What’s up with Rob Carlyle and The Compulsions? Loyal fans haven’t heard a word in ages. In fact, the band’s website hasn’t posted any news since June 13, 2019. That was over six months ago!But according to Rob, there’s been plenty of action behind the scenes, as he prepares for a busy 2020!
“Whenever I’m quiet, that’s when motherfuckers should worry!” jokes Rob. “Seriously though, I know it probably looks like there’s nothing going on, but I’ve actually been real busy these days, gearing up for my next move. In fact, this whole past year has been busy.”
In February, the producers at Showtime came knocking and would subsequently feature electro-sleaze Compulsions track “She’s So Fuckin’ Sexy” to hilarious effect on the wildly popular series, Shameless. And a few weeks later, Rob hit the road in Europe on his second co-headlining tour with highly revered Crybabys front man, Darrell Bath (Ian Hunter, UK Subs, Vibrators).
“That tour was even more fun than our first tour together,” says Rob. “I guess because we’d already broken the ice, so to speak. We hit England and Germany again, but this time (tour manager) Svenja (Hiltrop) added dates in Sweden – andI can tell you from experience that Malmö and Stockholm love their rock ‘n’ roll. After the show at Folk Å Rock, we spent almost as much time signing autographs
and taking pictures with people as we did playing on stage. And at Club Probation, a bunch of folks jumped on stage to sing and dance with us. Keep in mind that we didn’t even have a backing band. We were just two guys with guitars!That didn’t seem to matter though ‘cause the crowd’s enthusiasm was
through the roof!But the highlight of the tour was probably the last night. It was a gig at this badass biker bar in Hastings, England called The Carlisle. Of course! But when we walked in, they were spinning the exact opposite music of what me and Darrell were about to play. It was the heaviest of metal: bands like Slayer and Sepultura. I wasn’t sure if they were gonna dig us, but by the time we were done, we had the whole place dancing. I mean, they were seriously gettin’ down and doin’ the boogie-woogie. So never underestimate the power of rock ‘n’ roll!”
After returning to the States, Rob hunkered down to finish work on The Compulsions’ long-awaited, star-studded third album, Ferocious – a release which also boasts guitarists Earl Slick (David Bowie, John Lennon), Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (Asia, Guns N’ Roses, Sons Of Apollo) and Hugh Pool (New York Blues Hall Of Fame), bassist Alec Morton (Raging Slab), drummers Brian Delaney (New York Dolls) and Frank Ferrer (Guns N’ Roses), and backing singer Nicki Richards (Madonna, Whitney Houston, Mick Jagger), among others.
“I’m happy to report that after about four years, Ferocious is finally done. Me and (producer) Ken (Rich) finished it in September and it’s so rock ‘n’ roll that it’s fuckin’ ridiculous,” enthuses Rob. “Get ready for a musical journey that takes you from the Mississippi Delta to the streets of the Lower East Side to the post- apocalyptic wasteland. I’m serious. This album is gonna be legendary!” OK, ok – so when is it coming out?
“That’s the big question. People ask me that one all the time and it means the world to me. Yes, there’s been a slight delay because I thought Ferocious would be out in 2019. All I can say is that we’re talking about potential tour dates and once we get that settled, we’ll pick a release date. It’s just been tough to get everyone’s schedules and agendas to align. But I’m ready to tour the world tomorrow, so I’m not really the guy to ask. In the meantime, I’m also happy to say that I’m now in another cool project and we’ve been working on some sick new tunes of our own. There’s a chance this new group will be up and gigging before Ferocious comes out. And if that happens, then we’ll just start playing the new Compulsions songs ourselves. But we’ll see about that. Either way, there’s a lot to look forward to in 2020, so I’m psyched!”
Until then, Compulsions fans can check out this foul-mouthed Ferocious teaser video featuring “Dirtbag Blues” (NSFW). Upon the video’s release in 2017, Über Rock hailed the “Dirtbag” line up of Carlyle, Delaney, Morton and Slick as a “Punk ‘N’ Roll Supergroup.” The video features Rob and his dirtbag friends doing a parody of “Subterranean Homesick Blues” by Bob Dylan. Watch it on Instagram here and YouTube below.
Additionally, eager fans can check out a second Ferocious promo clip, originally released in late 2018. On this pulverizing track, the music features Bumblefoot, Carlyle, Ferrer and Morton trampling through “Dead Flowers” by The Rolling Stones, with Richards on backing vocals and Andrew Sherman on keys. This video features Rob hanging out in a filthy basement with a nurse who appears to be stoned to the bone. Watch it on Instagram here and YouTube here.
According to The Compulsions’ Instagram page, the other song titles on Ferocious are “Addicted,” “Band Of Thieves,” “Born On A Landfill,” “Dust N’ Bones” (Guns N’ Roses cover), “Ferocious,” “Funk #666,” “Killer In The Woodshed” and “Man With No Name.”
More news about Rob Carlyle and The Compulsions is coming soon! Visit thecompulsionsnyc.com for updates!
