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Aug 6, 2023 · Duncan Reid, former bassist of The Boys, talks about his musical journey, from joining the band as a teenager to releasing his final album with The Big Heads. He also shares his memories of the early punk scene, the challenges of being a punk band in the 70s and 80s, and the joy of playing live again.
As singer and bass player of Joey Ramone’s favourite band, The Boys, Duncan rode on the crest of a wave during punk’s original late-1970s heyday as part of a wider collective of friends and peers that included Sex Pistols, The Clash, Generation X and a host of other power-chord pioneers.
- Interview
- Writing Songs
- New Album
- The Grim Reaper
- Don’T Blame Yourself
- Touring
- Lockdown
- Don’T Blame Yourself – Review
- 14 Superior Tracks
- Optimistic Life-Affirming Melodies
LTW: You are now four albums down, with the latest Don’t Blame Yourself released on the 15th of May. Tell us from your perspective about your progression from the inception of Duncan Reid solo/Duncan Reid & the Big Heads to where you are now. Duncan Reid:The first album, Little Big Head, was a solo album. Having been in a band, The Boys, for ever I...
LTW:I think you have a knack for clever witty couplets and storytelling in your songs, I love how all your songs have a story to them. I read on the sleeve notes for “To Live or Live Not” you also mentioned suffering writers block, you said you always have plenty of tunes, but the lyrics are difficult. How do song theme and lyrics come to you, many...
LTW:Tell me about then new album – do you have any favourite tracks? Any amusing stories while you were recording? I enjoyed your series on videos showing how you record and mix the tracks. Duncan Reid: The video blog about song writing was fun to do and people really enjoyed it (Link here). A good use of lockdown time. I still get people asking ho...
LTW:The Grim Reaper comes from some sad losses in a short period of time, but the theme of the song is one of defiance. I know many of my circle of friends were hit hard by the death of Garry Borland, someone so close and so young. Obviously, it was one of the factors that led you to write this song. Has it changed the way you look at life and view...
LTW:The title track Don’t Blame Yourself has come from witnessing the change in the climate in the UK since the dreaded B word. Staying with that topic but changing direction slightly, I have seen you comment on the impact it would have on bands like yourselves touring in Europe, then of course the COVID 19 crisis struck. I know none of us can see ...
As for touring, the worry is that the UK imposes restrictions on European Musicians playing in the UK (and we have already announced that they will need expensive visas) which means that each EU country requires a visa for UK musicians to play there. Combine that with the “Carnet” requirements that existed before we joined the EU (and I remember th...
LTW: As I’ve extolled on many occasions, you and the band excel in the live arena. One of the things I’m missing most during lockdown is live music, and the realisation that that isn’t going to change any time soon. What are you missing most during lockdown and what are you doing to get through it? I sense there may be a video coming soon? (Update–...
So, to that new album. Is it any good? After all, it has to tide us over that Duncan Reid & the Big Heads live gigs leave a large sized gap in our lives. I’m happy to report that all is well, and the album is, as Duncan says, as close to the live experience as I’ve heard on their recorded works. What’s that you say? You haven’t bought it yet? Well,...
Don’t Blame yourself runs to a total of 14 superior tracks. But the feeling that you get when you’re listening means It still isn’t enough. One listen through needs to be repeated, and you’ll find yourself flipping the purple vinyl back over to side one and starting with Your Future Ex Wife once again. The music grabs you, shaking you out of your s...
Despite tackling those types of subjects, the band always tackle things in a positive way. I’m not going to say that listening to the band can cure those divisions and sort out all the ills of the world, but they have hit the motherlode in terms of optimistic life-affirming melodies. They have found the formula and they aren’t scared to use it. I’m...
- Neil Hodge
Duncan Reid (The Boys) talks to us about his new solo album, leaving punk band the boys and his life in music.
Duncan Overbeck Reid (born 28 September 1989) is a Hong Kong-Canadian professional basketball player who last played for the Bay Area Dragons of the East Asia Super League (EASL).
Jun 3, 2024 · The smiling frontman who climbed to the top of the hill and took his time coming down, making people happy and smiling on the way – Duncan Reid we salute you now piss off and put your towel on that lounger you’ve earned it.
Jun 26, 2020 · As bassist and co-singer with The Boys, Duncan ‘Kid’ Reid was at the heart of the late ’70s punk explosion. Merging the speed and energy of punk with harmonies and pop sensibilities, The Boys were dubbed ‘The Beatles of Punk’.
