Being rowdy punk players, Ready Aim Fired were a little apprehensive about their 2 p.m. time slot for Holyoke’s Labor Day weekend Great Block Party. Once they were convinced that the family-friendly crowd knew what it was in for, they—guitarist/vocalist Sam Clark, drummer/vocalist Eric Clarke, bassist Stime Fletcher, and guitarist Allie Justice—launched into their first song.
“I looked up to see a guy in Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It’ jacket breakdancing to our set,” says Justice. “I think we definitely crossed over to a different crowd that day. I feel pretty accomplished when I can say that our punk rock band got people breakdancing.”
Little kids were dancing to their tunes, as were parents. Justice says that it was the greatest crowd response they’d ever received. “Watching the crowd swarm over to us and find their groove as we played our tunes was awesome.”
Ready Aim Fired officially began in March, but Eric, Sam, and Stime had a long musical history that predated that first month. The three Valley musicians had collaborated in various permutations, stretching back to groups like Jug, Delvic, The Capps and Divider.
Justice’s past projects include the Justice League and, most recently, The Plague. According to her, The Plague “inevitably” disintegrated around the time The Capps’ guitarist left town, opening up a new window of opportunity.
“The Capps were breaking up and I knew that meant a drummer and bass player were out there, guitar-less,” says Justice. “I went to their last show and told Eric that I wanted him to play drums in a band with me. Eric and Stime already had plans on doing something new together. A few weeks later I showed up at Eric’s to rock and he told me his friend Sam was going to come over to jam. It just started rolling from there.”
A band formed and, while songs quickly emerged, a proper moniker took longer to materialize. After months of toying with potential names, many of which lasted for less than a week, they settled on Ready Aim Fired, which sometimes includes an exclamation point for emphasis.
The four are inspired by Fugazi, Jawbreaker, The Ramones, Bob Mould, Mike Watt, The Pixies, Dischord records, SST bands, and “anything Steve Albini has done.” Justice says that while there are similarities among the members, a lot of their tastes do not overlap, which has helped them create a unique sound.
The songwriting process generally occurs during rehearsals. One member will show up with a riff, someone else will mess around and play something complementary, and then everyone else will join in.
“We each sort of play around each other and then a voice of reason—usually Eric—will help structure the song when the lyrics are written,” says Justice. “So, music first, lyrics second. Lyrically and vocally, it’s a really cool process. For the songs where Sam and Eric both sing, Sam will write a couple of verses, then Eric will write something in response. So the concept of the song evolves as a collaborative effort. Vocally, Eric and Sam do this sort of back and forth kind of thing.”
Ready Aim Fired head into the studio soon, and play Easthampton’s Brass Cat Oct. 30.
“It’s half of Ready Aim Fired’s birthdays, too,” says Justice. “We’re decorating the venue, there will be a costume contest, and we want people to show up in costume and see some rock and roll, celebrate our birthdays and celebrate Halloween.”
If you’re lucky, you might just see a little break-dancing, too.”
For more, visit www.myspace.com/readyaimfired.
