The King Dapper Combo! Who woulda thunk that a band thrown together for a single party gig would still be rockin' 14 years later (and still sounding like they were just thrown together!)?
Way back in the early days of music (aka 1991), King Dapper Combo wasn't a combo. It was a magazine called Pop Cult. Several well-meaning folks (who would later comprise the combo) were busy as bees putting together yet another fanzine, ready to take the publishing world by storm. As these things go, the fledgling magazine's unveiling was shamelessly used as an excuse to have a party. Wild! (not the party. It was only a gas.) Zombo (before he was Zombo. He used to be called Michael) had the bright idea to put together a band for the magazine's gala Christmas party. He had never played in a band before, but had banged out a few chords on the guitar. Thus unequipped, he acquired the services of the only somewhat unequipped Rob Branz (soon to become Skeeter), who had previously played guitar and sang for local non-legends The Chants. Zombo's only plan was to have the band wear old thrift store suits and ties. Dapper, indeed!
Further personnel acquisitions included Julia Devine, Bob Nupp and Ray Carmen (those who would become Pepper, Sherman and Sputnik). Sputnik was playing a toy set of drums and Pepper was plunking a rubber band bass guitar (Yes. Really. Just like in the song!). Sherman, for some reason, played a real keyboard! And real accordion! Imagine!!
The actual gig was, amazingly, a huge success! The band that wasn't a band had pulled off what so many other bands miss... they entertained the crowd!
The next big gig, the fabled Pop Cult Art Festival, clinched it. King Dapper Combo wasn't going to go away! They hung in there like a bad rash!
It wouldn't be long before the enthusiastic Combo started recording their first 'cassette only' releases. Eventually, after many cassette releases, this line-up would record what would be the band's first official CD release, "Rockin' Halloween." Surprisingly (or not so surprisingly as are all things Dapper) the CD was not released by a record company, but was released by a gift company as a novelty Halloween CD in a cardboard sleeve. It was also simultaneously released by the band as a regular 'jewel box' CD titled "...On Monster Island". (It would be re-released a few years later by the same gift company as a regular CD titled "Rockin' Halloween Party With The King Dapper Combo.") Shortly thereafter, personal commitments would see the exits of both Sherman and Sputnik. Sputnik continues to make music with the band Kinski Spiral.
Enter the mighty Gonga (Gary Swaggerty) and the almost-as-mighty Bodini (Ron "Pete Sake" Mullens)! Gonga came to us via NIL8 and Bodini used to reside with Akron legends the Rubber City Rebels, among others. Both these chaps were actually fans of the band before becoming full-fledged members! See that! Dreams really can come true!
King Dapper would eventually go on to play some pretty impressive (really!) gigs, rubbing elbows with such actual musicians as the Beach Boys, Southern Culture on the Skids, The Donnas, Cherry Poppin' Daddies, The Groovy Ghoulies and a ton of others. Much of their material has been produced by the amazing Don Dixon (yes, that Don Dixon! REM, Marshall Crenshaw and, of course, the fantastic Marty Jones. What pitch!!!) including the 2nd full length CD "Big Dumb Fun Party Music."
During a period of several years, the Combo would see the entrance and exits of several drummers, among them the fetching Stella Nova (Kathy Grimm), Checkers (J. Shumate), The Flam (Chris Weaber), Count Meoff (Mark Smith) and even the reappearance of Sputnik himself. The combo wasn't quite as hard on bass players. After Pepper there was Plinkster (Steve Bennett) and then Zombo moved from Guitar to his current position on bass. During this period, the combo played everywhere from Rock, Punk, Rockabilly and Swing clubs to VFW halls, rib burnoffs, miniature golf courses and even a couple gigs inside a K-Mart store. Eventually moving in the direction of playing monster/horror conventions and Halloween trade show parties. Around this time the lovely Ghoulicious (Tara Branz) was added to the lineup on Vocals and Percussion.
Oh, you might be wondering "Why all the goofy band members' names?" Well, aside from the aforementioned plan to wear suits and ties, there was also one more piece to the plan... Everyone had to have a "Dapper" name. Even the fans had "Dapper" names. Fans wold join the fan club and receive DapperBeat Magazine and a "King Dapper's Fun Club Card" with their very own unique "Dapper" name. They could bring the card to the gigs and get it punched to receive a prize with a full punched card.
While we're on the subject of goofy, there's no shortage of goofy antics at a King Dapper Combo gig. Some of the crazier things were Stomp-A-Rama (covering the dance floor with bubble wrap and not allowing the audience to clap... they had to stomp on the bubbles in lieu of applause)... The bizarre Christmas parties complete with a gift cannon to slingshot presents into the crowd plus a spirited appearance from Santa TOR... The time the Combo jokingly lipsynced a recording of one of their live shows during an fierce electrical storm when the promoter still wanted them to play outside in a tent while actually standing in pools of rain water (strangely, the audience still applauded at the end of each song)... Performing on stage with a reckless Gary Bussey, a tireless Sleepy LaBeef, drunken members of the cast of Lost in Space and an onstage fight with a Jim Morrison Impersonator... The Ed Wood Pajama Party (playing a gig in a theatre while Ed Wood movies were being shown on the movie screen) with the band and the audience wearing their favorite PJs... The show where the entire set of King Dapper Combo songs were performed as their brit punk King Dapper Combo cover band alter-ego KDC-UK... There were TV appearances with a dancing gorilla, go-go witches and a stoic spaceman... The crazy acoustic playing on the street shows... there was their one entry into the field of sports humor songs as Ballpark Frank and his Foul Balls... And who could forget the ever changing and nearly indestructible Woo Hoo 2000/2001... plus way too many chances for dangerous crowd participation. For better or worse, King Dapper Combo is a band that never says "No" to any nutty idea... and always has fun (with the exception of the Puffy Shirt show... that one crossed the line!). Who knows what crazy happenings are in store for future shows...
Even with all the goofy antics going on, King Dapper Combo has still found time to appear on a few more CDs. The Combo has been on 4 compilation CDs. "The Big Monster Bash" and "Northcoast Kicks" compilations each had two King Dapper Combo songs, and "Triple Creature Feature" was a CD with 3 monster party albums on one CD. King Dapper Combo's contribution to this was the 7 song "Graveyard Rock" EP along with one of their songs from "The Big Monster Bash" compilation. The 4th compilation was a special giveaway for local radio station WAPS 91.3 The Summit.. They wrote and recorded a theme song for the station titled "Summit Summer." After the release of the "Triple Creature Feature" compilation, "Graveyard Rock" became the band's 3rd CD release. It included the 7 songs on the "Graveyard Rock" portion of "Triple Creature Feature" along with 13 bonus live tracks. The 4th CD release is 2005's "Monsterrific," some say this is King Dapper Combo's best CD yet!!!
Today, the Combo occupies an annual spot at the greatest amusement park in the world, Ohio's Cedar Point. Since the Combo had already recorded a whole CD of Halloween music, Cedar Point thought they'd be perfect for their annual Halloweekends Fall season. They also play every Halloween on the Fox 8 Morning Show in Cleveland. They've literally become a Fox 8 Halloween tradition!
The annual Cedar Point Halloweekends gig, though, would eventually cross some old paths and bring an old friend back into the fold... Re-enter the mighty Gonga! Despite making his home in the far-away state of Illinois, he's back in the fold with a vengeance! Now the Combo is back to the 'MK 2' lineup core of Zombo, Skeeter, Bodini and Gonga plus the lovely Ghoulicious.
Tons of gigs and several CD's later, the King Dapper Combo is still rockin' the graveyard.
|
Michael "Zombo" Devine has spent most of his adult years avoiding hard work and unpleasant situations. In the 80"s, he toured the country for about a decade with the low brow antics of "Those Generics" comedy troupe. When the comedy scene died out, he hid up in the attic for a few years and invited scores of friends to put out countless cassette releases of underground oddball music from such projects as the lowfi beatnik "Plastic Eye Miracle", the childlike "The Bill Jones Show", the industrial strength noise of "Inch Eggs" and the avant garde hillbilly nonsense of "A-Lovin" Oven".
Then came an unstoppable idea, The King Dapper Combo. To this day, the band is a force that cannot be controlled, only enjoyed like a roller coaster. From tireless manager to manic frontman, Zombo has led many of his friends down paths of no return. After knuckleheaded moves like booking the band for miniature golf courses, department stores, theater lobbies, punk clubs, hick bars, sports pubs, playing on the street, the infamous puffy shirt show, early morning TV shows, haunted houses, conventions and amusement parks, he is surprised that not only has the band survived close to 15 years, but has had a total blast somehow beating the odds at every turn. Although he currently lives in Portland, Oregon with his groovy wife, Jules, he makes the trek across country every Fall to make the Halloween season tour with the band and perform his DJ antics at Hot Rod Shows and Nightclubs in the Midwest and to also hang out at Zombo Screen Printing in his hometown of Canton.
Aside from King Dapper, along his years in Ohio, Zombo has stumbled his way into playing with local surf legends, The Surfaholics; the loudest instro band ever simply known as Drifter; the white trash cornpone of The Hillbilly Varmints; and the wacky all uke band, Ukuleles U.K. He has even gigged art shows with Trade Mark of the Evolution Control Committee as the electro-jazzy "MoodSwingers" and did some bizarre vinyl torture with "Realistic Cardboard Cop". In the late 80's he created "Zombo's Mondo Record Party" at WAPS in Akron. That radio show went on to WRCT Pittsburgh, WBCQ Monticello, Maine and KAOS Olympia, WA. and continues to this day.
In 2000, he moved to Pittsburgh where Z and his wife begat the super sonic rock of "The Legion of the Incredibly Strange Superheroes", and the all instro/ all bowling alley group, "The Bowling Allies".
When they moved to Tacoma, WA for nine months, where they both played with the burlesque/jazz/noise quartet, "Thee Space Needles" and the mock 60"s wail of "The Strychnines".
In 2003, they headed to El Paso for nearly three years and started an all out garage assault known as "The Psychotronics" and an upright bass/uke duo, "The Hot City Sinners" playing old 1920"s and 30"s hokum blues and such. Zombo even managed to honk his tenor sax with the classic low-rider oldies sound of "The Wolf Calls" where he was the token white guy as well! Z also teamed up with the electro-cool tones of "Mano Sol" where he has learned a whole new vocabulary of music that he takes back to the Pacific Northwest.
So, 2006, Zombo and the Mrs. have settled in Portland, Oregon and after only a month, he is the upright bassist for the infamous Portland Rockabilly Party Band, "The Stood Ups" (check www.thestoodups.com). He has a fun weekly Roots Rock and Bingo DJ night at "Duffs Garage" (check www.duffsgarage.com). Zombo has even went full circle and has gotten back into solo experimental electronic music performance with "A Roman Afterlife" using laptops, goofy old records and theremin. He is even starting a second screen printing company out there.
Watch www.zomboworld.com for his latest zany information and upcoming CD releases of almost ALL of his current and past kooky musical ventures as well as a nice handful of King Dapper releases that go back to their early days as well as release some brand new recordings.
|
|
Skeeter was born one Robert Branz in the gloroius year of '63 in the great town of Neenah, WI ('neenah' is the Winnebago Indian word for 'water.' Neenah sits on Lake Winebago. Winnebego, like the RV). His Father Del was a lifelong musician and inductee in the Concertina Hall of Fame (look him up!).
In '73, the family relocated to Hartville, Ohio. All the family kids played instruments while growing up (Mary Jo and Peggy played piano, John drums and Rob played cornet). Rob, obsessed with rock-n-roll, put down his horn and learned to play guitar as a result of discovering Peter Frampton. Peter was self-taught, so Rob took the same route (though he took some lessons here and there). By high school graduation Rob had been inducted into Who's Who in Music (due to horn playing and choir stuff).
College put Rob into musical theatre, while simultaneously playing gigs in the dorms and local clubs. It wouldn't be until age 24 that he, along with Dapper alumni Steve Bennett, would form Kent pop outfit The Chants. The Chants lasted 5 years and enjoyed local success. They played gigs alongside acts as varied as Ginger Baker and Michael Stanley. They frequently played Kent clubs like Mother's and JB's (JB's was the place who's stage once featured acts like the James Gang and Raspberries). The Chants shared bills with local acts like the Walking Clampets and the Difficult, along with many others.
After The Chants called it a day, Rob was approached by Michael (aka Zombo) to form the band that would become the King Dapper Combo. The rest, as they say...
Rob collects CD's and sees a lot of concerts, hundreds as a matter of fact (he's got them listed in an excel spreadsheet if you need proof!). The list includes everyone from Lou Rawls to Cannibal Corpse! He's married (to Ghoulicious!) and has a great little daughter named Ava. Ava's favorite TV show is called Jack's Big Music Show. Go figure!
|
|
Bodini (AKA Ron "Pete Sake" Mullens) joined The King Dapper Combo in 1994 when original keyboard player Sherman left the band. Before King Dapper Combo, Bodini (as Pete Sake) played in the Rubber City Rebels, Teacher's Pet, The Inspectors and The Tormentors. Between The Tormentors and King Dapper Combo, Bodini had a short lived retirement from playing in live bands but was still very active in the music biz. Bodini published the fanzine "Tab Magazine" for 4 years and also started DIY Radio, a two-hour punk rock radio show running on WAPS 91.3fm in Akron, OH.
Since part of the Kind Dapper Combo plan was to have an accordion in the band, Bodini had to purchase one and learn to play it. However this didn't take very long and in 2004 King Dapper Combo was back with their new keyboard player and drummer. Bodini played the accordion exclusively for the first year in the Combo before dusting off his vintage Vox Jaguar Combo Organ. Now the Vox is an integral part of the King Dapper Combo sound.
When not rockin' the graveyard with the King Dapper Combo, Bodini can be heard spinning the punk tunes on DIY Radio (Sunday evenings 9pm to 11pm on WAPS 91.3fm in Akron, Ohio). And playing keyboards in The Professional Againsters and as lead singer in The Tormentors.
|
|
Gonga joined The King Dapper Combo way back in 1994 when original drummer Sputnik left the band to pursue other interests. Gonga played with KDC until November of 1996 when his hometown friends called and said they needed to replace their drummer. Gonga left KDC and began touring non-stop with Nil8 for the next 3 years. After his stint with Nil8, Gonga sold his gear and decided to retire. But....as luck would have it, Gonga and his bride Toody, decided to take a vacation in 2004. The destination.....Cedar Point's Halloweekends. They went to the park and decided to take in a couple shows. Right there on the Iron Dragon stage, Gonga and the Mrs. took in a performance by his old bandmates, The King Dapper Combo. After the show, Bodini asked Gonga if he wanted to play at Halloweekends in 2005 because the current drummer, Count Meoff, had decided to leave the band. Gonga's reply was "Sure, it'll be fun." Well, a year later after one practice and a warm-up show in Akron, Gonga was back in the band.
When Gonga is not playing with KDC, he lives in Springfield, IL. He's been seen filling in for Nil8 from time to time.
|
|
Tara 'Ghoulicious' Branz began her musical career singing a solo in a Bicentennial celebration concert! Hhhmmm... how old would that make her?? Next career move that nearly shot her to fame was the 4 piece all-girl choral comedic arrangement of the Sweet Tarts. She sang big hits such as "Barney Google...with the Goo-goo-googly Eyes" while wearing a light up nose and old man's hat and suit jacket!!
In 8th grade her groupiedom began by following a band of seniors called the Blue Dots! She and her friends Carla, and Beth decided to start an all-girl band. Mind you, this pre-dated the Go-Gos! From 15 - 17, Tara played bass guitar and sang in the band Some Girls, playing a variety of gigs from a truck bed in front of the Dairy Queen to school dances. Lots of fun...until a boyfriend decided 'girls and guitars don't mix'!!! Blah!
After that, the requirement for all boyfriends was that he had to be in a band! Which leads us to her brush with fame and the dating of pre-Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor. This lasted roughly 2 1/2 years then it was on to bigger and better things in the name of Robert (Skeeter) Branz. Tara met Rob at the Lake Erie wonderland of Put-In-Bay, Ohio where he was playing guitar at the Crescent Patio. That meeting later led to their marriage at Put-In-Bay.
While not an original member of KDP, Tara joined the band in 1999. This time not playing the bass guitar, but the maracas, tambourine and singing lead (on hits such as "Graveyard Cha-cha" and "Do the Zombie" etc.) and backup singing. She even played at Cedar Point up until 12 days before going into labor with her daughter Ava in 2004. Now that's dedication... along with a good story!
|
|
Coming Soon...
|
Pepper
(photo: Spencer Hunt)
|
Julia "Pepper" Devine learned to play bass after she failed miserably at a drumming attempt (the punctuations in "Blister in the Sun" were the best she could do). Starting out on a teeny rubber-string fretless that ran on a 9-volt battery, she later graduated (if you can call it that) to "real" (albeit, lighter hollow body) basses and played in King Dapper from its insemination until 1999, as well as a stint with The Hillbilly Varmints.
In more recent years, she’s still making vain efforts to keep rhythm and sing off-key in Los Angeles’ bands, The Henpeckers and The Fleagles .
|
Sputnik's website:
www.raycarmen.com
|
Ray Carmen (Sputnik's alter ego) has had a hankerin' to write and record his own music since he was a wee lad, pounding on the kitchen table with forks and knives, and running around with a plastic guitar around his neck. Things haven't changed much.
Recording as a one-man band onto himself, Carmen is currently celebrating his 20th year of home recording. Beginning with a privately released demo tape sent to friends in 1986, Carmen has since released numerous home-made cassette, CD and vinyl recordings chronicling his musical obsessions, proving the old adage that even though hardly anyone ever hears him, his tree has been falling in the forest repeatedly for two decades. Then there's the one-off solo CD released by the Emigre label in 1991 called Nothing Personal.
Carmen has also spent many hours pounding the drums for various bands. Twice he was the original drummer for local rockabilly legends The King Dapper Combo. Carmen also played drums for orchestral popsters Witch Hazel, whose debut CD on the Flydaddy label, Landlocked, recieved favorable mentions in such publications as Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, and MOJO. Flydaddy was distributed by Virgin Records at the time, making Witch Hazel inadvertently label mates with Janet Jackson and Paula Abdul. Supposedly Richard Branson took the CD with him on his infamous hot-air balloon excursion (maybe that's why he failed). Currently he is one-third of the bubblegum art-pop trio Kinski Spiral, featuring Bob Ethington (Tin Huey, Unit 5) and Joe LaRose (The Fullertones).
Currently is he is completing his umpteenth solo release with help from American underground legend R. Stevie Moore, as well as Ken Clinger and Don Campau.
Carmen continues to do what he does best: act as grand marshall of his own parade, sweating over a hot four-tack, and licking a helluva lot of stamps.
|
|
Skeeter