When I asked Minneapolis Garage-Punk band Low Rats about being in this series, they were hesitant. Having seen the group multiple times, knowing their engagement with the audience is always on point, there was no way this group was shy, especially coming from a band that’s been described as “the bastard sons of Iggy and the MC5.”
The Low Rats formed in early 2019 and quickly established their sound. You can draw a quick connection to the local influences like the Trashmen and Replacements, but then also pull into coastal bands like New York Dolls and The Sonics. Mix the rockabilly guitars and a surf undercurrent, Low Rats draw from a collection of 60s garage rock and 70s punk. Their debut release Year of the Rat MMXX earned them the ‘Best Garage Album of 2020’ by Rock N’ Roll Manifesto. The album is an adrenaline rush that coerces you into letting all 10 songs play through. The nonstop thump and gritty vocals by Mike Gallows surrounded by the surfy guitars of Poison Sells are a direct line to your veins.
So what held up a group that musically is a full frontal force?
“There is something you should know: No one in Low Rats wears any particular stage clothes,”
Confesses bassist Joe Holland.
That statement means more when you understand the history of punk music. In the 70s punk rock was an intentional rebuttal of the excess and pretension found in mainstream culture. This defiance meant dirty, simple clothes ranging from a tee shirt/leather jacket look to a more low-class, second-hand dressy outfits like Television or Patti Smith. This aim was preferred over the expensive and colorful outfits becoming popular with the disco scene.
Garage punk bands of the decade like MC5, Iggy and the Stooges, and the Ramones popularized secondhand clothing like velvet jackets, slim-fitting grey suits, solid black leather jackets, winklepickers, and drainpipe jeans. This aesthetic represented a lifestyle, a rebellion, and clothes that represented a common language between punk fans. It wasn’t about flare, color, and fancy bedazzling. Punk was the anti-establishment. Another intersection you hear in their music is psychobilly, a fused genre of rockabilly and punk rock. This has an outlet with more black retro tee shirts, vintage work boots, and a slicked back pompadour wedge.
Low Rats embody this authenticity. The clothing they wear on stage is the clothing they wear everywhere. Clothes they pickup randomly at stores, shows, and thrift stores. Purchased not with a stage in mind, but with everyday enjoyment. There is no separation or cognizant intention behind what to put on. It’s then that you can understand why an article and series designed to discuss intention behind an outfit, was a hesitation from the band.
“We dress the same way we would in a dark alley at midnight. It’s what comes natural to us and isn’t forced.”
-Mike Gallows
The first thing you notice with Low Rats is the adornment of patches and buttons, another trademark throwback to the punk culture. With the burst of punk bands in the 70s, everyone wore buttons. It was a quick way to express who and what sounds you liked.
Elvis Costello’s label sent out teeny-tiny pin-backs, while Devo produced large vibrating 3D badges. The plastic spike and stick pin of The Clash became a classic. The Ramones released a variety of buttons, displaying their album cover images.
This customization is a representation of your tastes. Mike Gallows sports The Black Halos, Patti Smith, The Damned, and The Sonics. Poison Sells showcased Panel of Experts and Dead Kennedys.
Joe Holland flipped around his bass, revealing a signature from CJ Ramone. This direct link to the Ramones lies across this leg every time he plays.
Poison Sells is the epitome of that punk history. Black jeans, black leather winklepickers, leather jacket, silver studded belt, and a vintage Minor Threat tee shirt fill out his standard look.
Mike Gallows mirrors the same structure, only softening it with a polka dotted button up, and a black jean jacket. His trademark shades that he wears at shows adds that pinch of attitude.
Drummer Ben Crunk mixes a striped turtle neck and a long sleeved western denim. His family comes from a long line of railroad workers, which his authentic striped train engineer hat ties in. A Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen pin on his hat calls back to the largest brotherhood of operating railroad employees started in 1883.
Joe Holland is wearing one the very first Low Rats tee shirts ever made, with a black fitted coat. His trademark stocking cap and side key chain flesh out his attire.
The Low Rats can see how their clothing can play in role in making that connection from stage to audience. Mike Gallows explains, “It’s reminiscent of the early days of pre-punk hooliganism. It lets the audience know they are in for a wild ride. Dangerous but fun, like a young Marlon Brando in a Ramones T-shirt.” This instant clue when the band takes stage has an immediate effect on the crowd. They know what they are in for.
On their newest release “Sweet Jane Doe”, all the emotions you get from their outfits bleed into the song. The immediate group vocals lets you know you’re surrounded by friends. They get you. The seedy rock and surf vibes bring the wild ride, while the extended chorus at the end leaves you ready to kick something in fun. The importance for a band to establish a vibe that aligns with their music is crucial.
“It speaks before anything else. It says ‘gobble gobble, we accept you, one of us.’”
-Poison Sells
Although the Low Rats were hesitant on the aim for this article, knowing they wear clothes that represent their music day in and day out, makes them the perfect feature.
For many people music is who they are. They identify with bands, feel connected to their style, and live and breath that passion. They are the band that takes pride in their tastes and represents their influences inside and out. The Low Rats honor the punk traditions, while forging ahead on their own tracks. History always rolls forward.
Catch them next on May 27th at Palmers or June 5th at Lyndale Open Streets.
Check out the links below for ways to follow Low Rats and all the things we mentioned above.
Low Rats Website- Instagram - Year of the Rat MMXX - Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen
