After an impressive year with two chart topping albums, York rock legends Shed Seven have managed to squeeze in another major success.
City of York Council unveiled their new winter gritting machine at Hazel Court depot this morning – and it’s named after the band’s frontman Rick Witter.
The Rick Gritter truck will be hitting and gritting the roads of York as we head into November. And Rick couldn’t be happier.
“It’s just incredible isn’t it? I mean three weeks ago this wasn’t happening and now here we are, sitting in Rick Gritter!” Rick told YorkMix.
The idea came to him during an interview about their album success. Rick was asked whether it was time the city had a Shed Seven statue.
“And obviously that’s not for me to say! So I flippantly just said back winter’s coming, what about a Rick Gritter?” Rick said.
And just like that, Rick’s dream was made into a reality.
He said. “I’ve probably thought about it over the years when I’ve seen gritters going around the streets, keeping us all safe, you know? I mean, I’m also a pineapple fritter, and I’m dog litter, I’m everything.
“There’s so much more we could do to expand on this. But right now, I’m happy with Rick Gritter. It’s amazing, it’s like having my name in lights!”
Cllr Pete Kilbane told YorkMix about the coincidental turnaround, “Rick said his lifelong ambition was to have a gritter named after him and as chance would have it, we had just bought two new gritters.”
He added: “It is great fun, but it’s also a serious point that this is one of the most successful bands that York’s ever produced, one of the most successful bands the country’s ever seen!”
Shed Seven secured their two number one spots in January and October with albums A Matter of Time and Liquid Gold.
The achievement saw the band join an elite group of artists who have topped the album charts twice in the same year, including the likes of The Beatles, Elton John, and Queen.
When asked how the gritting truck compared with his number one album spots, Rick joked, “Well, I’ve had two number one albums and one Rick Gritter, so you do the maths, it’s been incredible!
He described the last ten months as “absolutely, unbelievably amazing.”
There’s only one Rick Gritter vehicle, but five members of the band. And Rick revealed that the others are slightly envious of the council’s new wheels.
“They’re all really jealous, but their names don’t compute, so unfortunately, it doesn’t happen for them. But being the singer and the frontman, I deserve it!” he joked.
After the exciting reveal, there were talks of the next big York council collaboration. “We were thinking about naming another smaller gritter Liquid Gold for the cycle paths!” Pete told YorkMix.
As gritting season officially begins in November, keep your eyes peeled for Rick Gritter gracing the city’s streets. As the singer said: “We’re all going to be walking in a Witter Wonderland.”