Ever wondered what the Violent Femmes would sound like jamming with Ben Folds at a They Might Be Giants concert?
Enter Fishboy.
Having got the nickname ‘Fishboy’ after a dare to pluck and swallow a fish at the Dallas World Aquarium it was originally something Eric Michener did in his bedroom in Denton Texas.
Fishboy surfaced with a couple of low budget releases on the small (but perfectly formed) Business Deal Records with ‘Tim Fly’s Cause He’s Having Fun’ back at the turn of the century.
Sometimes It’s lonely in your bedroom, so Eric enlisted the help of some other musicians (it also helped when playing gigs) and…DA DA Fishboy was a rock n roll band!
The fine line between madness and genius is a precarious path. After a glass of Jack or 2 Fishboy fall either side of that line with unerring regularity.
Take the new record Classic Creeps, is this first record where every track is about a fictional character whose name starts with the letter ‘A’? Probably.
Starting with ‘Aaron the Afterthought Astronaut’ and ending with ‘Ava Aviaria’ it’s the kind underground gem I used to travel miles to buy from the small record shop in the big city. Luckily nowadays you don’t even have to leave the sofa to buy it. Saving on shoe leather and social interactions.
I caught up with Eric ‘Fishboy’ Michener and subjected him to a torrent of rapid fire questions, (a technique I picked up while working for Her Majesties Secret Service).
Who are your musical influences?
I’m very influenced by the groups of the 60’s British Invasion, my favorites being the Kinks and the Who
Did you really eat a live fish at the aquarium?
That’s what they tell me! I blacked out and woke up on the school bus.
Are you going to write another 25 records for the rest of the alphabet?
Only time will tell, I am at least going to write one more.
Any plans to tour the UK?
We are planning to tour Europe in the fall which should include the UK.
Simpsons or Family Guy?
Simpsons is one of the best shows of all time
Tea or Coffee?
Coffee with cream and sugar
Hotel or Tour Bus?
A stranger or new friends floor
Steak or Salad?
Both!
Nirvana or Foo Fighters?
Nirvana covering the Vaselines
Mick or Keith?
KEITH.
Chinese or Italian
Italian at home Chinese at a restaurant
Facebook or Twitter?
Twitter (@yofishboy)
Apple or PC?
I have the first macbook model from 2006. It’s still a great computer.
Seinfeld or Friends?
Seinfeld is one of the best shows of all time
Stones or The Beatles?
The Beatles
Coke or Pepsi?
Coffee with cream and sugar
East Coast or West Coast?
DEEP SOUTH
(Sean) Connery or (Roger) Moore?
Connery!
Boobs or Bum?
Boobs on a bum
Gaga or Madonna?
Madonna is awful. We once tried to record a cover of hers and spent hours trying to figure out a way to make it sound good but nothing worked. I just threw up my hands and swore off everything from Madonna from that day forth.
Fishboy are:
Eric Michener on Guitar and Vocals
Adam Avramescu on the Piano, Horns, Keys
Tommy Garcia on the Drums
Ryan Williams on the Bass
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Read Fishboy’s cool comics HEREFishboy pics by Carleen Jean.
The brilliant new record Classic Creeps is out on HHBTM on April 19th and you can pre-order it here.