trouble:your an old northern boy, but tell us, when did you get into the funk ?

rustler:always liked it really

trouble:can you remember the first funk record your got hold of?

rustler:yeah, course i can. 'funky stuff', kool and the gang!i bought that in 1976 or 7. yeah, and i bought a few others at the same time. 'shack up'and james brown 'get up off that thing'. all at the same time i bought those. i got into northern after the funk. i was into the funk for a little while, then i went to an all nighter and they played everything. the dancing, i was just totally blown away by it. there was no funk scene, i just got into northern.

trouble:when did you first hear funk played out in a club?

rustler:well at the time of the new releases, 70's!when it was released. they always did the business!

trouble:what is it that makes it do the 'business'?

rustler:it's the groove is 'nt it? the heavy groove and sexy rhythm.

trouble:have you heard the new 'soul fire' single?

rustler:yeah, i have heard it. i like it. but i am trying to work out what track they have ripped off.it sounds like something, i'm sure i know it. yeah, i know it. the track i know it!

trouble: what do you think of the new releases in general, and how important are they?

rustler:they are vital for a music scene.without that it is just looking back all the time.they are vital, they really are. it makes it a progressive scene.they are as important as the new discoveries, if not more important!

trouble:on the new discovery side, do you think there is alot more out there to be found?

rustler:well, they are going to slow up now, it has slowed up over the last year. because american collectors and dealers are aware of it, and they are into it, the producers. i mean can you imagine it, if you are sitting on some obscure funk records you are going to know about it, i think it will slow right up. it has . keb has had everything. he was discovering loads at one time. but all the northern dealers and soul experts in this country are aware of rare funk records and their value, and have had a good look and have realized they can not find them either!

trouble:is this what is responsible for the stupid prices at the moment?

rustler:yeah, and those fucking internet auctions. those bedroom collectors who have just got aload of money, and don't go out at all, can not be bothered to work at it! these are the guys with the dough and afford to sit at home all day on the internet. this is what is going to fuck it all up! that's the way it is with collecting records.

trouble:what do you think of these reissues, like the d'aimph f'aint thing?

rustler:superb, if they are all legal, which i think they are, very good. it's excellent for the collectors, and the people who can not afford these expensive records. you get a lovely little seven inch single, with good sound quality for under a fiver!you can't knock them.

trouble:do you think they are going to have influence on the amount of funk that gets played out, in the scene as a whole?

rustler:don't know. the scene is still infantile really. i think it is good, good for the collector, yeah good for every one, can't see anything wrong with them.

trouble: you've been playing at these nights in southend, and the big daddy thing in nottingham, what do you think of these nights outside of london?

rustler:love em! love em all. it different, when you get out of london its not sooo, you know serious, it just fun. in london people are just a little bit conscious of what they look like, and being in the right place in london. i love em, that nottingham thing last thursday was a classic, madness! no one in there over twenty five, just me and the doorman, the only people over thirty!

trouble:do you think it is all too serious in london?

rustler:no, no its not too serious, it's just that people let go a little bit moreout of town, you know, they don't care about whose looking at them, at what they look like. they just go out and have a good knees up. get pissed and don't care. people are a little bit self concious in london.

trouble:you were doing the thing down at madame jo jo's with keb, whats happened with that?

rustler:well, nothing really. i've got a heavy job here on sunday, and i was just mentally exhausted by the time i get there, and to do that job you have to be on top form, you know they have got high standards down there, so it was just a bit of a strain to do two and a half hours of warm up when most of my style of funk is uptempo.it was just a bit of a struggle, i love doing it, i love working with keb , cause he's a fucking hero!but the strain was too much for me(tic). i'm still going to do it, jim(raw deal) and me are the only people keb wants to do it, but obviously i'm busy, jims busy, jasons going to do it. kebs going to try him out, he can do the job, i'm sure. but doing it every week you have to rotate your records, you need a shit load of vinyl to do it every week. otherwise you play the same set every week, i can't do that, it's cheating! and if i'm not feeling good about it myself, i'm not going to do it. it's not worth doing. your better having someone whose keener, and enjoying them self's more.

trouble:i have noticed that over the past year or so, there has been less funk being played out at the big 'super' clubs, and more smaller nights popping up small to medium capacities, why do you think this is? are people getting fed up with the big name thing?

rustler:well they are still doing it, it is still in peoples sets, so you know, i know certain djs who are buying it and play it. there are big djs, ben wilcox, he plays it, he's a diamond of the music industry, he plays it in his set, danny breaks, he plays it in his sets, he plays at the end, he plays it in his set now!so no i think a lot of people do, you'll be surprised at how many people do play it. they are all doing it.quality music which has not been available to people until now.

you can catch up with the rustler every sunday at spitifields market near liverpool street. he has got a great stall with a selection of quality funk, as well as other sorts of dancemusic(if that's your bag).