The Sailor Jerry Podcast
Inspired by Norman 'Sailor Jerry' Collins' Old Ironsides radio show on KTRG, we present THE SAILOR JERRY PODCAST! This is a wild homage to all our favorite things – Music, tattoos, travel, spiced rum, and more. Partnering up with our pal Matt Caughthran, the frontman of The Bronx, we're spilling these tales in our own damn style. Brace yourself for biweekly episodes, dishing out killer interviews with musicians who fuel our fire. Buckle up for The Sailor Jerry Podcast – where the coolest stories come to life.
The Sailor Jerry Podcast
68 - Mike Bingham of Spiritual Cramp
Mike Bingham is the lead singer for the Bay Area punk band Spiritual Cramp. In this episode, we get all the juicy details behind the band's latest jam, "Whatever You Say, Man," a split seven-inch with White Reaper. We also dive into Mike's lyrical process, artistic inspiration, and why it's important to always keep your creative eyes and ears open. Matt and Mike also rate and compare some kick-ass bands, pay homage to the unsung heroes at the merch table, and tip our hats to the GOATs of the Bay Area punk scene. Plus, Mike accepts a hypothetical invitation to sing for Nickelback! As always, brought to you by Sailor Jerry!"
https://www.instagram.com/spiritualcramptv/
https://sailorjerry.com
Oh, all right. Mike B, what's up? Good to meet you. Good to meet you, man. Thank you for being a guest here on the Sailor Jerry podcast. Big fan of the band, my man, so appreciate you being on.
Speaker 2:Yeah, good to meet you too, man. I'm a big fan of yours as well and stoked to be here for sure.
Speaker 1:Oh man, I appreciate that. I appreciate that, man. Well, you know, let's just kind of dive into the latest and greatest here because I definitely want to get you know a little bit of background on you and the history of the band, of course. But you know, you guys just released a split, seven inch, with White Reaper across digital platforms. The actual vinyl isn't out yet, but the song is called Whatever you Say, man, and it is an awesome song. What can you tell us about the tune and how did the collaboration with Reaper? How did that come up?
Speaker 2:Yeah for sure. So that song was recorded in San Francisco, along with most of the songs from our first LP, I think we in total I was like trying to catalog it yesterday, I think we in total recorded like 22 songs for the LP, and not everything made it on there. There were a few, though, when we were trying to decide what was going to make it on the record, that were really sticking out to us. What was going to make it on the record, uh, that were really sticking out to us, and that was one of them that was like really close to being on the record, but we felt that it just wasn't the right fit.
Speaker 2:And, um, yeah, you know, we're all big white reaper fans. We have been for a while. I have been for a long time and, moving down to la, I kind of ran into the bass player of White Reaper at my friend Zed's birthday party and I knew he was the bass player of White Reaper. So I kind of just like walked up to him and I was like, hey, what's up? Like sorry, like I don't mean to be a punisher, but like I'm a huge fan of your band, and I was like, if you want, like you could take my number.
Speaker 2:You know maybe, and I knew he was a runner and I'm a runner too, and I was like maybe we could go for a run sometime, you know, because I just like yeah, yeah and um, and then our label, our anr at our label, also worked with white reaper for a long time and I think, like like seven months ago, he was like, oh yeah, we should do a split with white Reaper.
Speaker 2:And I was like, well, yeah, like obviously we should do a split with white Reaper, dave, you know, like of course I want to do a split with a band that I love, um, but I didn't realize that he was like actually teeing it up and he went to them and was like, hey, you guys should do a split with spiritual cramp, and I think that they're all all I know, that they're all fans of our band and uh, and so yeah, getting getting to just meet them naturally. And then the label was like kind of helping push that from their end and we're all fans. So, yeah, we're so stoked. Um, the song is funny because, like when I recorded the vocals for that song, I think it was like one of the last songs that I recorded for the lp sessions and I was just smoked at the time right like I just my brain was goo and I was just so sick of making music at that point and I was just like man I it was.
Speaker 2:It was all gray out in LA too, I don't know if you remember like last April or May, but it was gray for like 35 days in a row and it was during that period where I was recording my vocals and so I just like it was just like kind of coming at the tail end of like me doing a lot of work and I was feeling really smoked and and uh, so the song kind of came out kind of dark, you know yeah, yeah but I'm not like that.
Speaker 2:I'm not like really a dark person. Really I'm kind of a bubbly guy.
Speaker 1:So well, that's good to know. Well, sometimes you know that's that's, that's what the art is there for. You know it's, it's, it's supposed to accept you at your uh, your happiest and your saddest, your highest and your saddest, your highest and your lowest. And you know, I think any artist, musician, honestly, anyone who's ever done a fair amount of work in their life understands that feeling. But there's a special type of pride you get when you're writing for an album, when you're just, you know the last thing. You're just, you're overwriting lyrics, you're overplaying guitar, you're over trying to come up with ideas, you're over tracking. You're just. You're just, you're overwriting lyrics. You're over playing guitar, you're over trying to come up with ideas. You're over tracking. You're just, you're fried. And you know everyone to a certain extent. Sometimes it's the songwriter, sometimes it's the producer, but there's always someone who's there to be like, hey, just what if you write just one more song?
Speaker 1:just one more song just keep going, just keep going, and then and then, eventually you hit a wall and you're like no, that's it, the record's done, I'm done, it's all good well because you can keep working on the record forever if you wanted to.
Speaker 2:You know you could keep saying, oh well, that could be hookier, that could be a little simpler or whatever. Like there's not, there's nothing stopping you from just like making a record for six years if you wanted to, and, um, and yeah, it is helpful to have people around like producers or people with a label who can just be like, hey, like you're about two songs out, right, because in my head, like I have no idea, I get lost in a microscope. You know, I'm so close to it. Yeah, um, that song was definitely written during that time, but I think it turned out good and you know, kind of like it's kind of got. Like us we were trying to go for like a more kind of strokesy vibe. Yeah, you know, kind of just these like down like almost ramonesy meets strokes like, and he's just down picked like simple, really rudimentary, like real, real, kind of like my first band type riffs, um, and it turned out good yeah, man, it's a killer tune.
Speaker 1:Uh, you know, you can pre-order the vinyl now. I think it drops on may 16th, right, yeah?
Speaker 1:that's right thanks and you, you gotta love a split seven inch. You know there's, know it's split seven inches. And you guys are playing shows together. Obviously later in the year Some East Coast dates with White Reaper Shout out, White Reaper, Tony we had Tony on the show here Another great voice man. You guys both have incredible voices and you know the split seven inch for everybody out there, it's all love on a split seven inch for everybody out there, it's, it's, it's all love on a split seven inches. You know there's there's no money in seven inches anyway, but there's really no money on a split seven inch. It's very much so.
Speaker 1:Artists to artists and just, you know, normally, as you know, bands evolve and they get older. The the split seven inch becomes rarer and rarer. It becomes like a thing where you see a band you're like're like dude, we should do a split seven inch and it's like it's never gonna happen, you know so, uh, when they do happen, it's, it's awesome and this is a really cool. Uh, split what? What's the b-side on it? Is there gonna be a b-side?
Speaker 2:it's just, it's yeah, yeah, so there's a. So that's our song that we wrote, and I wrote all the lyrics and tony sang on it, yeah the other song and that will come out as well, obviously is the White Reaper song, and I sing on the White Reaper song.
Speaker 1:Hell yeah, dude, and it's really catchy.
Speaker 2:Their song is, in my opinion, better than ours. Awesome man.
Speaker 1:Speaking about voices, speaking about singing. What do you think are? You know what makes a good front person to you?
Speaker 2:First, you have to know how to sing on key. And you have to know how to sing on key in the studio and you have to do it at shows. You have to be a really good singer at shows. That's baseline, in my opinion. You can't be getting on stage and, like you know, just singing off key Like I see a lot of singers who can get into studios. You know they use a bunch of auto tune. It'll make their punk band sound good. And then you see them live and it's like oh, you can't actually sing and your producer just made you sing. So I think that's the most important thing.
Speaker 2:Um, and then, I think, the ability to be a captivating person on stage and take people who are watching your band for lack of a better term through a journey. Right, you walk out and like, how are you going to present yourself to them? Are you going to? Because when I go on stage I take up a lot of space. I'm like King Kong, like beating my chest, like hello, like I'm, I'm a I'm. I embody this kind of like other part of me when I'm on stage. And you know, like I think that Iggy Pop is an incredible front person. I think Pele from the Hives is one of the best front people out. Uh, seb from Viagra Boys is incredible, but he's so low-key with it, right, he embodies this other thing where he's very calm and cool down the middle and just kind of says these funny little quips, whereas Pele or Iggy Pop, they're throwing mic, stands into the crowd and screaming at people, and that's kind of more what I like to do. Yeah, people, and that's kind of more what I like to do. Yeah, um, but I think the ability to do that and be planned out and be methodical, right, I can speak to large groups of people and do so in a way that incentivizes them to get behind what it is that they're seeing for the first time yeah, yeah, you know you want people when you play live, like you want to play a show and then have everyone in the crowd whispering to the person next to them Jesus Christ, who was that guy right or girl or whatever Like, and I think that that a lot of times, people think that that's like an inherent trait in people, but I don't think it is.
Speaker 2:I think it's something that you can get good at and get better at and learn. I mean, you know as you as you walk down that road of being like a front person. You don't really know what it is at first. You're just like, oh, like I'm like decent at singing and I can act like an idiot on stage. And then you start really learning what it means to really work hard on singing and work hard on being a good front person and all this stuff. So it's been a journey. I mean. I'm sure that you can relate.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, for sure, and I agree with you on all that stuff, but it's the best. I mean, singing in a band is the best, and Seb is awesome. Love him, pele. You guys are playing with the Hives later this year, right?
Speaker 2:We are, yeah, we're very excited about that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, pele's the homie man, that band is so awesome and so cool. And yeah, that's LA and Orange County, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we're doing Orange County with the Heights.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, Awesome. That's going to be sick. Talking a little bit about the band here, the band started. What 2017?
Speaker 2:Yeah, 2017.
Speaker 1:2017. First album, television, dropped in 2018. Incredible album, two EPs before you dropped the self-titled album last November For everyone listening go back and listen to. You got to listen to everything this band has put out first album, eps, everything in between because everything is great, man, it's really really cool and the band is evolving into something that I'm really excited to watch and listen to and to see. And I was curious just kind of diving into songwriting a little bit. You know what's your process lyrically.
Speaker 2:Man, I am like struggling with that right now.
Speaker 2:I have to write lyrics for these 15 songs that we're supposed to be recording next month and like it just depends, right, I'll hit play on one of these demos and like a hook I really a lot of my brain is focused on. Is this something that I would listen to? Because I like hooky pop music? Right, I like repetitive, big choruses, I like big produced music. I kind of always have. But you know, I like small stuff too, and if I can like hum out a hook for a song and then usually what will happen is my brain will just subconsciously start saying some words.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And as my brain starts saying words, I'll realize that I'm I'm talking about something right, that I don't even think that like I'm processing, and I'll realize, oh, like, I'm like subconsciously speaking words about being frustrated or subconsciously speaking words about people who run their mouths online, like, or whatever. Um, or the inverse of that is, sometimes I'll just be reading a book or listening to a podcast or driving, and something a little one-liner will pop into my head, yeah, and I'll be like, oh man, I gotta, I gotta, I gotta remember that that's a cool one-liner, right, and I'll build a song off that. I think like the song city on fire on our lp. I was watching tv, or something right, and someone said something about a city on fire and I was like man that's a badass concept for a punk song, or, you know, like, like, like television, right, like.
Speaker 2:I look at tvs and radios and I just think about the symbology of these things in punk rock music, right, and how, the use of, you know, in pop culture, mtv, and there's just these things that inspire what I want the sonic and visual language of our band to convey, right, and those things are old 80s punk, rap music from the 90s, you know, public enemy, the class, you know it's like there's this defined thing that I want to express. So I I try to think in the lanes of what those defined things that I want to express are. Right, I'm not gonna. I'm not gonna like. I mean, I did do a love song on the record, but that was like me being on my in my morrissey bag. You know what I?
Speaker 1:mean like I was, like you know, I was like, or am I in my inner?
Speaker 2:pool bag, right, like it, like, it's like, like. But those things like Morrissey and inner pool and Cox bar and the clash, it's like. Those are my frames of reference when I'm saying words or creating a verbal language for spiritual craft.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's awesome man. Yeah, it's always an ongoing process. Lyric writing I think you go through so many different phases as an artist. Being tuned in is something that I think has really benefited me over the years, especially recently, because that's where the new ideas come from. Like you're saying, if you hear something you know just passing by, or you know you read something on a billboard, or you hear something on the TV or you know. So those are the ideas, the little ones that always kind of spark new thought and can lead you in a whole different direction.
Speaker 1:For me, I realized as a writer writer especially lyrically like going to the quote-unquote, well it's, it's like, uh, you know it's, it's a slippery slope, you know, because I feel like, like you're saying, you know you have a frame of reference that you want to go to for this band and you know, with the bronx it's a different frame of reference than an l bronx. But, um, you know, sometimes you you can't. Sometimes, if you try to stick within that, it just you'll find it. Over the years it just gets smaller and smaller and smaller, you know and you're.
Speaker 1:you're just kind of like fuck, and you know you got to find your ways, your ways out that way too, cause, um, you know, riding's a tricky thing for everybody, cause it's everyone's different about it, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, totally it's, because it's everyone's different about it, you know. Yeah, totally it's. It's like, uh, it's like you said, it gets smaller and smaller and like you can feel like it's like starting to box your body in. Right, you're like always use these, that phrase, or I always sing about this stupid thing, or what. So you have to be a conscious. You have to consciously go out and see you have to be proactive and seeking other means of inspiration. Right, you have to be go out and see, you have to be proactive and seeking other means of inspiration. Right, you have to be like okay, I need to be paying attention right now. You have to be cognizant of things that you don't think about and try to take them in, which is hard, because it's really easy to just be a passive human being and let the world inject itself into you and not stop and observe it and take pieces of it for your art. So I think I think just being conscious about it right, and like seeking out other forms of inspiration.
Speaker 1:I guess, yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely man and it's good to have a balance of uh, you know, sometimes I fall into the trap, uh, you know, musically speaking, of taking things so seriously and trying to be uh like, like heavy all the time, you know, or like stuff like that, and man, it's I mean, it's heavy is good, obviously, but some of my favorite songs and favorite lyrical moments that I've had or that I've listened to over the years some artists I love are just like you know, they're the like the weird ideas. You know, they're the kind of just like off the cuff, fun ideas, stuff like that. So you really do just gotta be, you gotta be open and aware to all of it, you know, and that way it's like you keep evolving. You don't write yourself into a corner where you're always writing about the same shit over and over and over again. You know, um, awesome man, cool, cool.
Speaker 1:Uh, let's uh, speaking of the internet here, yeah, a couple, we got a couple questions, okay, from the internet. Uh, I love it. On which part of the body would one might experience a spiritual cramp?
Speaker 2:uh, I don't know, man. Uh, that's an interesting question. I think, uh, it's probably. Uh, I would say, I don't know if you can, I don't know if there's a part of your body that is connected to your spirit, I guess in your heart maybe, or like your soul, I mean your bones, the bones yeah, that'll work that'll work. Yeah, the knee your brain, your brain probably is where that all comes from, so I think that's where you experience it.
Speaker 1:Who is the?
Speaker 2:GOAT of Bay Area Punk and Hardcore Fuck.
Speaker 2:That's such a sick question. Max Wickham I think Max Wickham for sure, or Kenny Turner, from Turner from fentanyl, is kind of a goat for sure. I am definitely a Bay area goat. Ross Farrar is a Bay area goat. My wife, barbara Thompson, is also a Bay area goat, but she's not a Bay area punk and hardcore goat, she's just like a standard world goat. There's a lot of goats. Oh great, grace Coleman, but Grace isn't really involved in hardcore punk either. Goat, she's just like a standard world goat. There's a lot of goats. Oh you great, grace coleman, but grace isn't really involved in hardcore punk either. She's just like a recording record producer who's the best?
Speaker 1:who's the best band out of the bay, you think? Oh?
Speaker 2:shoot, that's such a loaded question. Um, okay, I like slugger. They're kind of out of chico and santa cruz. Uh, I think spiritual cramp is the best band out of the bay straight up. But, um, deaf heaven, I, I, they're, they're, they're still based out of the bay area. Gulch was, gulch was for sure a pretty buff band. Sour widows, um, from san francisco or oakland, from San Francisco or Oakland. They're pretty good. There's so many. What's that band on Slumberland? My friends at the band Neutrals just put out some new music. They're pretty good. They're pretty good. That sounds really good. I love you, alan. There's so many, it's hard to keep track of all the wonderful bands.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, absolutely. It's a really cool time right now in punk and hardcore. And one thing that you guys kind of remind me of Bronx in a way, where you're a punk band that's kind of coming up in a hardcore scene. You know what I mean. I mean, you're part of the punk scene as well, obviously, but it's interesting sometimes being a punk band in a hardcore scene, obviously, but it's interesting sometimes being a punk band in a hardcore scene and sometimes, like for us, we were always kind of like the weird band on the bill, but it's a good thing to kind of be the odd band out. You know, you guys have any kind of weird experiences like that.
Speaker 2:Yes, we do.
Speaker 1:As you might imagine for sure.
Speaker 2:Well, like, okay, okay. So here's the thing is when we started we were like, I think, our first, our first four shows outside of the bay area sans one, in a way, um, we're with turnstile and our friends in the story so far and drug church, right. So by off off the bat we were playing hardcore shows. And then American Nightmare took us out on a US tour, but Pissed Jeans was on some of those shows, right, so we weren't necessarily the odd band out. And then we went on tour with radioactivity, which was awesome we're all big fans. And then we went on tour with beach fossils and waves Right. So that is, and that was like the. Those were the first like four tours we ever did. So it was kind of just like throwing darts at a dartboard and they were all in different places and we felt pretty comfortable in all of them. So we started exploring all of those things, right, like indie rock with beach fossils and punk with radioactivity, and then, like the top 40, hardcore with, with turnstile and I think the only place that like like re okay.
Speaker 2:So recently our friends play in the band unbroken and one of my very good friends is the bass player of Unbroken. His name's Rob Moran. He's a tremendous guy. You probably had him on the show or you probably know him. But Rob said hey, mike, we're going to do a show in Philly and we would love if Spiritual Cramp could play with Unbroken. It was blacklisted Unbrokenbroken spiritual cramp. I think scarab played, magnitude played.
Speaker 2:It was a capital h hardcore show and we got up on that stage in philly and like during that set there's a video of it People were just, they just stood there and there was. You could tell about half of them were like I can't beat anyone up to this, I don't want anything to do with this, and this is you guys are whack Because we're California punks, right, we're not hardcore kids, we're like punks. And then the other half of the crowd was like yes, and then the other half of the crowd was like, yes, right, but they, but they weren't. They were there because they were going to, like you know, go crazy for Unbroken and Blacklisted in their hometown, right, which makes total sense.
Speaker 2:But I think that show for us, like we really did feel the crowd there.
Speaker 2:You could feel that there was a lot of them who did not know what the fuck was going on in front of them. Who did not know what the fuck was going on in front of them, yeah, but like the, the flip side of that coin is like the next time we went to philly, I had like five people walk up to me and be like hey, fyi, like I saw you with unbroken and you blew my mind. So in the moment, things can very viscerally feel like we're not supposed to be here, these hardcore people don't like us and I don't want to do this anymore. And then six months later, you're back playing the same venue, the church and the entire crowd singing along and half of them are like hey, like just FYI, I feel with you guys hadn't played that show, I wouldn't know who we were. So I just think that, like you could feel, however it is, you feel in the moment Right and be like this sucks, like they don't, they don't understand me, I'm a punk.
Speaker 2:And then like later on, it's like dude, like cause you feelings aren't facts Right. Like what you're feeling in the moment is not true. It doesn't mean if you feel afraid or you feel like an odd man out, like I said, it doesn't matter, because there are people in that crowd who are like yo, I know exactly what you're doing. I love madness. They're like I love drum and bass, you know, or whatever. But I think that show in particular was one where, off the rip, I was like man, that was awful and then, as it softened a little, I was like, oh well, we were just a punk band playing Blacklisted's Hometown Reunion show. Of course they're not going to mosh each other into oblivion, they're just going to watch and clap and tweet songs.
Speaker 1:I mean, it's a trip man. It's rad as a musician because it's just you're playing and it's cool. And, like you're saying, sometimes it's weird, sometimes it's not, but at the end of the day, who the fuck cares? It's cool. It's cool being I like being the band that, like you're saying, can play with a bunch of different types of bands. You know, I remember, like when we, when the first bronx record came out, we were signed on ferret, yeah, and so, like we did, we did like hell fest 2003, and it was like what the fuck are we doing here?
Speaker 2:Totally.
Speaker 1:But it was awesome.
Speaker 2:Right, I mean, I have always felt like a kinship with the Bronx. I mean, we just met each other right now, but the way that your band moves, it's like I remember you guys were on tour with the Hives Refused and the Bronx yeah, yeah, yeah. But then you're also like doing mariachi alabronx at the same time, and I just remember being like these guys are trying to occupy a lot of space and I love that, because that's what I like to do as well. Right, like, yeah, I'm a fan of, I'm a fan of turnstile and I'm a fan of beach fossils and I'm a fan of, I'm a fan of turnstile and I'm a fan of beach fossils and I'm a fan of, I'm a fan of all of these things and I want to be in those rooms and I I've. I feel like the Bronx is a band that does a really good job of doing the same kind of thing.
Speaker 1:I appreciate that At the end of the day, you don't. You know it's like art is to experience and to live and to share, and and to live and to share, and no one wants to be boxed in, even if the box is awesome. You know, it's like. You know, you just eventually, you know, creatively speaking, you want to be able to do different things and and to fully express yourself on, you know, the complete spectrum of life. Yeah, it's just cool, man, I was. I wanted to rap with you about that Because I know how funny it can be. Sometimes we did like a when crack the sky came out, we did like macedon and converge, whoa and dude it was. I mean, I mean it was great because you know we're we're friends and it was awesome as great memories, but I mean not necessarily the biggest bronx audience.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that for sure.
Speaker 1:But you know but was. But it was cool and, like you're saying, that tour specifically was one of those ones where it was like you'd find people down the road. They'd be like dude. I saw you guys at Macedon and I couldn't really act like I was into it, but I was really into it Totally.
Speaker 2:Those things do move the needle right, it's just. But they feel like, like in the moment, you're like man, what did we do? What you know and get me out of here. Even even those turnstile story so far shows that we opened up like we were freaking those little kids out, for sure, and but that was in 2017, right, when I didn't have my my stage swag yet.
Speaker 2:Like, my stage swag is turned up now and I would know how to like, I know how to work that crowd now, but back then I was just like I was on some fuck you, fuck you punk rock. You know what I'm. You, you don't understand me because I'm a real punk type bullshit and and I was scaring the hoes at the at that show, you know, but like, but like, but it's like you know, even even with like that, that that hardcore crowd, well, you know, at that church show, like after doing it once, now I understand what it is and like I could do it again and I think I could do it better next time, you know yeah, yeah, and shout out to the church.
Speaker 1:we've played there a couple times. Oh yeah, the legendary venue. So much fun playing there. So, much fun. Okay, another question here. This is kind of a hot topic right here. Okay, in 2024, does the merch person deserve 100% of the tips?
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, I just found out that some bands don't give them 100% of the tips.
Speaker 1:Yeah, bands are pissed, bands are taking the tips back.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm not going to take our merch person's tips. I will say, though, that if you're watching this and you don't have a lot of context for, like you know how much money is made on like a tour, you can pretty much bet that the merch person, for whatever band it is that you're gonna go see, is probably making more than the band members. It depends, you know, but, like I have friends who are in like pretty big band bands who sell like you know they'll sell out like three thousand. I mean pretty big quote, unquote. You know they'll sell out like three. I mean pretty big quote, unquote. You know they'll sell 3 000 tickets in new york or la yeah, yeah and like like my homie was telling me the other day.
Speaker 2:He was like yeah, like our merch person for sure makes way more money on tour than we do, which is bonkers. I got into the wrong business, um yeah, it's, it's one.
Speaker 1:It's one of those things where I because I, I can't, I can't do it either, I don't have the heart to do it, yeah, but it's like, uh, yeah, there's a lot of bands right now saying, well, you know when they're, when they're tipping they're, you know they're not necessarily tipping the merch person, they're tipping the band, and it's like, yes, that's a fair point.
Speaker 2:I mean, that's the thing is like like there's so little money to go around right, that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:There's not enough meat on the bone.
Speaker 2:They got us attacking each other now yeah so it's like when, when there's like an extra 400 a night to look at on a budget sheet, like you're looking at that, and you're like, fuck man, that'd be great because we were just out for 45 days and that would put another three thousand dollars in my pocket, right, which is like yeah, which is sick, um, that's my rent, or whatever. But see, we haven't even, we're like not even there yet you know what I mean, like our band's, like not even to the point, like actually that's why.
Speaker 1:That's why you gotta start splitting them now, because once you get there, yeah, yeah, no, I think uh I don't know.
Speaker 2:I've heard that it's. I've heard that it's a bad form to cap your merch person's tips. Someone's told me that's like a whispered about thing that if you're a band who caps your merch person's tips In the merch community.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I heard that there are people who whisper in group chats about you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, that makes sense.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no one wants to be outed in the merch group chat.
Speaker 2:Oh, no, no, because the merch people are the best people on earth. If you're a merch guy and you're actually making money, that means you're really cool. You know what I mean? Because the bands are like no, this guy's got to come with us, yeah absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 1:It's an extended member of the band. Shout out to all the merch people around the world.
Speaker 2:Off the top. Keep your chips. Mac Miller Goats.
Speaker 1:All right, a couple kind of pick thems here. Let's see which uh which which you're going with. Okay, you got Gigi Allen or Darby crash.
Speaker 2:Darby crash.
Speaker 1:Easy Iggy popper. David Bowie. Iggy pop, Easy Danzig or the misfits.
Speaker 2:Oh, uh. I think I would say Dancing. Just because those first three records are so disgusting, and Rick Rubin is a part of it. It's like listening to the Misfits on Rick Rubin. Is what listening to those Dancing records is? But I mean I do love the Misfits Rubin with that spooky, spooky ass music. Let's go.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's so good uh hot snakes or rocket from the crypt fuck yeah, sick question. Hot snakes all the way rip rick, yeah, for sure, uh, nirvana or oasis oasis damn oasis respectfully I.
Speaker 2:I know that's a bit controversial.
Speaker 1:Are they ever getting back together, you think?
Speaker 2:I almost Nirvana.
Speaker 1:Is Oasis getting back together?
Speaker 2:Sure, I'm going to be there. I'm going to be there with my little stupid mod haircut you know what I mean my little anorak on. Oh, I'm going to go crazy, sure.
Speaker 1:I think I know the answer to this clash of the pistols fuck like musically, the clash.
Speaker 2:And like career, career wise, the clash. Like their careers are so cool and innovative and they're just such innovative artists, um, but from like a flash in the pan cultural perspective, I think the sex pistols are pretty cool too. They were able to just create this entire blueprint. But I think the answer is the Clash.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you listen to the Clash more, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure yeah.
Speaker 1:I listen to the.
Speaker 2:Clash more for sure, but I think there's a place for safety pins. It's tight. I mean Nevermind the.
Speaker 1:Bullocks I it's tied. I mean never mind the bullocks is, it's an all-time album it's so good, it really is great yeah black flag or bad brains?
Speaker 2:fucking so sick dude. These questions are so sick. Black flag, california.
Speaker 1:Uber alice yeah, nice, uh, all right, speaking of ceremony or dead kennedys.
Speaker 2:Fuck man, that's a good, that's insane. Um, oh, dude, like okay, that's so divisive because, like ceremony has just arguably just had this impact on my life that like, if it weren't on for ceremony, I would not be Mike from spiritual crap like ross is like I mean that dude, like the impact that he has had on my life is just I could, I could speak for many hours about ross ferrari, ceremony, ceremony. Yeah, even though I do love. I do love the dead kennedy fucking from san francisco a couple more questions hypotheticals.
Speaker 2:We're going hypothetical here.
Speaker 1:We're going to start with the genie in the bottle, Whether it's Aladdin it's for sure, robin Williams. The genie comes out of the bottle. You got one wish. What's it going to be?
Speaker 2:I'm going to say some crazy shit. I wish for peace on Earth. I wish for every living being to have peace and to have everything that they want within reason. You know, I want everyone on Earth to have the peace that they're, they are seeking, because if the world, if everyone had that piece man, oh my god, yeah it'd be unbelievable.
Speaker 2:But then we have no war, we'd have no punk rock, right. We have nothing to rebel against, so I don't know. I think peace on earth at a million dollars and the power to be invisible that's three, that's three, that's three you got, one you got we're gonna.
Speaker 1:We're gonna stick with peace on earth, invisible would be pretty tight yeah, uh, bill and ted wild stallions, come down phone booth time machine anywhere, any era in history. Where are you going first and why?
Speaker 2:I'm gonna go to ramon's new year's eve show in new york city on 1979, in 1979, uh, what was it? They played the palladium in 1979. Yeah, with Alda Verda or I forget the name of the band. It was this other Sire Records band. But I'm going to go to that show first and then I'll just walk around after that and see where it takes me.
Speaker 1:Hell yeah, that's a good answer, that's a good answer. All right, here's the last hypothetical here. Okay, your manager, ryan, shout out. Ryan, he calls you, you're on the road. Okay, let's set it up here. You're on the road, maybe somewhere in the Midwest, maybe it's not really that great of a tour. You're kind of getting your ass kicked. You might be thinking about your life a little bit.
Speaker 2:Yeah, been there.
Speaker 1:And your manager calls you and he says, mike B. You're never going to believe this, but I just got an email from Nickelback. Chad Kroger lost his mind. He's out. The band has thought about it. They got their ears to the ground. They've been looking at a lot of different people cats, yeah, yeah, hip cats, hip cats yeah, they want you to replace chad kroger and nickelback. Okay, you get a $500,000 signing bonus. Okay, you're going to be headlining arena tours in Canada.
Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1:By this summer, okay, but you got to make the call right now. Do you do it or no?
Speaker 2:Okay, a couple of questions. Okay, first off, what happens to all the royalties? Does chad keep his royalties or do I? Am I taking over publishing and master?
Speaker 1:well, okay, let's, let's say this, let's say that you're also signing on for a one record deal, but any, I mean, you know you'll get, you'll get some live performance, you know royalties but you know, in his'll get some live performance royalties, but you know, and his share of the live performance fees. Yes, okay.
Speaker 2:And one more question Is the band dead set on touring for like at least like two or three years?
Speaker 1:Yeah, you're going to be the new face of Nickelback.
Speaker 2:Let's go. I'm like a thousand percent. I'm like all in on nickelback and fucking, fuck spiritual cram and fuck everyone in that band. Yeah, respectfully, I'm fucking out and my baby is about to eat.
Speaker 1:My girls are going to eat good yes, yeah, hell, yeah, awesome, uh, all right, um, real quick. This is the Sailor Jerry podcast. Norman Collins, traditional tattoo godfather. I know you are on your way to becoming a tat daddy here at some point, because you've got a couple. What was your first tattoo and what was your most recent one?
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, this is so awesome. My first tattoo was a tattoo right here on my arm. I was like 17 and I got a shy halloo tattoo. Yeah, yeah, I, I know I. I was like, well, how do I lie about this? I'm like just gonna say it. Um, and it's a, you remember, derrick has the artist yeah, it's a derrick has designed shia lu tattoo.
Speaker 2:Um, which is so fucking crazy, but uh, I still have it to be honest. Um, okay, what was my most recent tattoo? Uh, something on my stomach, probably nice, yeah shout out to matt house at um. I don't know. I think he just opened up his own private studio, but he was working at idle hands at the time. Matt's a great tattoo artist awesome, cool.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I was gonna just ask you if there was any, uh, if you had to go to artists or if there's anyone you wanted to give a shout out to.
Speaker 2:That's awesome idle hands, san francisco, oh, hell yeah awesome, awesome.
Speaker 1:Mike b uh, spiritual cramp. Last question here, a little bit of a doozy, but I think you're ready for it. I'm ready. What? What to you, is the meaning of life?
Speaker 2:What is the meaning of life? The meaning of life to me is to be I wish I had like a funny joke answer, but I don't have a joke answer. I can honestly tell you what I think skill. And I think it's a skill to look around and just be thankful for everything I have every day and live peacefully with everything that I have. Because if suffering is relative, right, like it's like a Buddhist thing if you have everything or if you have nothing, you can create the same space of happiness inside of your head.
Speaker 2:And I just I'm someone who gets caught up on prizes, right, like I want all the prizes, right, I want a cool house and I want to be in a popular band, I want everyone to like me. But like those things don't ever satiate, right. They never have all the cool clothes in the world and all the attention and all the money in the world. It never satiated me. The only thing that satiates me is when I look around and I kind of take stock and what's right in front of me and I I focus on living in the present. So I think that's the meaning of life.
Speaker 1:Hell yeah, my man.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Appreciate you. Mike man, it's been great talking with you. Thank you very.