I recently snatched some time with Dick Rossetti, the lead singer/creator of Twink the Wonder Kid, to talk about bassists, songwriting, and performing at the June 3rd mf magazine benefit. You may have heard of Dick’s band by another name, such as Squirt, Buzzard, or Combover – no matter what the name, the members of Twink have a great chemistry & create just plain great rock & roll in its original form … or as The Swede, the band’s guitarist puts it, “meat & potatoes rock & roll!”
Let's start off with a question I'm sure many of our readers are wondering: Why put Russell the cat on the cover of your first album?
Russell is my youngest [cat], and one has to admit he is a stunning boy, so photogenic; better him on the cover than us!
How would you describe your own music?
We play “medium energy rock n roll.” Everybody is so consumed with the “high energy” trip, why not knock it down a notch, then all can enjoy.
Do you have brain-storming sessions where everyone in the band gets together and you come up with songs or does one member do most of the writing?
I write the songs, thank you very much.
Dick, this is not the first band that you have formed before; how is Twink the Wonderkid different from Squirt, Buzzard, and the others?
Well, the name is different. The sound is similar; although I hope my songwriting [skills] have progressed over the years as I've learned more chords. I've been lucky to have some brilliant guitarists like Vee Vee Roark (from bands Squirt & Combover), and The Swede to sonically enhance the tunes, not to mention Liam Beverdige as a solid drumming foundation. Everybody puts their own spin on it, but I pretty much do the blueprints.
The band recently acquired yet another new bassist. How many different bassists has the band had?
Ah, the bassist thing; we really haven't gone thru that many. At most, we had an “on call” bassist, who had other situations to deal with. It was a heartbreak losing B210 to a military-related job in Germany. I hope he's happy in a f**king Scorpions tribute band!
Has having a number of different bassists affected the dynamic of the band or your style of music?
Personalities always affect a dynamic, as do playing styles. It gets frustrating, but you power thru and remember that "it’s only the bass!"
So far, Twink has only released one album [last year's self-titled debut], are you already in the works on your next album?
We already started recording with Conrad Uno. A few new classics-to-be in the can are “Nikki Sixx 7, 8, 9, 10", "Peach Blossom Gal", and “Eskimo Pie!”
Has having a profile on Myspace gotten the word out about your band more?
I think MySpace has been a help; I didn't realize 12-year-olds were so found of the Twinky sound!
What was it like to perform at the June 3rd mf magazine benefit?
The benefit show was a blast! We haven't turned in a performance like that since! The High Dive is a great new room, the PA [system] rules, and the shirley temples are yummy. It was also our first gig with Key Note Speaker, whom I enjoy and respect.
Does working as the afternoon guy at Seattle's 1077 The End radio station inspire you to continue playing in a band?
Working on the radio can be [a] double edged [sword]. I play in a band because I love rock music; I’ve been doing it for many years before I was ever on [the] air. There's a certain serenity in knowing that the Twink band will never “make it [big]”. I've seen how the business works: it’s ugly and not very fair, but that’s the way it is. We're too old and ugly to compete on the same turf as [the] more “careerist” bands; you just have to remove yourself from that turf.
Is there any venue that you dream of performing at?
We'll play wherever there's a PA [system] and Cokes with extra ice!
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