Rat Scabies, former drummer for classic punk group The Damned, is seeking the Holy Grail. For real. In fact, Scabies is following in the footsteps of his father, a scholarly expert on the Grail. Fortean Times interviews Scabies and his neighbor, Christopher Dawes, who is writing a book called Rat Scabies And The Holy Grail. From the Fortean Times interview:
How did you two meet, and what got you started on your quest?
Christopher Dawes: Well, I first met Rat because I moved in directly opposite him in Brentford. So the first thing I see when I open my curtains in the morning is his house – and, very often, him. And he has the same thing with me – we were brought together by chance. I was 15 when punk happened, and my favourite band was The Damned; it's probably what started me on a career as a music journalist. So it was a pretty weird coincidence to end up living opposite this guy who had been a big influence on me, although in all my years as a journalist I'd never actually met him.Rat Scabies: I'd just quit the Damned and that whole show business thing and I really wanted to write something. I thought that the story of Father Bérenger Saunière is such a good one, with so many twists and turns to it, and I knew it so well that it seemed a good place to start. So I began writing a film script and trying it out on people. Having Chris, who's a writer, living opposite me meant he was one of my main targets! He'd never really heard the story before, but the more I told him about it, the more he got sucked into it.
