Reel Big Fish - Photo
by Tim Norek
They Weren't Happy Until We Weren't Happy!
An Interview with The Marx Brothers of Ska-Punk,
Reel Big Fish
By Phil Rainone, Tim Norek, Frank
Norek, with help from Stephen Rainone &
Nicole Norek
Ok, Here's the deal with Reel Big Fish. We've
interviewed them over the past six years,
and if you think it gets easier over the years,
or you'll run out of questions, guess again.
Standing in a circle in the cramped press
room for the Camden leg of The Warped Tour,
I stared off the interview by myself. Now,
if you think these O.C. (they from Orange
County, Ca.) skanksters are full of wit and
whimsy on stage, playing some big, tight riffs
with a touch of Rudie Can't Fail ska, you
should see how manic they are offstage! It
was like trying to interview a modern day
version of The Marx Bros.
Reel Big Fish are: Aaron Barrett- vocals/guitar;
Scott Klopfenstein- trumpet; Dan Regan- trombone;
Derek Gibbs- bass; Ryland Steen- drums, and
missing was John Christianson, AKA Little
Johnny Christmas.
Listening to the tape after the interview,
it was hard to distinguish who was responding
to which question, what with all the mayhem
and mirth flowing from the band. The giddiness
infected the three of us doing the questioning
(Frank and Tim Norek joined me about ten minutes
into the interview.)
Q:- Do you have any new music coming out
since last years release "Monkey's For
Nothing Chimp's For Free?"
RBF: Yeah, we're still pushing that record,
so go out and hit up your local store! We're
also working on some stuff, probably coming
out in 2009. You'll see one giant box set
, and maybe another record. Reel Big Fish
are almost constantly working in the studio
whenever we're not on the road. So, it's always
constant, new projects will be coming out
next year. Although our studio may have lost
its lease. We'll just record on the bus (everyone
laughing)! Hey, I like your shirt, Stax Records
right?! (I'm wearing a t-shirt with the Stax
Records logo).
Photos by Tim Norek
Q: Silly question... The Beatles are coming
out with new promotional swag, including a
Beatles Monopoly game.
(RBF in unison: "Hmmmm!!")
Q: What would you think of a Reel Big Fish
Monopoly Game and what game pieces would you
like to have in it?
Aaron: I'd love it!
Ryland: I think I'd be a little snare drum
with drum sticks.
Aaron: I'd be the beer bottle!
Dan: I'd be the race car.- (Than, like a
scene from a Marx Brothers movie, it was pandemonium
as the rest of the band chimes in with about
a gazillion types of game pieces. Scott joins
in the conversation, as I bring him up to
speed about a Beatles Monopoly game in the
works).
Scott: Who the fuck are The Beatles (everyone
laughing)?!
Aaron: I'd be Ringo! You know the band Scott,
they play that song, "Take the last train
to Clarksville..."
Scott: Oh, and they sing that song, "Mrs.
Brown you've got a lovely daughter..."
Aaron: Didn't they also sing, "To everything
turn turn turn..." (The rest of the band
starts singing along…)
Scott: Oh, yeah, The Beatles... I know The
Beatles!
Q: We're talking about a Reel Big Fish Monopoly
Game...
Scott: What the fuck is Monopoly?!
Dan: I'd be the bong!
Scott: Wait is that the game where you push
that thing in the middle with the dice in
it? And then you go on a ladder...
Aaron: No, that's Hunger Hunger Hippo!
Q: How about the board, what would you like
to see on it?
A: Probably a map of the world- places where
we've played... A get out of jail free card
from the Czech Republic...
Derek: I concur
(Derek does this “I concur” thing
to almost every question… like the Marx
Brothers again!)
Q: In the same vein as Monopoly, how about
Guitar Hero?
A: I know on You Tube some kids programmed
the "Beer" song. Apparently, Reel
Big Fish isn't cool enough to be part of those
games (laughing).
(The whole band chimes in with their answers
that are pretty much indistinguishable, but
they run the gamut from strange to belly-laugh
funny!)
Scott: Ok, let’s get serious. What
are we talking about. What the fuck is Monopoly?
Aaron: We're trying to mix it up. We do this
once a year with these guys! We want to give
you some new material.
Q: We're trying to keep it fresh... digging
for new questions...
Aaron: Diggin' for nose gold (everyone laughing)!!
Scott: We started in '91 with one goal in
mind... make everyone unhappy!
Q: In other words, you’re not happy
'til we're not happy (nicked that one from
the title of one of their albums, "We
Not Happy "til Your Not Happy"-
pure Marx Brothers!)
Someone: I've heard that somewhere before...
Aaron:
I love that! Actually, I want to make people
happy. I know there's the negative songs,
the "fuck you's" and stuff, but
that's all just funny and silly! But we want
to make everyone happy!
Q: Are there any old school bands on the
Tour this year?
A: The old school bands are on the last leg,
when we head back to California.
Q: I see that The Dickies, Agent Orange are
joining the tour.
A: Yeah that's really cool!
Q: Are you going to be playing with them?
A: Yeah, we're on the whole Tour, they can't
get rid of us. We're like a bad penny, we
always turn up!
Derek, do you concur?
Derek: I concur
(See what I mean? His "I concur’s"
would have probably taken up one-third of
the interview if we had put them all in! Cool
stuff!)
Question to Derek: Being one of the new members
of the band, was there any type of initiation
from the other guys?
Scott (cutting off Derek): When we first
started working with Derek, before the first
show. we went to a zoo, and watched him beat
a cheetah to death with his bare hands, and
we're like, hey, we don't wanna fuck with
this guy because anyone who can beat a cheetah
to death with his bare hands is incredible!
Plus he had to chase the cheetah to catch
it. Caught it by the nuts with his teeth,
and he is a fast mamma jamma! So we realized
he was a wily and swarthy individual that
was not to be F'ed with, but quite a bass
player, which we enjoy! So... he was a positive
addition to the group and we enjoy his contribution
as long as none of us become a cheetah!!
Phil to Derek: Do You concur?
Derek: Yes! I had to set the ground rules
early (he got the biggest smirk on his face
- everyone's laughing)
Scott: His next goal is a rhinoceros! To
catch a rhinoceros and kill it with his bare
hands! After cheetahs, where else would you
go next?! RHINOCEROS!
Q: How do you stop the rhinoceros?
A: Grab him by the nuts!!
Q: What are you doing after you finish the
Warped Tour?
A: We're going to Canada, and to South America
for the first time.
Aaron to Derek: Do you concur?
Derek: Yes!
Q: You guys have always been a lot of fun
to talk too...
Scott: Don't you talk to us that way! Well,
we've got to go. We're going to go do a rubber
commercial now....
And that my friends is how we Jersey Beaters
roll with the Reel Big Fish! Can't wait until
the next interview!
REEL
BIG FISH: The Marx Brothers of Ska Punk
