McGunks music is about living in New England, or the East Coast; in the barrooms, in the dirty cities, in the brutal weather both outside yourself and in. No fuckin' palm trees of Malibu or Florida here, no cornfields of Iowa or Nebraska either. You'll hear none of that in the music here. But if you've been in a city and a city barroom, whether it's Boston, Providence, New York City or Portland Maine; this music should say a lot to you.
The McGunks call themselves "Drunk Punk" and it's a good description. I'd say they sound like early Clash, a bit of Social Distortion, and a whole heaping scoop of Irish tinged sing along Boston/New England punk. With song titles like "Three More Beers," "Working on Another Hangover," "One for the Booze," and "Can't Drink Here No More," you might (hiccup) catch their drift. I think a big reason, besides the good songs, that they're so good live is that they always exude a huge amount of energy. Not the fastest band, they never reach hardcore speed, but they're always bristling with energy that translates into a fun, lively show. One thing about this band, is no matter how jubilant and upbeat the music, the lyrics spin a bit more realistic, pessimistic take on things. Welcome to East Coast way of thought and living folks.
This is a hard working band who plays out frequently. Me, I can't listen to this without picturing the moshing, the PBR's raised high, the smiles and laughter, sweat flying, the insanity flowing from the stage through the crowd to the bar back where I'm usually sitting.
This biography was written by Jim "Slimedog" of Thrash N' Bang (www.thrashnbang.com), go visit the website for more information and interviews on The McGunks and other cool bands from the Boston, MA area.
