Catching Up With The Bassist For THE VERMIN
And Star Of The New Reality Show BAD INK
MR. ROB RUCKUS
Interview By: Ginger Coyote
I have known Rob for years our bands have played show with each other and I try to see him anytime I am in Las Vegas.... Rob has been very busy lately playing shows with his band The Vermin and filming a reality show "Bad Ink which appears on the A&E channel.. We recently got a chance to catch up with him and ask him a few questions...
Punk Globe:
Thanks so much for the interview Ruckus.. It has been awhile since our last interview.. Tell us how things are in Sin City?
MR. ROB RUCKUS:
Things are great here. The Double Down turns 21 on Thanksgiving, lotsa good local bands playing around, the weather has been beautiful and you can still drink everywhere 24/7!!!
Punk Globe:
What have the Vermin been up to?
MR. ROB RUCKUS:
Well as you may know Dirk and I got picked up by A&E for a TV show called Bad Ink. We go around Las Vegas and find folks with bad tattoos and get their story, then Dirk or one of the guys at Pussykat Tattoo does a coverup on them.

So basically it means we haven't been playing like usual. But we are still playing. We played Halloween with The Woolly Bandits on the Strip. We're also playing for Double Downs Anniversary. And in Dec we're coming our to Santa Ana and playing The Observatory with The Adolescents, 7-Seconds, and Channel 3!!!

We got enough stuff for a new record, but that will have to wait till we get a break between seasons. We just got picked up for season 2 and started filming next week. Gonna keep us busy till March and we're planning to go play New York.

Punk Globe:
Congratulations to you and Dirk! How did you score "Bad Ink"?
MR. ROB RUCKUS:
Dirk got a call from Sharp Entertainment, our production company, asking if he wanted to do a tattoo coverup reality show. He told them to fuck off and hung up on them. Neither of us are into watching TV and the experience we had when Miami Ink filmed at the shop left a bad taste in our mouth about TV altogether. But luckily for us they were persistent. After a few meetings he saw they are great at what they do and really do give a shit.

When they were filming the sizzle reel, I went down to watch. They noticed me and Dirks comedy chemistry from 20 years of The Vermin and signed me up on the spot. We bounced around a bit till A&E picked us up. It's all been a bit of a trip for us. I literally got noticed in Japan because of the show and it doesn't even play there!!! An opening band just returned from a U.S. tour and watched us every nite. I can't even go buy a pack of smokes without the clerk wanting to take a picture with me now. I even got pulled over by a cop who wanted an autograph for his fucking daughter. It's been a blast though. And it's great working with these people. They are the best in the business. We really know just how lucky we got!!
Punk Globe:
Can you tell us about the new club in downtown Vegas where MDC recently played?
MR. ROB RUCKUS:
I was in Japan on tour with The Bloodcocks so I missed the MDC show.
Punk Globe:
Dave Dictor told me it was a nice sized club. How many people do you think it can hold legally?
MR. ROB RUCKUS:
I haven't got to check the club out yet. Been busy with the show. But if its where I think it is they just had a 1980's Vegas punk reunion show. A bunch of LVHC bands from the 80's like 5150, FSP,AWOL,Abeyance, Self Abuse... Got back together to play. I'm told about 500 showed up. Unfortunately I was in Japan and missed that show also.
Punk Globe:
Speaking of downtown, I heard you met my friend Heidi at Punk Rock Bowling. Did The Vermin play for it?
MR. ROB RUCKUS:
We played the year before last with The Adolescents. We always have a great time with them. Funny story, I was talking with Tony before the set deciding on what song he would sing with us and a Pigeon fell dead outta the sky and basically landed at our feet. We took that to be a good omen and named him Herbert the Punk Rock Pigeon.
Punk Globe:
So are you still tending bar at The Double Down?
MR. ROB RUCKUS:
I have been filling in between filming. I don't have time for it now, but it's still my home and I'm still always around when I can be.
Punk Globe:
You just returned from a tour to Japan with The Bloodclots UK.. So you are still working with P Moss right?
MR. ROB RUCKUS:
Yeah, me and P Moss the owner of Double Down have a band called The Bloodcocks UK. We just got back from our 3rd tour of Japan. Such a great place to play. We have a new CD out on Squidhat records. Welcome to Planet Bloodcock!!

We only play other countries. Literally, we started in Japan and played England last year. Why you may ask, because we can!!
Punk Globe:
Tell us about going to Japan? White Trash Debutantes played there a couple times.. We had a gas... How long were you there?
MR. ROB RUCKUS:
Well, this was our 3rd time there. And it was great. We get to play with a bunch of great bands like The Heiz, Namanoki Band, OK Rockers!!, The Stray Boys, Outside, and our friends Mugan Hoso!!!

This was a short tour for us, usually we stay 3 weeks but this one was only 8 shows in 10 days. Only bad thing (because the earthquake and typhoons didn't bother me) was Guitar Wolf was on tour here while we were there. They are good friends and I'm sad I missed them.
Punk Globe:
Guitar Wolf is great! Tell us where you played in Japan?
MR. ROB RUCKUS:
Mostly around Tokyo area but we did go up to Takasaki and also played an outdoor car show at The Green Dome in the rain. Whole crowd standing in the mud with umbrellas!!! It was great. I also got to play guitar and sing with Outside, OK Rockers!!, and The Stray Boys. It was an honor.
Punk Globe:
The Vermin are playing a shows at The Observatory. Tell us about that?
MR. ROB RUCKUS:
As of now all we have is The Observatory show on Dec 14th but we plan on trying to get out more in between seasons of Bad Ink!! Also T- shirts and CDs (back catalog and some new stuff) will be out very soon. We just cut a deal with an amazing merch company. The show has really brought The Vermin into a spot lite and we wanna get as much out of it as we can. We know this is our last and only chance to do it.
Punk Globe:
Ruckus, The Vermin are eternal... Describe yourself in three words?
MR. ROB RUCKUS:
Punk Rock Entertainer!!!
Punk Globe:
Any Internet addresses you would like to share with Punk Globe readers?
MR. ROB RUCKUS:
Everything is being put together now, these will all be upgraded in the next month or so but- www.robruckus.com www.verminvegas.com www.dirkvermin.com and www.pussykatvegas.com
Punk Globe:
Any new upcoming bands from Las Vegas that the readers should know about?
MR. ROB RUCKUS:
Lots, The People's Whiskey, Big Like Texas, The Seriouslys, The Dirty Panties, Urban Disposal, The Mapes are back, Fuck Shit Piss, Substance D, and Lethal Injection are playing again, and I still playing with The Fremonts, The Las Vegas Nines and The Western Bone Cleavers (with Paul Schwartz from M.I.A.)
Punk Globe:
What is in the future for you and The Vermin?

MR. ROB RUCKUS:
Right now me and Dirk have cut everything but working on the show out of our lives. We are giving this everything we got. Season 2 is alot smoother. The Tattoos are harder and they are letting us be alot more of ourselves. We are both very proud of the work that we are putting in and hope that it shows on the new episodes.

The Vermin has at least another record in us and we hope to record it next year. We also have a tribute to our fucking selves on deck to come out. We got The Heiz from Japan to do "Hot Sushi" we got Michael Dean Damron from Portland Oregons I can lick any son of a bitch in the House to do "Fly in my Eye" and a bunch of our local friends to cover our songs. It's shaping up to be a great project.
Punk Globe:
Any plans for New Years Eve?
MR. ROB RUCKUS:
Not really, we're filming till March, other than our trip to LA and The Double Down gigs that's pretty much all we do.
Punk Globe:
Thanks for the interview Ruckus... Do you have any final words for Punk Globe readers?
MR. ROB RUCKUS:
Just thanx for putting up with our shit for the past 20 years!! Thanks for watching Bad Ink they wouldn't have renewed us if you ain't watching. And thank YOU Ginger and Punk Globe for keeping the good word of Punk Rock in the worlds face!!!
Thank you Rob Ruckus. I hope you all tune in BAD INK on the A&E Channel... Rob and Dirk show Kat V just how it is done!