Rooster

ROOSTER buck the trend most of us have come to expect from teen-rock bands.

Their songs don't revolve around high school crushes, they don't ride skateboards in their videos and they haven't rushed into playing the country's arena circuit.

Instead they prefer to earn their stripes toughing it out with the rest of the scene's hard-crafting bands, despite having the backing of a multi-million-pound record company.

So why the heck are they still being compared to candyfloss rockers McFly?

Rooster guitarist Luke Potashnick can't quite put his finger on it.

"It does pee us off when people compare us to McFly or Busted," he sighs.

"That's why we're constantly out on the road touring, trying to prove we're not. Anyone who sees us live would need their ears tested if they believed otherwise. We're just a big rock extravaganza!"

Yet some music writers still seem content on lazily branding Rooster in the same saccharine-coated pigeonhole as the rest of Britain's teen-rockers.

"Some of them just do it to wind us up," reckons Luke. "McFly are doing their own thing and musically we're coming in a totally different direction.

"We all bring something different in the band. Dave and Ben and really influenced by the classical stuff, but like the Chilis and Audioslave too. That's where the groove element comes from. I'm fanatical about British blues and classic rock and I really hope more bands come through like us."

Supporting Led Zeppelin legend Robert Plant at the Royal Albert Hall should go some way in realigning Rooster's reputation as a genuine rock band.

For Luke it was a dream come true to support the Led Zep legend.

"It was just the biggest thrill so far. I was desperate to play there - more than playing Wembley. We didn't get any sleep before playing," he laughs.

The 70s rock icons are one of the band's biggest musical influences, though listening to their self-titled debut album clearly underlines Rooster's determination to set their own agenda in the music industry.

"A lot of the guitar bands around today like Franz Ferdinand and The Kaiser Chiefs are from that new art rock wave, inspired by bands like Talking Heads. We're more into riff rock - you know, bands like The Black Crows. They're an awesome band. Aerosmith too do a killer show," he enthuses.

After finishing their current UK tour the band plans to begin the customary challenge of breaking the States.

"We shot one of our videos there and the people said our stuff would do well in the States. We've had some good feedback from record labels there, but I don't think we'll rush into it too fast. We've got some shows planned and potentially I think our music could do well," says Luke.

Until then though he's just hoping the band's fans in the south have the stamina to cope with their new live show.

"The set's much longer than the last time we played down here. We've got two or three new songs too plus some classic covers. We'll be a lot louder too and they'll be loads of jumping. Hopefully the fans will have the stamina to last it out!"

Rooster perform at the Pyramid Centre in Portsmouth on Thursday. Tickets £9. Box office 023 9282 4355.