This article originally appeared on Boston Band Crush ). The boys in The Motion Sick gave me the straight talk on the Rumble.
2009 Rumble Questions:
Are you excited to be participating in the 31st WBCN Rock ‘n’ Roll Rumble?
Mike: I’ve been twitterpated, discombobulated, and flabbergasted ever since we were asked to take part.
Matt: Yes, of course! Its the culmination of a week long dream.
Are you afraid of the Rumble curse?
Mike: We’ve consulted with a team of certified witch doctors and they determined the optimal lucky dance to prevent the Rumble curse from taking hold. It turns out that it goes: up up, down down, left right, left right, B A, select start.
Matt: Honestly, not really… in fact, looking through the list the most famous bands never won, so I’m kind of assuming we’ll be lumped in with the masses.
Travis: Nope, I fear no rumble.
Do you plan on doing anything special or different for your set?
Mike: At first, we were going to turn it up to 11, but we’re currently consulting with a team of lawyers to determine exactly how awesome we can be without worrying too much about the liability from the resulting swooning. We may incorporate the band and go public first so that any risk is held by stockholders and not the individual band members.
Matt: Well, whatever new nickname Patrick is given on our tour, we’ll probably introduce that and I also have a new trumpet I’ll bring out.
Travis: I was gonna dress up like the Hamburgler…
How far do you think you’ll progress in the competition?
Mike: I am not supposed to tell anyone, but the Rumble is scripted. At first, it seems like we will lose the opening round, but we somehow cheat and win. We will then be disqualified during a board meeting. However, during the finals, we sneak out on stage and hit the other band with folding chairs. Travis then jumps off the top turnbuckle and pins them. As a result, we walk away with the prize package, but we’re deemed “bad guys” until we change sides later.
Matt: I’d be happy if we made it to the 2nd round, but everyone’s really great, so who knows.
Travis: I predict we’ll be in the finals. Mostly because we reek of awesomeness.
What’s your bet on who will make it to the finals?
Mike: As I said, it’s scripted, but pretending I didn’t know that: The lineup is pretty impressive, so it’s pretty tough to make a solid prediction. I think that about half of the bands are strong candidates for making the finals…and the other half pretty much all have a decent shot too.
Matt: Gene Dante and the Future Starlets, Logan 5 and the Runners,
The Dirty Truckers
Travis: I’m going with The Lights Out.
Are there any bands you would have picked for the line up this year that didn’t get in?
Mike: As I read the list of bands participating, I made my plea to the guy in the sky that my good pals Sidewalk Driver would not be on that list. Had they been participating, I would have just faked a fever and stayed home for the whole thing.
Travis: The New Collisions
What band is your favorite past winner?
Mike: I really dig Reverend Glasseye and I am glad that an act so
off-center could make it to the top.
Matt: The Shelia Devine
Travis: The Sheila Divine
What past competitor do you think was most robbed?
Mike: I didn’t see any of the shows, so I can’t declare that foul play was involved, but I really like Star Ghost Dog, Morphine, and The Lemonheads.
Matt: Mission of Burma (obviously..), The Rudds, Morphine was a wildcard?
Travis: Aloud
Any final words or smacktalk before the battle begins?
Mike: You’re all so messed up and backward that your feet smell and your noses run.
Matt: I like the fact that a band called “Uncle Betty” was in the finals in 1991 and Apple Betty is playing this year. We need more bands with the name “Betty” in them (or Apple).
No real smackdown, I hope everyone kicks ass.
Travis: I’m going to fight The Lights Out, West Side Story style. Lots of dancing and snapping.