Featured Band for
August 2004
Band Name: The Retroliners
Genre: Surf/Spy and Power Trio Instrumentals
Geographical Area: New York City (Manhattan), Hoboken (NJ), and Jersey City
NJ) and soon London, England
Interview with Michael Welch (aka, Vegas) on July 27, 2004 by email.
1. What is the current line-up of your band?
Mike Beckerman (aka, CoffeCan), bass
Dave Schreck (aka, Bogart), drums
Michael Welch (aka, Vegas), guitar
2. How and when did you get started with your band?
In 1995, I started what would become The Retroliners with fellow guitarist
and bassist Todd Clear. We recorded an album completely backwards. First, Todd
and I recorded guitars live in tandem. Then Todd recorded bass over those
tracks. And finally, Johnny Stanton recorded drums over everything. I invite
fellow musicians to listen to that record carefully to see if they detect the
inverted sequence.
3. What bands or music have influenced you most?
Beckerman usually brings to the band a lot of contemporary alternative
influences, such as the Pixies, Nirvana, and the Cure. Bogart adheres to the
Brit pop sound, especially the Beatles. I listen to a lot of guitar jazz (e.g.,
Johnny Smith, the composer of Walk Don’t Run) and try to develop dark angular
spy modes. Altogether, that is pretty much what makes up the current Retroliners
musical persona.
4. What is the break down of cover vs. original material in your live shows
and/or recordings?
We strive to establish a balance of songs that is tilted toward our original
compositions, somewhere around 70 percent. Although there are some covers that
are rearranged so differently that we tend not to call them “versions” as
they say in London. A good example of that is our “version” of Dr. Yes (a
Supertones’ song) that we recorded for the compilation titled Supertones Surf,
Modern Surf Band Spotlight (Golly Gee Records).
In our live performances (as opposed to our dead ones), we include numbers by
Nirvana, the B-52s, and the Cure, along with such standards as Pipeline and
Miserlou (that begins with My Sharona). Over the years, we also have played
covers of the Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet and R.E.M. (an instrumental called
Underneath the Bunker).
5. What recording have you done?
Surf Avenue (2004) is our most recent release. Before that we unleashed Subway
Surfing (2000) and our debut Raybans, Roadtrips, and Reverb in 1996. All of
those CDs are available at Golly Gee Records (www.gollygeerecords.com)
and our website (www.retroliners.com). Currently, we are recording our fourth
record tentatively called Criminal Instrumentals
We also have contributed to several compilations. As mentioned, we played on
Supertones Surf, Modern Surf Band Spotlight (Golly Gee Records). Recently, we
rearranged and recorded the song Alexis for a forthcoming tribute album to
Richie Podolor. This fall, OmOm Records (Roma, Italy) is releasing a tribute to
the HAIR musical; on that project we delivered our version of White Boys (very
fitting).
Over the years, we have provided music for commercials (e.g., Ford Motor
Company) and various indie films along with MTV’s Real World. Like a lot of
instrumental bands, our music is quite cinematic.
6. What is your band’s favorite food/beverage?
Well, let’s focus on beverages. After all, we’re just a bunch of guys, no
use chatting about chocolate. Beckerman (despite being addicted to caffeine) has
taken up pink drinks. He just returned from Italy and remains committed to their
local drinking customs; however, he adds some of his Tiki influence by including
a tiny umbrella in the glass. How’s that for bending culture?
Bogart, interestingly enough, is a wine expert. In fact, he has a tiny
vineyard in Hoboken (New Jersey) that produces 112 bottles of red wine annually.
Once I saw him changing shoes and noticed that his feet were stained purple. It
gave me a hankerin’ for some Merlot.
For me, it’s Guinness Stout in a bottle. Regrettably, that beer is now
produced in Canada so it’s become Hoser Irish, and second rate. In Europe, you
can find Guinness Stout Special Export that is 8 percent alcohol. It makes me
want to relocate to Europe (actually, I am leaving the US, but that is another
story).
7. How do you get gigs?
I have been in the NYC metro area since 1987 when I drove a U-Haul from Texas.
So, I know a lot of clubs and booking managers. It is really just a matter of
finding the right place and the right time slot. Unless we are opening for
Madonna, Monday night is out of the question. Naturally, shooting for weekends
is ideal so we can enjoy our set then hang out and drink a barley soda.
8. What are the difficulties you find playing your kind of music in your area?
Actually, I can’t say that we experience too many problems playing our
music. In the NYC area, if you can play well enough to keep the audience from
bolting for the door, you can usually find gigs. Of course, it always helps to
know the right booking manager. I might add that surf/rock music has enormous
appeal and I have yet to meet anyone who says they don’t dig the genre.
9. What positive attributes does your band have that sets you apart from other
bands (of any genre)?
Usually, our fans point to our power trio arrangement as our strength. There
aren’t too many surf/rock bands featuring only three players and in our case
we make the most of it. At this point, we would not know what to do with another
guitarist. It just would not feel right. It is also worth mentioning that we
also put a lot of effort into writing interesting compositions, and our fans
appreciate that.
10. What have you found to be the single most effective promotional tool
you’ve used to further your band’s musical path?
That would have to be our CDs. Nothing says it like the real thing. There is no
use trying to convince someone that your music is good without a decent
recording of it. Also it helps to wear cool footwear on stage. Our female fans
always note our shoes match our vintage guitar cases.
11. What’s the most interesting performance experience you’ve had?
I am a little hesitant to mention this but it might be therapeutic to clear the
air (“paging Dr. Freud”). A while ago, we were playing in this really dark
club in the industrial zone of downtown NYC. And, whenever I turned my back on
the audience to adjust my amp, this cute woman pinched me on my bum. Well, this
little game continued through the set and after I packed my gear I tracked her
down at the bar and WOAHHHHH. She was a he. Still, “Nancy” was nicely
dressed. Her (his) black/white checkered blouse and skirt made for a smart
ensemble. And, “Nancy” understood the importance of properly accessorizing.
So we had a few pints and looked at some clothing catalogues. Months later, I
received a postcard from “Nancy” who moved to Portugal where she took a job
at a sport car dealership.
12. What do you hope to get out of being a NESMA member?
Good question. I hope that my membership to the North East Surgical and Medical
Academy will improve my chances of attending med school. I like surgery; I bet
that I would make a good surgeon (actually that line was lifted from Spinal
Tap). Sandy and Mike of 9th Wave deserve massive credit for launching NESMA. I
look forward to future showcases. Thanks for taking the time to read my lurid
tales.
Ciao,
Vegas, guitar
Los Retros
See more information and photos of the band here.
