Artist Bio
The Vaseline Rats are the newest supergroup to hail from The UK, and were brought together in 2004 by top session bass guitarist Pete MZ Emms who’s name has been linked in the past to Metalica and more recently The Darkness!
The Vaseline Rats was put together as a ‘fluid’ unit in which Pete as a songwriter, put the band together around him as a vehicle to record and perform new material. The membership has always been ‘informal’ and allows new influences and styles to influence songs. However, after performing and recording with such artists as Dave Holland (Trapeze/ Judas Priest) John Lingwood (Manfred Mann) John Brooks (The Charlatans) Pete MZ Emms wanted a band that knew their chops and recruited accordingly.
The Vaseline Rats consist of
Pete MZ Emms Lead Vocals Bass Guitar
Mike Dejager Guitars
Alex Reynolds Drums
‘A question that is asked all the time is “where did you get the name The Vaseline Rats?”
‘Well, some years ago after leaving one of my old bands A.N.D. I was going round auditioning for bands and looking for personnel to start a new band. I was struggling for a name of my new band when a couple ‘incidents’ happened and fate kinda took over. I’d been harassing a couple of management teams in London one of them being Simon Napier Bell and former Deep Purple and Whitesnake manager John Coletta.
I didn’t see John Coletta for a while, but he was more than surprised to see me at a private party I’d used my ‘initiative’ to get in to. John’s words were “Bloody hell MZ! You can get in to places a Vaseline rat couldn’t get!” So the name kinda stuck.
The following day I read an article about the LA rock scene in which a ‘journalist’ described the lifestyle of rock musicians as no better than ‘vermin’ in the city. John Coletta’s words came back to me and I thought ‘yeah, The Vaseline Rats, rock n roll vermin’ and so the V-Rats were born!’
Since 2004 The V-Rats have raised their musicianship in spectacular fashion as the live 'back bone' for a tour of the United States as part of a celebration of 20 years of 'New Wave Of British Heavy Metal' with Al Atkins (Judas Priest), Jess Cox (Tygers Of Pan Tang) and Dennis Stratton (Iron Maiden, Praying Mantis). The Band in the States was being billed alongside Testament, Obituary and Ice T! And of course, went down a storm!
On the New York show, the band was joined on stage by 'Seven Witches' vocalist James Rivera to do a bludgeoning version of the Judas Priest classic 'Victim Of Changes'. Following on from the success of the tour, the V-Rats were asked to continue with further live shows in the US and Europe with combined forces of Den Stratton and Al Atkins under the name of 'The DENiAL'.
In 2006 The V-Rats completed a new album for ex Priest vocalist Alan Atkins that also features legendry Diamond Head guitarist Brian Tattler on the blistering track Pete MZ Emms wrote 'Blood Demons and Whisky'.
The Vaseline Rats continue into 2007 establishing their place as a vibrant and relevant live act as well as recording new material for their debut album with GULL Entertainment.
Continuing to receive encouraging responses from all quarters of the industry and gaining high profile endorsements from Spector Bass Guitars NYC, Moser Custom Guitars LA, Ashdown Amplification UK with Pete MZ Emms being a regular visitor to the prestigious NAMM show in California to conduct clinics and workshops.
As The V-Rats enter 2007, they continue to develop the groundswell of support they are gathering locally, nationally and abroad. This year looks set to be ‘The Year Of The Rat’
www.thevaselinerats.com
