Misfats Interview!

So the Misfats are a Misfits tribute band straight outta my hometown of Portland, Or. Foil Von Franksnbeans (guitar) was kind enough to take time out and answer some questions. If you are ever in Portland, check em out. Good fun.


Foil Von Franksnbeans - guitar - here and answering your questions.

1. what gave you the idea?
Me and the guy who plays Glen Hamzinger are both huge (get it?) Misfits fans who wanted to start a tribute band. Since we're both fat, we thought it would be rad to do an all fat-guy Misfits tribute. After that, it was just a logical step to change the lyrics to be about food and stuff.

2.what other bands are you into?

I'm personally into older stuff - old school English punk, NWOBHM stuff, and classic rock. The other guys are into Reprise Records-type stuff, garage and surf-rock, respectively.

3. what has the reaction been?

It's been pretty amazing, so far. We've played in clubs on the other side of the country to mostly full rooms - and that's pretty good considering all we've got is a couple of magazine articles and internet buzz behind us. That said, some of the younger crowds don't like us much. They think we're making fun of the Misfits - but nothing could be further from the truth. We love the Misfits. We're making fun of ourselves. I don't think their sense of irony is fully formed yet.

4. best places to play?

Hmm... My favorite shows so far have been in Seattle, San Francisco, Eugene, and Hoboken. I think SF is the champ - that town is weird with a capital "w" and is tailor made for schtick like ours. We've had a couple of awesome shows in Portland, as well - but that's our hometown and I think they're starting to get sick of us :)

5. influences, besides Misfits?

All kinds - but none of 'em show up in The Misfats. The Misfats is and will always be an unholy mixture of The Misfits, Spinal Tap, and Monty Python.

6. Could Glenn Danzig kick Jerry Only's ass?

I dunno. Jerry's still pretty buff. Then again, Glenn looks like he could still do some damage as well - so, I dunno...

7. Does Michale Graves suck?, I think so

Why? I don't think Graves sucks at all, and it kind of baffles me that so many people think he does. If you were a 19 year old kid looking for a break, and Jerry Only asked you to front The Misfits - you would say "no"? That's crazy.

As for the albums he recorded with The Misfits - they're pretty solid. They're not like the Danzig-era, but they never claimed to be. They managed to take the music in a new direction while still staying true to the core idea. And there were some pretty good tunes, as well. Songs like "Dig Up Her Bones" and "Scream" get pretty solid rotation on my Ipod.

The other reason that people give when they say "Graves sucks" is the whole "conservative punk" thing. Again - big deal. The guy backed Bush in the '04 election. It's not like he was clubbing baby seals or something. I truly find it fascinating that punk rockers, who are allegedly so into free thought would shut somebody out because he didn't share their political views. In my mind, that kind of thing goes counter to everything that punk rock is supposed to be about. I was a proud Kerry supporter in '04, but I would never discredit someone artistically simply because they didn't vote the same way I did. That's just ridiculous.

We've opened for Michale twice, and will be opening for him again in October. He's treated us very well, and we've had a blast both times. He's a lot smarter and funnier than people sometimes give him credit for, and he puts on a hell of a show.

8. What is your favorite Misfits track? and why?

Mine is "Hybrid Moments". It just has all those qualities that make a great Misfits song - morbid lyrics, killer melodies, and a guitar line that kicks you in the teeth.

9. What in your opinion is the best Misfits lp?
Static Age, definitely. I just like the flow of it. I also like "Walk Among Us", but Static Age seems to go to a few more places, musically speaking, than "Walk" does.

10. Anything you want to plug?

Big shows coming up. We're opening up for The Sex Pistols Experience (a Sex Pistols Tribute from the UK) for their Oregon shows - September 20 in Eugene at the Wow Hall and September 21 in Portland at Dante's. Also, we're opening up for Michale Graves on a killer Friday the 13th show in Seattle at Studio Seven on October 13. Also, people in the Vegas/Los Angeles/San Francisco area, stay tuned to our website (www.misfats.com) and/or MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/misfats) for news of a potentially huge show in one (or maybe all!) of your areas.


Thank you!