Interviews

THE AQUABATS

By John Woods

   Contrary to popular belief, The Aquabats did not die out with the ska movement of the late '90s. Maybe the ska influences are not as noticeable nowadays, but the music is still as wacky and fun as anyone can remember. For those people who have never been introduced to the zaniness of The Aquabats theatrical music, it's doubtful that you've ever experienced anything so weird and downright funny. Adorning themselves in costumes that consist of rash guards, board shorts, and anti-negativity helmets (among a various other assortment of props), The Aquabats are humanity's answer to the dark forces that permeate the Earth. They are more than mere men; and they certainly aren't just ANY Aquabats—they are THE Aquabats, and it is their goal to bring justice and happiness in both music and the world! Starting out near the beaches of Southern California and slowly expanding onward to the deepest reaches of all the land, they have made their impact. Their job has not always been easy, though, and that is why they turned to the kids for that extra bit of support. They have a huge list of "Aquacadets"—some say more than 10,000 strong. The Aquabats are, indeed, ever-growing. In fact, the band is going just as strong as ever...just maybe a little older. But who's counting? With age comes wisdom—and that's what this interview is all about.

   I got the grand opportunity to sit down, relax, and enjoy some laughs with The Aquabats frontman The MC Bat Commander and guitarist Prince Adam before their show at the Glasshouse in Pomona on August 8th, 2003.

SKRATCH: You guys have a DVD coming out soon. Can you tell the kids a little about it?
MCBC: Oh, CAN we. Well, it's not quite done, but it's done, but it's not done. We're just finishing up the titles and like the artwork, right? But from test screenings, it's off the charts…in awesomeness. It's pretty awesome. It's severely awesome. There's some serious awesomeness going on. What do you think there, Adam?
PRINCE ADAM: It's tested great with all the target demos. All of them are pushing the "awesome" button.
MCBC: We have, like, a pad, and there's four things, like: "sucktastic," "pretty good," "semi-sweet," and, uh...and "seriously awesome." It's getting all the buttons pushed at once. [Stuff proceeds to fall loudly in the background; we all laugh]SKRATCH: You recently released two songs online, "Mechanical Ape" and "Yo, Check Out My Ride", and you're working on a new album. How is that coming along?
PRINCE ADAM: The train's coming out of the station, the tracks are being laid. It'll be out pretty soon. We're really trying hard. [Laughs] We're downshifting into first so we can get up the hill, and then we're gonna go ahead and put it in neutral and just go all the way down with the accumulated songs.
MCBC: It's kind of like in a diamond mine: you find so many uncut diamonds, you got to sort through and pick out which ones are going to be the easiest and most valuable. That's kind of where we're at right now—in the diamond mines…of songs.

SKRATCH: What's been your inspiration for writing the new songs?
PRINCE ADAM: Um, gold-panning…
MCBC: Turtleneck sweaters. Uh, I dunno, ya know? Raw goods! The heatwave right now, the tangy heatwave.
PRINCE ADAM: The European heatwave!
MCBC: You know, really, it's just whatever, whatever is great. Shag carpet, hammer pants…

SKRATCH: Describe the band as if it were a car.
MCBC: Sweet, tight, wicked…It's kind of like a lowered covered wagon. It's got some sweet rims.
PRINCE ADAM: It's got the dubs.
MCBC: And then, like, the pony is all tricked out. There's like a phat airbrush on the side of the covered wagon. There's, like, an Aztec guy sacrificing a hot chick…on the side of the covered wagon. It's, like, as hot rod as you can get—but like 300 years ago. We just like to take the past and future and combine them together. It's like liquid hot gold. Is that a good car description?
PRINCE ADAM: Yeah, either that or a 1989 Nissan Sentra.
MCBC: Oh yeah—or a '91 Celica…hatchback.

SKRATCH: Do you have any plans for touring outside of the United States anytime in the future?
MCBC: Oh, there are plans.
PRINCE ADAM: Funny you should ask….
MCBC: Plans within plans.
PRINCE ADAM: There are plans which are currently being drawn up on, you know, architect paper. We just got a blue pen yesterday, and we drew a map of the world first, and then drew little pictures of covered wagons. And then little dotted lines that connect dots….
MCBC: Yeah. We had to get the pins that stick so we can stick the covered wagons into the correct places we're gonna attack; and kind of like a stick with a hook on the end so that we can push the covered wagons. It's kind of like a war room kind of thing. No, we want to go out of the country, but we just always run into problems for some reason. So that's why we're making plans.
PRINCE ADAM: In support of the new album, tours will be had outside of the U.S.
MCBC: Oh, solid! That's a good answer. Correct! "10 points for Gryffindor!"
[Laughs]

SKRATCH: With all the mess going on in Sacramento, have you ever thought about running for governor of California?
MCBC: That's interesting that that got brought up, because we were actually approached by someone that was going to front us the money to run for governor. But then we were like…no. It's kind of like a little bit too gnarly. And then the next day it was like everyone and their dads were running for governor. It kind of would be funny for a second, but no one would vote for us—especially with such a strong ballot.
PRINCE ADAM: Michael Jackson!
MCBC: Yeah, and Gary Coleman. It goes on and on and on. Whereas we would be running for serious, I think it would kind of come off as a lame publicity stunt. We would be into it, you know? but we would just get lost in the mix.

SKRATCH: Do you have any thoughts on Fox's hot new drama, THE O.C.?
MCBC: Oh, it is raw cinematic television right there. [Group laugh] I think my thoughts are best described by Prince Adam (you know, since we are clairvoyant and can read each other's minds).
PRINCE ADAM: Yeah, there's this one scene where to show us that these guys are surfers, they wear rash guards at night on the beach. I think that's brilliant. One must mark how one is. It's like wearing a helmet when you drive a car, you know?
MCBC: Yeah, we love all the authenticity about all the surfers and everything about Orange County in that show. That's what we're all about: wearing rash guards at night and helmets when we drive. It's so...just great. It's almost so good that it sucks.
PRINCE ADAM: Yeah. If you were to make that circle diagram…it's a complicated circle of suck and good.
MCBC: Its such a high 10, its almost a 0…negative 20. Okay, I think you get the joke.

SKRATCH: Besides The Aquabats, do you guys have any other musical side-projects going on?
MCBC: Ummm...[Long pause; in deep thought] nope, not at all!
PRINCE ADAM: At least not The Aquabats.
MCBC: Just The Aquabats 100%. That's all we do all day: live, breathe, sleep, eat [...] just The Aquabats. That's what really makes the wheel turn. That's what gets the gerbils rolling on the wheel. Oh, did I say gerbils? I'm sorry. Let's go back to before "gerbils." [Movie-announcer voice] "In A Land Before Gerbils!" It's a new Disney movie!

SKRATCH: Now for something completely different: Do you guys have any pets?
PRINCE ADAM: I used to have a little frog. It actually got away a little bit ago. It actually lived underwater all the time, then all of a sudden he started breathing air—and then he was gone. He actually planned it for a long time; he planned his escape and went for it.
MCBC: He took little pieces of rocks and feces and made a little version of himself sleeping in the castle. And then one day you went there and looked, and you went, "Oh, there he is, sleeping in the castle." So you tap on it a little bit, and the fake one floated up…an effigy of the frog.
PRINCE ADAM: And then I walked around the corner, and on the rug was the real one. He was struggling for the door, and you could see the determined look in his eyes. That was the last pet I had.
MCBC: That's strong, Adam.

SKRATCH: Is there a question you would like to ask me?
MCBC: Sure. How's the family?

SKRATCH: The family's doing good
MCBC: Right on. Have you been to the park lately?

SKRATCH: Nope, don't really go to the park much these days.
MCBC: Yeah, with all the drive-bys, it's getting gnarly to go to the park. There's a lot of violence in the park—and not enough picnics.

SKRATCH: Well, are there any final thoughts you would like to leave with the kids out there?
MCBC: Well, it's been a while since The Aquabats have had a new record. It's been a while since we've had anything new come out. That doesn't mean that we've gone away, it just means that we've regrouped and we're ready to attack. We've been in the cave, hiding, but we're ready now. Just a warning to the bands that thought we were gone: You ain't seen nothing yet. It's only just begun. It's taken us 10 years, but…JOIN US!

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