Along with joining us for our grand finale reunion, Duncan will be regaling us with a very funny spoken word performance at the Middle East Upstairs this Tuesday February 9.  Here’s my convo with my boy Duncan…

Brendan Boogie:  Let me start the way I started with Cullen – what is your favorite part about working with me?

Duncan Wilder Johnson:  I really enjoy that you are one a different part of the spectrum than myself.  You’re approach to songwriting is very different than mine and it’s really enlightening.  As a person who never studied musical theory, but took some guitar lessons as a kid and then listened to a lot of 80’s Hardcore Punk, 90’s Hardcore/Metalcore, and eventually a lot of classic Metal and Thrash, my musical back ground is based on listening, emulating my heroes, and now using my own natural and unique voice (by voice I don’t just mean what comes from my larynx, but my whole being as an artist).   Oh and I like that “I Remember Teenage Girls” song.

BB:  The name of your book is “How I Fell In Love With Punk Rock.”  I was thinking of writing the sequel “How I Fell In Love With Late 70’s Easy Listening Mellow Gold.”  Any advice, one writer to another?

DWJ:  Why are you asking me about it instead of doing it?  Just start writing, NOW.  I’ll help you edit it later.

BB:  Why don’t you give my readers a brief history of your musical and creative life from birth to about ten minutes ago?

DWJ:  Bands -  Bring the Knife, Flux Capacitor, Destruct-a-thon, Kill It All Away, Duncan Wilder Johnson & T.S. Mike Carnes, Green Machine, High Rocktane, Sister Silver, Hillside 176 (aka The Satones), After The Fact, Two Minute Hate, Aslouchen, The Mushroom Men (we had a million names but more to the point we just went skateboarding).

Non-band creative endeavors – spoken word, Bad Girrls Studio, photography.

BB:  As a guy with three names, who do you relate to more: Jan Michael Vincent or Harry Dean Stanton?

DWJ:  Harry Dean Stanton, definitely.  He was in Paris, Texas and the undeniable cult classic REPO MAN (sick soundtrack).

BB:  During One Night Band, you were the only punk/metal guy in the band.  What was it like to have to deal with us wusses who concerned ourselves with such meaningless bullshit as “chords” and “melody” and “singing in key”?

DWJ:  Awesome.  I love to hear new approaches to creative problems.

BB:  What was your favorite part about the original One Night Band?

DWJ:  Walking up and rocking the shit out of people.  When we lit into The Pixies cover, the place just went ‘off’!  At least, that’s how I remember it.

BB:  If it weren’t for One Night Band, what do you think the chances would be of you and me being on the same bill together?  Or even meeting, for that matter?

DWJ:  Pretty slim, but I do run into you at The Rock N’ Roll Socials now and again.

BB:  Do you have any trash to talk about any of our other Champagne of Band-mates?

DWJ:  Nope.  This thing rules.

BB:  Other than the reunion, what other projects do you have in the works to which the people can look forward?

DWJ:  Bring The Knife (new metal band).  A few spoken word shows – I’m starting a series of Sunday afternoon shows at O’Briens that will be either monthly or every other month called The Spoken Word Hangover.  I’m hunting a publisher for my book Dude, Your Band Sucks.  And I’m slowly, very slowly but persistently, working on a documentary about Sam Black Church with the working title of We Are The Bastards, which is due out when it’s competed.

BB:  What are you most looking forward to about the big Champagne of Bands reunion on February 9 at the Middle East?

DWJ:  Rocking the shit out of that room.

Keep checking back on this space for more interviews with my fellow Champagne of Band-mates, providing Tad makes bail.