Wank Punter Band On Cash Box Canada For New EP “Plain Brown Wrapper”
The Wank Punter interview that appears on www.Cashboxcanada.ca . We have Emcee’d for the Wank Punter band several times in Canada and had one great party with them at the Whiskey on Sunset in Hollywood California,
Cover Story: Wank Punter – Dirty Secrets
Last week we spoke with Mark Nakamura aka “Feedback” about the band the ideas, how it all started, Mark’s views on Bill C10 and Gabi and the Fluffettes, for those who are not familiar with this hard rocking Zappa-ish group we will talk a little about the music and what’s next for Mark and the Band.
BD: The first CD ‘Wank Punter’s “Unlubricated” was a collage of original music from most genres of the music pool. With 13 songs you seem to have covered the gambit of tunes all on one CD.
Nubian Princess with the heavy Marlie reggae beat, Cornholio with the Latin Mexican influence and even Sex Worker and the British accent of Joey, was this done as homage to the artists of the past that you may have been influenced by?
Mark: Yes and no. My influences are what they are and surely they have played a major part in my style and approach to writing. More than anything though, the wide range of genres represented on that record was more of a stand against the way modern pop records are BD produced and packaged. I was sick of everything being so consistently the same. From artist to artist, track to track. I yearn for the day to return when artists explored and incorporated styles beyond the typical mainstream palate. Today, it’s apparently a sin to play reggae if you’re a hard rock band. That’s just bulshit in my mind.
Regarding the British voice in Sex Worker, that was Gunner, the original keyboardist/2nd vocalist in the band. He’s no longer with us but we remain on best of terms as friends. He got an offer to audition for Blind Melon (before they ultimately decided to call it quits) and we gave him our blessings. He’s currently working in Florida as a session musician.
BD: With “Unlubricated” you mentioned that there actually are no obscene slang words that it is all “tongue in cheek” or done as a satire, however you still did not get mainstream radio airplay whereas bands like Nickleback and songs like “something in your mouth or Theory of a Dead Man” with their song “Bad Girlfriend” both were on heavy rotation but not Wank Punter, yet their lyrics are quite explicit, why do you think that is?
Mark: Money, or lack thereof. All kidding aside, even though money has a fair bit to do with the issue, the band has been handicapped by virtue of its name, by the over-all concept that we’re satirizing sex and sexuality, and perhaps even our unique relationship with the porn stars we celebrate. It’s all those things combined that makes certain gatekeepers rather squeamish and apprehensive about supporting it. Go figure? The largest consumers of live adult entertainment are politicians and sports and entertainment figures. Don’t ask me how I know that though. Yet, the mere mention of porn or prostitutes and you get this up-turned nose thumbed at you.
Granted, not all the tracks on “Unlubricated” are squeaky clean. But songs such as Driver, Sex Worker, Nubian Princess, Back door Man, just to name a few, are far tamer than some of the songs that have been successfully released in the not too distant past.
Going back to your juxtaposition regarding Nickelback and Theory Of A Dead Man, they can do these one off’s and get away with it as the body of their work doesn’t consistently fall under that risqué demographic. That’s the biggest difference from what I can see. So when bands such as Buck Cherry et al momentarily expose the fangs of a wolf, they get to do it with sheep’s clothing.
Wank Punter ultimately became a very passionate project of mine as I dearly wanted to test the boundaries of free speech without the benefit of cloaking the band in acceptable attire. I wanted to see, in the 21st century no less, if there were morality cops still in existence trying to govern our thoughts and ideas here in the western world and to what length they would go to try and silence those voices.
BD: Now the song “Captain Cockblock” has that great baseball cut in déjà vu of Meatloaf, why did you come up with that idea or spoof of the large one himself ?
Mark: It’s my Reality TV version of how I envisioned Meatloaf attempting to score on the field. I just couldn’t picture a guy like that scoring a home run with a hot babe so I penned it as a flame out. This is why the guitar solo that The Discombobulator played at the end of the monologue has a frenetic, stumbling approach to it’s dynamic peak and why Joey delivers a tongue-tied vocal performance of sheer gibberish to evoke the emotional confusion. That part of the song was a riot to record. Joey had us all in tears from laughing so hard.
The music video for that tune got censored off of YouTube within days of going live. And that was the soft core pixilated cut! It features AVN award winning porn stars Felicia Fox and Mike South. Gene Simmons gets a bit of face time as well. I managed to get some footage of him at the AVN convention in 2005 and cut it into the clip. You can see the uncensored version on the band’s website. It’s hidden in the Backstage Pass section.
BD: The band even seems to have a softer side with “Fatherly Advice” but yet the lyrics are almost opposite of the musical love song progression with the hint of incest throughout, have you ever thought when writing something like this just to keep it mainstream as a love ballad instead of throwing in the twist through the lyrics, you could have had all the easy rock stations eating out of your hand. You have another candidate with ‘A Girl like You”.
Mark: Ya, but where would the challenge be in doing that, let alone the fun? I’m all about shock and awe.
“Fatherly Advice” isn’t about incest. It’s basically decoding the typical love ballad and all that it truly stood for over time. In short, it’s as sincere a song as you could ever imagine in that I pull no punches telling the truth about why we write those damned retched, dirges. Which is, simply to get laid.
The song “A Girl like You” on face value is pretty harmless. Fact of the matter is, it’s a stalker type song, sung through the voice of the antagonist. It’s an emotional admission of not being in the same league as the object of his desire yet the over-powering urge to have her compels the subject to take the plunge and cross that line in the sand, all the while asking if it’s really such a crime to steal her heart away. The heart is a metaphor for innocence.
It’s a sad reflection of our times in the sense that recent generations of young adults have been weaned at the tit of entitlement to such a degree that certain individual males simply snap when confronted by rejection of any sort and react in the only way they know how.
BD: Driver has an almost U2 type of intro and then turns it up a notch with a straight on rock beat. Is that to catch the attention of those hooked on the Irish goodniks sound or did it just end up like that?
Mark: Driver was one of those songs that came in a flash. The damned tune was finished within an hour or two of the process. The U2 guitar bits were part of the Discombobulator’s contribution to the tune. But from what I can remember, there was no premeditation taking us in that particular direction. Funny that you mention it as I always thought of Driver as having a Fleetwood Mac feel to the drums, especially in the verses. The rhythm section reminds me of Go Your Own Way.
BD: Now the “in the face rock anthems” are all there in “Supersize Me”, “Back Doorman” with great vocal harmonies,” Go Figure” and “Mainstream is Learning”, where we have the Geddy Lee falsetto voice ,is this the true sound of WP when you are not being satirical?
Mark: The Geddy voice is Gunner once again. The true sound of the band is what you get collectively from the record as a whole. It’s a pretty diverse band with eclectic tastes but a band that still maintains pop sensibilities within its sound. Whether we are being satirical or not, musically, what you hear is what you get. This is true of the live show as well.
BD: Then we have the first cut Kirsten Price, this has the jazz and funk beat of a Zappa tune, it rocks and chops it’s way to the dance floor. Was Zappa a big influence in your writing?
Mark: Absolutely no doubt about it. No Zappa, no Wank Punter. Although, I decided to eschew the far more esoteric and musically challenging arrangement approach of songs such as “The Black Page”, “Zombie Wolf” etc. Wank Punter is a more “Dirty Love”/”Why Does It Hurt When I Pee” kind of thing.
BD: Now we come to your next CD. Six songs only, that is pared down a lot from 13 in “Unlubricated’ is the experiment over and you feel you have found your groove?
Mark: We definitely found our groove. It’s a bit more narrow in scope, genre wise compared to the last CD but the real reason for making an EP as opposed to another full length CD is more indicative of the times we are living in. The industry has changed so drastically that it appears to have become a singles market once again. The irony being, no one takes you seriously if that is all you have… 1 song. Hence, the EP. I wanted all killer, no filler and with our label (Blue Sapphire – distributed by DEP/UNIVERSAL) anxious for the follow up record, I figured an EP would be the best way to hit ‘em hard and fast and if everyone really digs it, it’ll leave them wanting more.
BD: “Plain Brown Wrapper”, that is a great marketing concept on it’s own, just like the condom on the first CD ,who came up with those ideas?
Mark: Me. I am responsible for packaging and marketing everything here as well as maintaining my creative portfolio in the song writing department. I’m a pretty twisted character and this stuff just lurks in the nether regions of my mind… In truth, it’s a throwback to the days when porn videos were mailed in plain brown wrappers to the recipients with the sender being anonymous. Wait till you see the pic on the disc itself. ; ) Parents be forewarned.
BD: Without giving it all away can you give us a run down on what we can expect to hear on the PBW CD coming out next month?
Mark: First off, the street date for the release is September 15th. What else can everyone expect? 6 incredibly rocking tunes! Seriously, this CD doesn’t let up from the first track on. It begins with The Bionic Chronic, a satirical poke at rappers who openly celebrate the consumption of illicit, combustible, amusement aid. But instead of using typical base descriptors to delineate our story line, I employed more thought provoking metaphors that, on their own would be harmless enough.
How the song actually came about is an interesting story in its own right. My nephew, who is heavy into rap and hip hop and is an aspiring writer, was penning a lyric one day and read it out to me. I wasn’t pleased with the language he was using and decided to sit down and provide a brief example of how he could word it in an intellectually thought provoking manner without cursing up a blue streak. That’s how the opening verse came about. I decided to continue on with it just to see where it would lead me. I owe it to my nephew David for providing the muse to inspire this track.
It’s a bit of a creative departure for the band as it incorporates rap, sampled beats merged with real drums, and a Beasty Boys kind of feel to it. I plan to exploit this track heavily.
BD: Definitely has the Beaties sound.
Mark: It also showcases the lovely vocal talents of our back-up singers, especially Cherry Poppins, who I am currently producing as a solo artist in her own right. I had this harmony part reminiscent of the Andrew Sisters’ vocal style and got the girls to lay it over alt rock beats in the bridge of the tune. It’s pretty outrageous.
Switch is next on the disc and lyrically speaking, is pretty self-explanatory if you’re into the BDSM scene. It also showcases Cherry at the end of the tune as she transitions from a submissive back up to the bitch wail of a dominatrix.
BD: Like Mary Clayton with the Stones.
Mark:The most outrageous track though, hands down goes to Glory Oh Gloria. It’s a rocking lament about a man’s experience when he discovers a glory hole wall in his youth and how the momentous event had scarred him for life.
BD: Can’t say I’ve been there, next! You mentioned “branch off projects” from Wank Punter can you tell us a bit about Cheery Poppins , Kirsten’s solo career and where she’s going with it and can we expect more?
Mark: Cherry Poppins, aka Kirsten Rea, is in the early stages of recording her debut CD. It won’t be anything remotely similar to her stint with Wank Punter so don’t be expecting her to crawl up a stripper pole during a serenade. But we have very high hopes for this remarkable talent. Not only is she beautiful, she can sing her tail off and writes equally as well. We’re taking our time developing the songs for her and in the meantime, having her cut her teeth in such hostile environments such as a Wank Punter live show and backstage party will surely enable her to fend for herself when she assumes the role of band leader with her very own brigade.
Expect her EP to drop sometime during the winter of 09.
BD: Finally, what do you listen to on your I Pod?
Mark: I surf a lot on the internet music sites and I really dig this one guitarist who calls himself Bumblefoot. He hasn’t quit reached the level of ubiquity that other better known guitar slingers such as Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, et al have achieved but has great tunes on YouTube. I like Bucket head as well. Otherwise Frank Zappa of course and I have their complete collection. More current bands that I listen to are Tool, System of a Down, Lamb Of God as well as bands like Green Day. They’re like cinnamon candy with a kick.
BD: Any Canadian acts?
Mark: There’s a burgeoning new music scene in Canada and I believe it’s far more relevant than what is coming out of the USA at the moment. Unfortunately, we lack the industry to support it so quite a few acts aren’t getting the recognition they truly deserve. Bands such as White Cowbell Oklahoma (who happen to be stablemates of ours), are making waves in the clubs and packing ‘em to the rafters yet mainstream doesn’t cover it so only the hardcore fans are aware of them.
Nickelback is a good example of the blandness that’s quite endemic of the biz on the national and international level. Although I will go on record to admit that I really like “Something in Your Mouth”. It’s a very well crafted song. I do like a lot of Prog rock like Pink Floyd, Genesis (old stuff), Gentle Giant, ELP, and a little Dream Theatre as well.
BD: Any advice for the young bands and musicians out there?
Mark: Yes, learn from the past and go find another career ! All kidding aside, unless you are truly passionate about the craft of music, you are in for a lot of grief and heartache. Those with an undying love for the art will soldier forward regardless of the circumstances, regardless of the odds or the cost.
But there’s also something that many of us put little thought into when pursuing our dreams. That is the feelings of those who love and care for you. They too, will suffer (as much if not more) along-side you in this journey of yours. I have a failed marriage, a parade of ex-girlfriends, and a stream of soured business partners to prove my point.
But if you fall within that particular demographic of ‘never-say-die’ intestinal fortitude, then your best option is to study and listen to a lot of music and get the skills that go beyond being a performer. This would include, although not limited to, entertainment law, accounting, product management, marketing and promotion, public relations, and the gift of the gab. You have to make the decisions much like a businessman is required to do on a day to day basis. This applies whether you are selling widgets or rock n’ roll (and I’ve done both).
If you manage to learn the aforementioned skills, you will soon learn how to be self reliant and self sufficient and that will give you the self confidence you will need in order to succeed and create your own Cinderella story. No one is going to pave the way for you, especially in today’s music industry climate. The irony is, you have to be prepared to do it yourself before anyone else will come and join you for the ride.
BD: Thanks Mark
