The Leftovers

by Alex Henderson
Back in 1977, the Dead Boys named their debut album Young, Loud and Snotty. Two decades later, those same adjectives could have been used to describe the Leftovers, a snarling, angry band that was formed in Sweden in 1996 but recalls the American punk agitators of the late '70s and early '80s. The Leftovers, whose music is punk with hard rock leanings, should not be confused with a Chicago-based country-rock/roots rock outfit that has used the same name; in November 2001, that Windy City outfit announced that it was planning to change its name to 100 Percent Spent. Sweden's Leftovers are not known for subtlety or understatement -- like the Dead Boys, Black Flag, the Plasmatics, and other U.S. bands from punk's early years, the Leftovers favor a forceful, very in-your-face approach. Other valid comparisons include Iggy & the Stooges and the Weasels (the Los Angeles band that sang the infamous "Beat Her With a Rake"). The Leftovers (whose lineup consists of vocalist Mr. Suit, lead guitarist Pete Savage, guitarist Nikki Violent, bassist Nick Skrewdriver, and drummer Rob Riot) come from a country in which Swedish, not English, is the primary language. But like so many Scandinavian rockers -- punk, alternative, metal, power pop, and otherwise -- the Leftovers record in English exclusively and have a strong command of the language (which isn't surprising when you consider that fluency in English is encouraged in Sweden's public school system, and that many Swedish musicians learn the lyrics to American and British rock songs at an early age). In 2000, the Swedes signed with Fueled Up (a Necropopolis subsidiary) and recorded 667: The Neighbor of the Beast.