Adebisi Shank

Adebisi Shank are an instrumental piece Robot/Dance rock trio group based in Wexford. They have been touring the shite out of it since the release of their debut album back in September and trust us, they know how to get a place moving. The Album of a Band Called Adebisi Shank was recorded with none other than the legendary J. Robbins (Clutch, Jawbox) and has been garnering serious interest of late. Steve Battle caught up with Guitarist Lar before a recent show at Whelan’s .

How has it been going for Adebisi Shank since the release of the Album?

I think the album got released in September and we’ve done, let me think, two tours of England and a tour of Europe.

How were the shows received?

I’m guessing pretty well. I can never really tell with us because when we play I kind of worry about reaction. But I think in a weird way we get away with playing to different crowds, people that are mad metal heads seem to hear the heavier side of it. My uncles are in a showband and my Dad brought them to a gig in the Twisted Pepper a few weeks ago. I don’t know if they were pissed but they seemed to really enjoy it! I was completely bricking it all day waiting for them to ask me what the hell I am doing!

Things seem to be going good for you on The Richter Collective label…

Yeah, Mick our drummer runs that with another guy called Barry and they’re starting to do really well. It’s really taking off for them. They are releasing the BATS album in August and we’re going to do a tape when we get back from Japan.

Woah woah woah hang on, you’re doing a cassette tape?!

Ya! I think we were going to do it on record but we couldn’t afford it so we decided to do it on tape.

What’s the most important thing about your live shows?

A lot of the time all I can hear is my guitar and I just hope that it makes sense out the front. But as long as its loud and maybe so loud that people can’t tell what’s going on!

Is it easier releasing on a label that your band mate is involved in?

I guess it’s a bit more human. It’s done more out of trust and friendship. We’ve met a lot of really good people and close contacts over the last few years and Mick has done a lot of DIY stuff for us. I don’t think we’ll go past that point, its cool the way it’s working at the moment. We have enough pressure keeping ourselves happy rather than having someone telling us that something has to be done on time

So what is the plan for Adebisi Shank over the next few months?

Well we head off to Japan on Monday for a two-week tour and when we get back we’re going to release this tape. The album has just been released in England on vinyl so we’re probably going to head back there and promote that too. I think after that we’re just going to start working on the next album.

Have you been doing much press in England?

Yeah loads. We toured with a band called Blakfish (www.myspace.com/blakfish) who are getting really well known over there. We just hopped on their crowd. It’s really nice to play in England and to be guaranteed a good crowd there.

Do you all come from a metal background?

When we got together we all had similar influences in one respect. We all went through that metal stage especially Mick and Vinny – you should put that in because they were fuckin’ obsessed with Fear Factory and that’s been on in the van a lot along with old school Spineshank, but I’m pretty obsessed with Radiohead. Vinny’s mad into Prince and Mick loves this band call Oingo Boingo, which was Danny Elfman’s band back in the 1980’s, they’re absolutely amazing.

What have you been listening to lately?

I’ve been getting mad in to Jetplane Landing again. I think all Vinny does is sit at home and find new music! I’m always flicking through his iPod.

If you take anything from this article take this - listen to Oingo Boingo!

...and The Shank of course, they're touring now.