Nunchukka Superfly

 

One of Australian underground rocks most sort after lost LPs had finally seen the light of day. Nunchukka Superfly’s first recording has been released via Cheersquad Records. The LP, simply known as Nunchukka Superfly 95, sounds like the Superfly. Thrashy guitar with classic meaty riffs from Blackie, thumping bass from Ray, and machine gun drums from Pete. but with one difference, JJ McCann is on the vocals.

It sounds like Nunchukka but with a different voice, but its still sounds like the band loyal Nunchukka fans know and love. JJ spoke to us about his stink in one of Ox rocks most loved underground acts.

Munster: when we first spoke, around 2017, we talked briefly about this record, and you mentioned one day it might see the light of day. So why now?

JJ: Well in 2019 I approached the guys, as I just had it digitised. Originally, we all had a copy on cassette, and over the years they either disappeared or the tape wore out. Jason Blackwell, who recorded it, he was working at the Hopetoun Hotel in Surry Hills mixing bands on weekends, and I was living across the road at the time. I went in and he said he had the back tape of the recording. Which was a lifesaver, as no one had a copy anymore, so I met him the next week and said he’ll bring the tape down. So, I hung on to it for years, because I didn’t have a player. Eventually I moved down here (Melbourne) a few years ago and I was working in a studio in Collingwood and I said to Ben, the guy running it, I got the tape and he had a tape player, we played it through the monitor and boom, there it was. It was in perfect condition. So, got I it digitised, sent it to Blackie, then he tells Ray have you heard it? Then Pete heard it, and I said this is really good guys we got to do something about this, be mad not to.

Munster: when you got the tape did you want it for your archives, or did you always want to release it?

JJ: I knew it was good and had a feeling it was important, well an important part of my history that hasn’t been heard. So, there was that, self interest there. In the back of my mind, I thought this could come out and possibly we might play. The playing part wasn’t a priority. Mostly archive as I archive masters of all the stuff I’ve done.

Munster: absolutely, its part of your history and also its an important band so it’s definitely worth preserving.

JJ: . When we played it at the studio a couple of younger guys who had been working said what the hell is this? And that made me go, oh these guys are younger than me and digging it, which made me think its aged well.

Munster: when I heard the LP, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but to me it sounds like Nunchukka but with your good self on vocals.

JJ: (laughs) pretty much. Also the drumming is pretty unique, talking about that with Blackie, Pete Allen has his own unique style and sound of doing things, so a few things that made it different.

Munster: what are your memories of the recording?

JJ: We did it in one day. Wasn’t rushed but was hard work, especially with me trying to get all the vocals down. I think we went in to record a demo to shop around for a record deal, as it was still major label time when all this was going on. I remember feeling I could have had more time with the vocals, I hear it now and I think I would have mixed it a bit differently or I could have done something a little differently. So was just the one day we needed.

Munster: considering the four of you played in some pretty well known bands at the time I take it you all knew each other?

JJ:  I got in the band via Pete, I knew him through Mass Appeal and Terrible Virtue, the band Rod Hunt the photographer sang in. I knew him from around the traps, but he was the one that asked me to sing because they couldn’t find anyone. They were getting really frustrated and they’d been kicking around rehearsal rooms, and I think I was the 23^rd guy to come in. they were getting guys showing up that had never sung before, it got ridiculous for them. I was in Harpoon at the time and thought I could juggle both bands, it would be a good thing for me to do.

Munster: did you juggle it?

JJ: was a bit of work but I did it, I remember one night I did both bands in one night, in the city with Harpoon, then someone drove me to the Shire for the midnight slot for the Nunckkua show. Was busy but good.

Munster: so when you auditioned to be the singer, did the other three guys have a vision for what the band would be and sound like?

JJ: yeah, they broke up the Hard Ons and they hadn’t done anything new for a few years so there trying to get this thing up and running. We talked about how we were all independent fairly headstrong people, with our own views on things, so was an interesting dynamic.

Munster: did you keep in touch with the guys after you left the band?

JJ: no, not really, there was a bit of a falling out, we kept out of each other’s way for a long time. Actually, we just didn’t see each other.

Munster: that makes sense as you moved to Melbourne and the rest stayed in Sydney.

JJ: yeah, well I moved to Perth and back to Sydney, then Melbourne, so I moved round a bit.

Munster: you mentioned a falling out, but all good now?

JJ: yeah all good now, I haven’t seen Pete since the early 2000s before I left Sydney, I bumped into the other guys around the traps when they are in town. I hadn’t seen Pete in that long it was like hey man fair our, 25 years later, pretty wild. we rehearsed last year did a few days rehearsal, sounded the same. Pete has the same kit and Blackie the same guitar. We haven’t played a note in years and its sounds the same its incredible.

Munster:  how did the shows go with you up front, as the Hard Ons have a pretty loyal fanbase, so how did they react with this new band with new songs, which had two out of three members of the band but with a different drummer and singer?

JJ: the Hard Ons have always had a hardcore fanbase right? Still do. So back then they were expecting it to be similar, and it doesn’t really sound like the Hard Ons at all. So there was a backlash and I think if anything it was towards me. My voice, my appearance didn’t fit what they thought it should be. I copped a bit of flack at first and was pretty intense, one time a guy got on stage to get at me. He said something and I said something, he was a Hard Ons fan, I think I said go home and listen to the Hard Ons or something like that, he wasn’t happy. A bit guy grabbed him, bear hugged him to stop him gping further, so was pretty aggressive at times. Happened a few times, or sometimes we copped this stoney indifference, we would play a song and just silence. And you’d say what the fuck, what’s going on here. At the Tote, one of our first Melbourne shows, it was just silent song after song, and there was quite a few people there. It was really odd. And we copped that at Adelaide too, in front of two thousand people at a festival, people shouting out stuff like punk rock traders. We’d just push on and play through it, and the crowd started going nuts and getting into it, we’re broke through

Munster: So weird you copped all that flack, I think it would have been different if you only had one Hard Ons members, not 2/3rds of the band

JJ: That’s true. With 2/3rds the Hard Ons and there fanbase is so hardcore, I can imagine Tim Rogers copping the same thing, with people wanting it to be exactly how they like it

Munster: how was your voice after the jam last year?

JJ: Good, I approached it a little differently from when I was younger, still belting it out, but now with 30 more years singing experience, so know to manage it a little bit more, and not waste it all, ripping my throat apart in a few hours. Went back the next day and was fine. My singing felt a little more measured in the delivery then I did 30 years ago when I was just screaming and jumping around.

Munster: the other guys remember their parts?

JJ: was perfect, just like the record, I remember someone said in a review recently, it appeared to be improvised, but everything was structured to the point the music sounds improvised, so when we went into the room we played everything exactly the same. The guitar drums and vocals everything was spot on. The hardest part was remembering the lyrics because they were unusual lyrics and unusually delivered. Maybe will take a few gigs to get used to it.

Munster: who wrote the lyrics for this LP?

JJ: it was actually Blackie, and I found the notebook he used, and there was a lot of lyrics but a lot of things I had to make up on the spot, and a few words here and there as I couldn’t understand them on the four track demo, and I’d be like what do you think is said here Blackie, and he’s like I don’t know (laughs) so I’d go with the sound and put a word that went with the sound. There was a bit of that but not a lot, it was mostly instructed by the other guys.

Munster:  was everything fine when you all got back together for the first time for years in the rehearsal room, no issues?

JJ: There was more openness straightaway, a discussion on what went wrong which was really good. it wasn’t like a counselling session, like Metallica, but it was mentioned, something to think about, but we were young and real head strong individuals, all those things and intense, and that went into the music, and I think we really burned each other out over a quick time, and what we went through with the audience was intense so a lot to take in, then you look at peoples personal lives and what was going on, for me it wasn’t easy and I’m sure they had the same, so a lot going on.

Munster: what’s next? Any further plans behind the run of shows you got coming up?

JJ: No plans but we discussed it today the doors open, if we have fun and something comes up then we’ll keep it going.

https://cheersquadrecordstapes.bandcamp.com/album/nunchukka-superfly-95