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““Music Vs Money” is already a stand out live track. Superb. …singer Stephen Ruffian, sounds like a slightly more mellow Howard Devoto - which is also reflected in the post-punk, slightly theatrical swings of the guitars and bass on the stand out live track “Death Of A Band” (see also the excellent crawl of “The Apothecary”) an excellent session that captures the spirit of Billy Ruffian's unique and oblique sense of fun and guile.” Manuel Ecostos, Manchester Music Online (‘album of the week’)
"The record doesn't take long to mark a target and start a fight...within a few songs Billy Ruffian has taken pops at the music industry, other bands, girls, anything it would seem before descending into some kind of flexing self loathing pose with a drink problem and obsession with death. Musically rounded by fizzy guitars that sound like sirens, heavy bass lines and occasional brass section accompaniments, song writing that is true has an end product that often sounds like a mash of The Fall and Roxy Music...the lyrics are clearly crafted as narrations of turmoil and frustration, commonplace with any listener/observer that has ever been involved. Unlike other things from Manchester, this is educated and very much underdog in its making but full of potential to equally ruffle feathers. "J Gram, Diskant/Musictowers
“The vicarious and peculiarly disturbed Billy Ruffian have a secret life that you might not want to know about, but you will listen intently anyway with lurid fascination as they pin bizarre corners of their tale with grit, brass, drum machine, abrasion and Stephen Ruffian's fantastic persona… the fearless success of 'My Secret Life' – the way 'Ballad Of Billy Ruffian' bobs shantily on weary trumpets and snarled stories... maybe even a whiff of Mark E Smith's lyrical genius passes by the obscurely commentary likes of 'Youth Club' and the undecipherably brilliant '(My Girlfriend Is Like A) Trojan Horse'…quite which of Manchester's basements Billy Ruffian broke out of I'm not sure, but now they're loose be warned – an imaginable absorption on stage, and a none too shabby album already at that.”Fran Donnelly, High Voltage
This Manc quartet have the potential to carry on where the Libertines left off. Whilst Barat and Doherty have seemingly plunged into the abyss, never to play together in a band again, Billy Ruffian have already had their own series of troubles yet, unlike The Libertines, have emerged relatively intact on the other side...this level of creative wordplay coupled with simple but effective riffs that make Billy Ruffian's sound one to be put on a pedestal...on the evidence of My Secret Life it is easy to see why they are endorsed by Mark E Smith... Chris Horricks, Sandman
"This is good stuff very inventive and showing a lot of potential future promise. Songs that are self aware of the ridiculousness and trials and tribulations of the music business have always been a winner and this demo deals with this and other issues admirably, The Death of a Band due to constant touring and lack of money, teen scenesters and troublesome girlfriends. Lyrical genius over a solid wall of music. Watch this space, as Billy Ruffian will be at the front of the ever-growing wave of Anti-Scene Bands" - Chris Chinchilla - ex-Art Brut
"With his jacket, shirt and tie (think tax office as opposed to scenester style) and crumpled demeanour, Billy Ruffian's frontman Stephen Ruffian looks like he's just sneaked out of work to go to an AA meeting spinning streams of consciousness across discordantly powered guitars. They are one of those bands where you want to hear every word because there is actually something there worth listening to...worth watching too he soon makes use of the freezing concrete space at the front to jump around like a pinball. Billy Ruffian are, in short, just the sort of kick up the arse music needs right now." - Manchestermusic.co.uk
"Quite simply the best new band in Manchester, still fresh and unsigned. I heard The Longcut. Shite. I've seen Nine Black Alps. Bored me. But this lot are simply amazing. Think of Suede and The Fall fighting against each other. And frontman Stephen is a true eccentric, not just a twat with scarf like the Mystery Jets” - Club F*ck Promoter
"Let's hope that they conquer! Billy Ruffian are my new favourite band." - Ellie Lockwood, Fuse FM
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