On The Boom Bang’s MySpace, the band boasts a sort of pseudo band
motto: “All their music wants is a good time. That’s all, a good time.”
If you’ve ever seen The Boom Bang perform, or had the pleasure of
meeting the guys, you know that a good time is exactly what they intend
on giving.
The Boom Bang is James Smith (vocals), Tommy McKenzie (guitar),
Weston Lorance (bass) and Charles Whetstone (drums). The onomatopoetic
band name stems from the days when it boasted a minimal percussion set
up of a snare and tom (and the sound they made), and now, despite
expanding to a full drum set, their explosive music leaves the name
just as fitting as ever.
Heavily influenced by ‘60s garage-rock artists like The Swamp Rats,
The Boom Bang aims to blend the sweet, catchy melodies of surf-pop with
the menacing energy of gritty punk-rock. The combination comes across
like a beach party on sandy shores with a shark-infested ocean and
looming pirate invasion.
It’s an eclectic blend for sure, and despite similarities to artists
like The Black Lips or Wavves, The Boom Bang claims a sound of its very
own.
“We strive not to be compared to someone directly, maybe hints of
somebody, but be our own separate idea and entity for the most part,”
McKenzie said.
This unique sound more than likely results from such a distinct
approach to song writing, which is mostly not intending to do so.
“Everything we write is an accident pretty much,” Whetstone said.
“We’ll play a few notes back and forth, and something will just assemble itself,” McKenzie said.
In fact, the very act of forming as a band was a similarly organic
process. This group of friends was just hanging out, and it just felt
natural to start making music.
The Boom Bang makes sure to keep things just as fun as they were having just hanging out.
The band members are all kids at heart. The band makes a weekly trip
to the comic book store, was enamored by Toy Joy during a recent trek
to play in Austin, and frequents pizza joints ranging from Hoeks Death
Metal Pizza to Hideaway.
Their practice space is littered with brightly printed vinyl
singles, lighthearted posters and haunted house soundtrack LPs. It’s a
fun atmosphere that compliments the equally amusing music that bubbles
inside.
The Boom Bang doesn’t necessarily have some master plan for what
they are doing. The band just sets small goals to achieve, hopes to
play with bands they like and just have fun along the way.
Luckily for us, The Boom Bang is intent on making sure that the listener is having just as much fun as they are.
“We just try to make things as rowdy as possible,” Lorance said about their live set.
The Boom Bang does that and more, and its live shows are quickly becoming things of legend.
The band’s DFest appearance this past summer resulted in lead singer
James Smith jumping into the crowd to lead a sing-along after his
microphone cut out, McKenzie tossing a guitar amp off the stage and
lighting a smoke bomb in the venue as Smith proceeded to stomp the
amplifier into oblivion.
Then just a few weeks ago, the band played a house party in
Stillwater during which they set off enough fireworks to leave the
members with black snot and ringing eardrums for days.
While The Boom Bang intends on having a fun, unpredictable show, these antics are not necessarily premeditated.
“We try to have a spontaneous energy live. Nothing is pre-planned.
You see an open moment to light a firecracker, throw something or just
spit,” McKenzie said.
Though entertaining for us (and them), these actions might not be too fiscally responsible.
“The only downside is having to go buy new equipment after every show,” said Smith.
And fans have responded, providing The Boom Bang with a solid base
that overflows beyond the surf-punk niche. There is no denying it
boasts a very particular style, and in spite of the challenges this
presents, the band has flourished.
“I think overall, [the niche sound] does make the people who like us feel more like we are their band,” said Smith.
The funny thing is, the number of people who claim The Boom Bang as
their band is growing every minute, and that number is far beyond their
niche.
I guess that’s just what happens when you give the crowd a good time.
You can share the fun (and possible destruction) with The Boom Bang
tonight with Daikaiju and Aliens Vs. Robots at 8 p.m., and again on
October 4th with Intelligence, both at The Conservatory in Oklahoma City