UPDATED!!! NOW WITH EXCLUSIVE ROB SHOCK PENIS INFO!
Heath Dobbler of the In-Denials. Is he in a political band?
Bakersfield punk music in a Bakersfield music scene that isn't nearly dramatic enough. Is it just fun and games? Is there a political bent to it? Would Heath Dobbler of the In-Denials march in a pro-war rally?
Bakersfield punk is pushed and pulled into a million directions like lumpy clay. There's an interesting history to it that goes along with the video I just watched, titled,
American Hardcore: The History of American Punk Rock 1980-1986. Yet, Bakersfield punk was also a thing of the 90s, and has a big manefestation here in the 2000s.
Rob Shock and Heath Dobbler from the In-Denials with Filthies' Kenny "Motor" Mount
Everyone should know the real drama in the Bakersfield music scene is with the In-Denials. Heath Dobbler with his brass knuckles guitar; Rob Shock with his mini-taser ready to go at your throat; and L.A. Rick with clubs for drums smashing everyone in sight as he performs at light speed. OK, I’m lying, the only drama from the In-Denials is the interesting story of how they came together. But that’s a tale for another day and includes a family tree that branches in too many directions to try and repeat right now.
I caught up with the In-Denials at
The Filthies Your Turn CD release show and snapped some photos. They played my favorite song of the band which you can listen to on their myspace site,
“The Iraqis Win The Pennant.” It’s a great song and illuminates that the In-Denials are a really fun punk band. But are they a political band?
Eventually we got around to this interview to answer such questions. It’s not dramatic, but it’s fun talking with their front man,
Heath Dobbler and Rob Shock!
Interview: Noveltown: I used to wonder if the In-Denials were a three-piece punk band all about fun and catchy punk music. But then I saw you perform with lead man Heath Dobbler in a "Support the Troops" shirt. And then I heard your song, "The Iraqis Win The Pennant". Now I think there is something much deeper to this trio. Just maybe you aren't afraid to tout political views in what you wear and what you sing. Care to comment?
Heath: I think you're reading too much into it... But honestly, what's there to really be afraid of? I purchased the shirt because my heart told me it was the right thing to do. I am full on aware that the measly 5 bucks I spent at a Circle K will not find it's way into any type of benefit/charitable fund for our Soldiers... I fly the shirt because right or wrong they're the ones stuck in the middle of this whole shit storm. Oh and for the record, it's not a political statement, just a show of support.
Yes, Rob Shock is a glowing Irish-American
As far as the Iraqi's tune, Rob wrote it and I can only assume it was Rob's way of spinning a positive on all of the issues concerning Muslim propaganda being force fed to us by the media. Rob is a pretty passive kind of guy and always seems to find the humor in something. It's a fun tune to play, Rob lays down some catchy hooks throughout the song. If you're familiar with Marvel comics, then you might have read some of the "What If" story lines they throw out to their audience from time to time... I kind of liken the idea of the tune to that.
Rob: Oh yes, there is a deep political agenda here. In fact we plan to put together a show to save the rain forests and we also plan to go to Africa and adopt some starving children. Only the good-looking ones, though. Actually, our agenda is more towards getting back the right to shoot homeless people.
I wouldn't call The In-Denials political at all. Our songs are made up of fun or personal stories. There may be one song they seems like it's political, but it's really a joke.
Noveltown: Which In-Denials songs might people construe as political?
Heath: Hopefully none, the Iraqis tune isn't really of the political sort, at least not to me personally. So far, our political views haven't made the transition from thought to song yet. Hopefully it never does. I tend to think that politics don't really have a place in music, but I'm probably in the minority with that thought.
Rob: The song I'm referring to above that only seems political is "The Iraqis Win the Pennant". The joke is what if Iraq joined us and then beat us at our own game, baseball? That would piss a lot of people off. Not surprisingly the song seems to push a few buttons, especially those who lean towards the more conservative side.
Noveltown: What's special about the Bakersfield area and music to the In-Denials?
Heath: I don't get too caught up in the whole "Bakersfield Sound" or the town's landmark traditions and influences. I've always seen Bakersfield as a mixed bag. There have always been country crooners and metal heads, and a very small niche carved out by the numerous punk bands that have come and gone. We do have a cool town but most of the time it doesn't appear overly supportive of it's music or bands... So it's really hard to hang a "special" tag on any of it.
Rob: I would say the music scene in Bakersfield is "special" the same way the Special Olympics are "special". Just kidding, everyone. I, myself, didn't really know anything about the music scene about Bakersfield until I joined 3 Cent Nickle. Back then the scene seemed to go more for bands like us. Today it isn't what it was. The only band still going from that era is The Filthies. I like to think The In-Denials carries on what 3 Cent Nickle was meant to be. The scene has changed, but we're doing what we like and that's what matters to us.
Noveltown: OK, I have to ask. How did you come up with your band name?
Heath: Maybe you should ask Donny. Our logo was originally a drawing Donny inked and titled IN-Denial. Donny and I envisioned starting the IN-Denials as a side project and even tattooed the logo on ourselves in anticipation of the idea. 5 years later... I couldn't not pick up the label for the band.
Rob: You know our friend Donny, right. I think Heath answered this question. The name was supposed to go with a 3 Cent Nickle side project with him as the front man (Donny Denial). After 3 Cent Nickle split, Heath formed his own band, and since he couldn't think of a good name, he just used The In-Denials.
Don't let this pic mislead you. It was a packed house at B-Ryders.
Noveltown: Some punk bands in Bakersfield are liberal, some are conservative. Do you think there is a difference between liberal and conservative punk music?
Heath: Lyrically, it should be Night and Day. Liberal bands are the easiest to spot. First time you hear a line with George Bush's name in it... you can almost guarantee they're of the Liberal belief... though you could be of a conservative nature and just sing about the man being an asshole in general, so maybe it's not that cut & dry after all. Again, music isn't really the logical platform for politics... The transition always ends up more humorous than educational, so what’s the real fucking point anyhow. Besides, in punk rock one song can be about a woman's conversion to Lesbianism and the neighboring track will go out of it's way to paint the president as a jerk-off with a nuke, so who's really going to take the band seriously?
Rob: If a punk band is singing a song with "George Bush" in the lyric, you know they are liberal.
I personally don't think punk is really a good forum for politics. I don't remember The Ramones getting all political with most of their songs. I think punk is about having fun and being yourself, no matter who tries to tell you you should be something else. Sometimes politics get mixed in that notion. I just don't like the idea of a band being all about politics. Politics aren't fun.
A hint of more to come from that night's photo shoot. Punk Rock Punch takes pics.
Noveltown: I'm guessing most of your music isn't political. What other kinds of topics do you sing about and how do you come up with ideas for music and lyrics?
Heath: Love... both in a good or bad light, fucking the dead, Arabian baseball teams, and maintaining erections... And all this through the sheer reality of not being too pre-occupied with everything else the world has to offer.
Rob: Heath writes about his fucked-up past relationships. Since I've pretty much only had one relationship since I got out of high school, I write about my penis. Okay, so far there's one about my penis, or rather, my ability to satisfy a woman even after I have been prematurely satisfied, all without the help of pharmaceuticals. I have a song about the girls who wanted to be "just friends" (Platonic). I wrote a song about a guy who went crazy when his girlfriend died, stole the body and kept it preserved in his closet (Formaldehyde). Other songs or just personal stuff, like "What Am I Gonna Do Now," which I wrote after the break-up of 3 Cent Nickle.
Heat writes songs like he's having breakfast. I don't write as much as he does. I usually write something when an idea hits me and I think it's a good enough idea to put to music. Perhaps I could come up with more good ones just writing and writing and picking the good ones. I think that's the Tom Petty method. No wait, that would be getting high all the time and writing as many songs as you can. Maybe I should try that.
Noveltown: What can we expect from the In-Denials in the rest of 2007?
Heath: We always keep our expectations small... less room for failure that way. We've got a split album with the 28's currently in the works, possibly a full length, and a live album that's just around the corner from being up for grabs.
Rob: We have a live CD coming real soon and we're working on a studio version. We also have one or two big show we are hoping to be a part of, but we're not saying just yet. We're also thinking of doing a homeland tour like The Filthies, but it will be Rick's homeland. We're going to play all the whorehouses in Mexico. It's just talk right now.
Noveltown: Hey thanks for the interview!
Heath: Hey, we couldn't have done it without you.
Rob: It has been more fun than swimming in a river full of leeches.
Labels: Bakersfield punk, Beer, Drunk Dobbler, fun punk, In-Denials, Iraq, wars
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