Rising-star punks Radkey have recalled the time a local venue told them they couldn't get a gig because rap acts weren't welcome.
The young outfit, made up of brothers Dee, Isaiah and Solomon Radke, say it’s just one of the setbacks they experience trying to establish their reputation in St Joseph, Missouri – a town without a rock scene.
Dee, who fronted the band on the Pepsi Max Stage yesterday, tells TeamRock Radio: “We tried to book a show in this place called Hammerjack’s and they wouldn’t let us play, because they ‘didn’t book rap groups.’”
He believes the reason was the way they were dressed – as they always are – on the demo cover. “They didn’t even listen to it,” he concludes.
But once Radkey made their way out of town they found it easier to gain a foothold. “Everywhere else has been really cool,” Dee reports. Lawrence, Kansas, really took us in. They let us play their club, which was really cool, and they booked us again that night. we knew they were going to let us cut our teeth and learn how to play rock’n’roll live.”
There’s always been one strong home influence though – the band’s parents, who even let them drop out of school to focus on the band. “They’ve seen how we want to do the music, so they’re going to let us do it,” says Dee.
