The Wurzels interview: Do you think Donald Trump would like us?

A large serving of the West Country will descend on Middlesex this Saturday when two of English rugby’s giants, Bristol Bears and Bath RFC meet at Twickenham in what is billed as #TheClash.

In the last two years, over 120,000 have attended the occasion and a large crowd is expected in 2019.

It is Bath’s home game technically but that seventh hosts ninth is irrelevant compared to the probability of such large numbers of people getting to experience a slice of West Country culture in London.

There is food, there is rugby and there is also The Wurzels, the original and best Scrumpy & Western band, who first came to the attention of urban England with their hit “Combined Harvester in the 1970s.

Tommy Banner is one of the original members of the band, despite actually being from Scotland. He answered our questions  on behalf of the band on the eve of their big day at English rugby’s headquarters

Prost: Looking forward to Twickenham, how is playing London different from playing the West Country?

The Wurzels: For ten years or more we’ve been playing an annual sell-out gig in London at Christmas, but Twickenham with bigger crowd is bigger challenge.

Prost: What do you look forward to the most about playing there?

The Wurzels: This is our third consecutive year there, with an even bigger crowd, but especially this year because it’s “THE CLASH” between Bath and Bristol.

Prost: The West Country still excels at rugby, whereas (sorry to mention it) time has been less kind to the football teams. Why do you think that is?

The Wurzels: It costs too much to get “big-name” footballers to our clubs, because of over-inflated transfer fees and extortionate wages.

Prost:  Last year, an icon of one of the few nationally recognised bands similar to you passed on when Chas Hodges of Chas’ N Dave died. How was what they did similar to what the Wurzels do in terms of preserving a type of English cultural music and even way of life that would otherwise be forgotten?

The Wurzels: Very similar, like us, they wanted to entertain their audiences, and for everybody to have the feelgood factor, and go home happy.

[Garth Crooks plays tribute to Chas Hodges]

Prost:  How does it feel when you see a new generation of young people who weren’t alive when Combined Harvester and Blackbird charted, enjoying your music? 

The Wurzels: Very proud, but also very amazed.

Prost: How do you feel about touring the USA?

The Wurzels: Why, have you got some good contacts? Do you think Trump would like us? – he likes Scotland, so I suppose I give us a head start. We’ve played in North America (Canada) and Central America (Belize), so why not the main venue.

Prost: ( Have you ever made the rest of the band play anything Scottish in rehearsal? What does Flower of Scotland  sound like in Wurzels style?

The Wurzels:  If we Wurzelized Flower of Scotland, I think I’d be banned from ever crossing the border again.

Prost: 53 years since the debut album, what keeps both you and the Scrumpy and Western going?

The Wurzels: The demand that people still want to see and hear us, and also that we still love performing.

Tickets are available here from just £15 for adults. See a gallery of Bath Rugby’s photos from last year.