Grand Theft Audio Return With New Single & Video “Ici Mon Decree”

Grand Theft Audio, the eclectic project featuring drummer Ritch Battersby (The Wildhearts) and frontman Jay Butler (Real TV, Vive Finito), prove once again that they are sticking to their ‘no rules, no agenda’ manifesto with their new single, Ici Mon Decree. A high calorie, full cream slice of hook-laden French punk pop, the song was inspired by a character met during Jay’s time spent living on a farm in France. The song is a Pig-Latin French regurgitation of the bizarre and sometimes hilarious manifesto for living as espoused by the local villain.

He would often appear unannounced at Jay’s house, almost paralytic drunk, where he would stake his historic claim to the property (he believed one of his relatives had once worked on the farm, and so in a strange, pissed, pseudo collectivism this to his mind, made him part owner). Standing astride the muck heap he would hold forth – pointing to the ground, “LISTEN!!! – here – HERE is my decree!… I am a man of taste – but I hate the hunt… Despite being an ex-convict, I have NEVER paid for sex for I am a man of principle… If only you would take the chance and LOVE ME” 

These hilarious standoffs of mutual incomprehension would usually end with him finally resorting to bellowing verses of Ian Dury‘s Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll at Jay in broken English, a kind of last-ditch attempt to vocalise his incomparable lust for life and defiance. Despite the undertones of aggression, Jay became strangely fond of the villain and often ended up further fuelling the nonsensical debate with more cheap red and strong fags, as they traded ever increasingly bizarre assertions into the night – before leaving each other none the wiser.  

Ici Mon Decree is an addendum to that conversation. Ici Mon Decree is the first single Ritch & Jay have released as duo after the departure of Bassist / producer Ralph Jezzard at the end of 2020. This single sees Ritch heroically manning the aural gun tower and handling production duties solo for the first time. The accompanying video is Jay’s DIY visual aneurism brainchild, a kaleidoscope of coded intent that only the super observant will decipher.  Everyone else will wonder what the fuck is going on and tell their kids that acid really does come back to haunt you. 

Ici Mon Decree can be streamed and purchased here