If anyone says that we sounds like American bands, it’s not that we sound American, but that all these American bands sound like English bands.

Someone comes to the table collecting for charity, Dog Toffee oblige. We’re very charitable as well.

The trouble with a lot of punk bands, is that they have a band that they want to sound like, and that’s it. We’re not a set punk band, like we’ll do a couple of hard tunes in there, but there may be a couple of poppy punk ones, then it’s like hardcore punk. you’ll see tonight. It’s a bit of a mixture though really. If we ever get compared to someone, we get compared to four bands, the Clash playing metal in the fifties. We’ve had that about 4 times! And Motorhead with quiffs!! things like that.

How have the tour dates been going so far, have they been receptive?

Yeah, the people that have been there have been really good yeah. Apart from the Birmingham gig where the promoter didn’t turn up. W’re having a fucking good time. It’s our first proper tour. Just want to keep touring, all the time.

Do you approach the gig with any expectations of the crowds?

Nah. People are here to see King Prawn, there might be 10 - 20 people here to see us. But if they like it, then it’s good for us. I mean, we’re only a new band, and it’s the start of the game for us, so we’re not really expecting to play in front of loads of people just yet.

We’re glad to be touring with King Prawn and Cynical Smile, they’re all really nice fellas good bands.

I guess you’ve not got a deal at the moment, so are there any demos available?

We had a development deal with Sony last year cue looks of obvious “oh yeah, Sony, wonderful bunch of people”. Oh yeah, they treated us really well. Now, I may be cynical, but I could’ve sworn that there was a hint of sarcasm in the really well part. They had us for a year, loved everything that we did, and at the end of it they said they’d like us to get a frontman. They could’ve told us that at the begining and not wasted a fucking year. Just a load of bollocks really, we got some money out of them though.

Someone approaches the table indicating that the band are due to get going onstage now, so not one to try and stand in the way of impending stardom in Derby, it’s the infamous old plans for the rest of the year question to finish things off.

Finish this tour off, do a few more gigs. We want to get demoing and get something out, some singles. Keep gigging, never want to stop gigging. Gig ‘till we fucking drop, that’s what we want.

And with that, the band depart. Moments later the appeal to “come into this room for the music of Dog Toffee” sounds from the stage, and one more gig on the way to whatever is in store for the band is underway. And for me, the most interview intensive evening is over. Well, apart from the most important bit that is. The gig itself. Which was a ‘kin cracker. all 3 bands turning in great performances. Proof, if you needed it, that British music does have more than a little something going FOR it. If only a few more people would go TO it.