Olly Harrison, Steve Eagles, Puss Johnson & Dave Sparrow. Photo: Darren Clarke.
ABOUT
Satan’s Cats is a new collaboration between first wave British punk band Satan’s Rats and singer Puss Johnson of Pussycat and the Dirty Johnsons. The group released its self-titled debut EP on Salamander Records in fall 2022.
Satan’s Cats includes three members of Satan’s Rats: guitarist Steve Eagles (founding member in 1977), drummer Olly Harrison, and bassist Dave Sparrow. When the Rats dissolved in 1978, the trio invited Wendy Wu to sing and rebranded themselves as The Photos. Following much media attention and a record company bidding war, The Photos signed with Epic Records. Their debut album reached #4 in the UK charts.
In 2022, Eagles, Harrison and Sparrow decided to re-record some classic tunes from Satan’s Rats. Harrison suggested they bring on board Puss Johnson as the new singer. Pussycat and the Dirty Johnsons’ fourth album was released by Hound Gawd! Records in 2020.
In 1978, “You Make Me Sick” and “Year of the Rats” were Satan’s Rats’ second and third singles for DJM Records, a company named after the music business veteran (Dick James Music) who had originally signed Elton John. During their brief existence, the Rats played many of the famous punk clubs of the day — The Roxy and The Marquee in London, Barbarella’s in Birmingham — and shared bills with Slaughter and the Dogs, XTC, the Killjoys, Suburban Studs, The Drones, and many others.
Undoubtedly, one of the highlights of their career happened December 21, 1977, when they opened for The Sex Pistols at Club Lafayette in Wolverhampton (UK), where the Rats were called back for an encore.
After Satan’s Rats and The Photos, Eagles spent time as guitarist with the post-punk/no wave jazz band, Blurt, and in the 1990s, Bang Bang Machine. The latter group’s “Geek Love” single (Parallel Records) was voted number one on John Peel’s “Festive Fifty” list for 1992. Harrison went on to become a filmmaker having his work shown at Cannes and the British Film Institute. Dave, alongside his charity work, is now a luthier and a member of the band The Pleasuredome.
MEDIA BREAKS
Vive Le Rock Magazine (Feature)
Scene Point Blank (Feature)
Baxie’s Musical Podcast (Interview with Steve Eagles)
We Talk Podcasts (Interview with Steve Eagles)
KNON Radio / Dallas, TX (Interview with Steve Eagles)
Evesham Journal (Feature story)
Razorcake Magazine (EP review)
Fear & Loathing Zine (EP review)
Vive Le Rock (EP review)
The Punksite (EP review)
Handle Me Down / Germany (EP review)
Uber Rock (EP review)
ThoughtsWordsActions (EP review)
OX Fanzine / Germany (EP review)
Fungal Punk (EP review)
Backseat Mafia (EP review)
Ave Noctum (EP review)
Devolution (EP review)
