PINK LIGHTNIN' is...HH. REV BAD BRAD WHEELER- GUITAR / HARMONICA / VOCALS, ELI "MR. PERFECT" MORRISON- GUITAR & VOCALS, JAWSH "HAMHAWK" BELKA- DRUMS & VOCALS, ALDINE - BASS.

They hail from Salt Lake City...Utah. Interview by Dave Styer for Artcotic.

A-  You cats have been each playing for years in different outfits, what made you come together to form Pink Lightnin'?  And is that a take on "moonshine"?

Bad Brad -  Eli and I had talked about doing a project together for about a year. Eli had made the comment one day that I was Utahs most celebrated side man and that it was time that I start learning to write songs and perform them, moving from sideman to occasional front man. We kicked the idea around for awhile talking about how we were gonna eventually start this band - when one day I got a call from Angela Brown looking for an opening act for BOB LOG III. I called Eli and asked him if we could get it together and fill the slot, he said Yes lets do it - then he said we need a drummer - I told him I had the guy and I called Josh Belka. I had known Josh since I was 18 and had always thought highly of his skills as well as all the bands he had played in. I called Josh and he said he was in. Eventually about 9 months later we decided we needed a little more low end to round out our sound and we drafted Al "Aldine Strychnine" Grossi.

I think honestly the respect we all have had for one another over the years is what brought this band together.

Our name "PINK LIGHTNIN'" was actually Eli's idea. Eli knew with my background in Blues and his background in Rock that we would have a some what distorted Blues / Rock sound. He thought that our name should understate the obvious. Pink Lightnin is the antithesis of Blue Thunder.

Eli -  We wanted something more than just a “TOUGH” name for the group.  We thought, “Hey, let’s make it pink!”  It seems to have done the trick, for now anyway.

Josh -  God’s will

Al Dine -  THEY ASKED ME I SAID YES

A-  Out of all your gigging experiences, what was the most fun/crazy?

Bad Brad-  The Utah State National Corn Bread eating championships was a blast. A benefit gig we did for the Candall Canyon Miners Relief Fund. I'll never forget Eli's face when a little kid came and stood next to the stage and flashed him the Universal sign for Rock On!  He's so used to playing adult venues that the little kid disorientated him and made him drop his guitar. It was awesome. It was such a diverse audience, it really surprised me how much our music cuts and cross age, race, gender & class. Our Debut gig with BOB LOG III was amazing too, to have put the band together so fast as well as cutting the album in two days and having it all come together made me feel proud. The first gig we had with Al was awesome as well - we all knew it was meant to be after that.

Eli-  I’m hoping this si something to look forward to, it’s something that hasn’t happened yet.

Josh-  That one time that Brad got naked and…..

Al Dine-  HE FIRST GIG I PLAYED WITH THE BAND AT URBAN. IT WENT OFF REALLY WELL AND MADE ME FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE WHOLE SITUATION.

A-  Megaphone or microphone?

Bad Brad-  People definitely pay attention to the Megaphone. It also has its odd appeal as well for just being what it is. Ive had some folks tell me they think Im hiding behind the Megaphone -  I know others that are crazy about it. Im not married to it and may eventually start using the Microphone, but one thing for sure about it is that it breaks things up between Eli's vocals and my own. Its almost like having another instrument.

Eli-  I’d love to get a poll of the fans on this one.  Personally, I like the megaphone.  I sometimes wonder why I’m singing at all.  I’d much rather listen to Brad.  “No running in the pool!”

Josh-  MEgA

Al Dine-  I DON'T THINK THE MEGAPHONE IS A NESSESITY , SO I'M GONNA SAY BOTH.

A-  Your music is obviously a derivative of Blues and good ol' Rock-n-Roll, I know Eli is down with the Rock-n-Roll, how did you convince him to play the BLUES?

Bad Brad-  Well, actually I met Eli years ago when I was running a bar in Ogden Utah. He used to play the venue I worked at with Ether ( a noise band for the uninitiated ). I was always fascinated by the way that Eli would get himself in the zone when he played as well as all the different guitar techniques he would use. At the end of the night we would spend time talking music as he would tear down. One day he told me about his band he forming called the Wolves. Eli knew I played harmonica but had never heard me - I knew he could rock and roll but had never heard him. He asked me if I would come down and record with him and lay some tracks on there record. I agreed. When we finally got together I think we both sort of impressed each other. Neither one of us were fully aware of each others talents. The songs I record were "Shooting Star" - "Black Leather Gloves" and "White Pills". I made a comment to Eli during the session that his progressions werent all that far from the Blues - He smiled and said "I know". So to finally answer the question Eli's been distorting the Blues for along time - I just think its more obvious now, because of this band. To be honest you cant make any American Music without some element of the blues in it, just like you cant make soup without water - All American music either contains elements of the blues or is a reaction to it .

Eli-  Brad and I had been hanging out a lot.  He had done some session work for another project of mine.  We started talking, then we started playing, and was just a natural progression from there.  Now we’re looking for ways to deconstruct the blues style.  I want lumps and bumps, dips and divots.  Having a lot of fun with this.

Josh-  no rules!

A-  As a group, if you could unite to transform yourselves into a megarobot, would you choose Constucticons (combined known as Devestator), or Dinobots (combined known as Beast)?  Why?

Bad Brad-  I think Id vote for Constucticons - My family's from Iowa. I learned to drive a John Deere Tractor way before I learned to drive a car. Constucticons sounds like heavy equipment, Im into that.  Dinobots - the name makes me think of Vernal and the Dinosaur museum, also makes me think of Jurassic Park.

Eli-  DEVESTATOR!  Good rock music is all about destruction.  I love the way a guitar string sounds when it’s about to break.

Josh-  Devestator

A-  How many hats do you own?

Bad Brad-  A bunch, my favorites are old school trucker hats or old school Port Pie's - Its a Bluesman thing. FYI - I dont have any that say ARTCOTIC or BLACKHOLE - hint hint.

Eli-  I’ve never really found a hat that speaks to my soul and says “You and I shall be one for all eternity.”  Hell, I can’t even keep of all of my tennis shoes!

A-  Tell me about your fetish with well hung skunks?

I asked Brad Barker to draft us up a design to use for the band, he asked me what was the most important thing to convey when trying to represent PINK LIGHTNIN. I told him, were rude with attitude. A couple days latter he comes back with an image of a Male Skunk ( you know he's male cause he's got some balls ) with his back side towards you. Actually its a close up of his ass spraying you with Pink Stuff. I laughed my ass off. I emailed him back and asked him if he could make the balls bigger - and he did it. I grew up farming along the Skunk River bottoms of Mahaska County Iowa - skunks have a special place in my heart. I also dont mind occasionally partaking in smoking a little weed, and when I do I like it to be skunky and I like it to have some balls to it- You know what I mean ?

Eli-  HA!

A-  Eli, How many hair colors have you had, and do they correlate to any particular episodes of Dr. Who?

Eli-  HA!  GOOD ONE!  It’s true I’m fairly nerdy for “Doctor Who”.  I think it’s the soundtracks that have me hooked.  There’s all kinds of cool analog synth and crazy effects going on, especially in the older episodes.  I couldn’t begin to tell you what any of the stories are about.

A-  Al, if you could pick your favorite album of the last 5 years, who would be so lucky and why?

Al Dine-  I'M A LITTLE OUT OF TOUCH WITH NEW MUSIC,THERE'S SOME I LIKE, I LIKE OLD SHIT BETTER. TUMBLEWEED CONNECTION IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE RECORDS OF ALL TIME. PSYCODELIC ROCK WITH A FOLK EDGE?

A-  JAWSH!  Why did you pick white fur for your drum set as opposed to PINK, and I'm waiting for your sexy ass to peel your shirt off every time you play...why hasn't it????

Josh-  Fur predates Pink LIghtnin and Im saving myself for Jesus.
What did you guys want to be when you were 12 years old?  Boy Scouts?  Fry Cooks?
Stormtroopers?  What was it?

Bad Brad-  When I was 12 I wanted to be a Farmer

Eli-  When I was a kid I wanted to be an astronaut.  I was really into reading about NASA, Skylab etc.  Then, when I was six years old the doctor prescribed eyeglasses.  I was bummed because I knew that to become an astronaut you had to be physically perfect, so I decided to play the drums instead.  However, my mom hated the drums, so I got a guitar.  I used to record myself practicing, then I would play back the tape in my room while I listened to punk records on headphones.  It’s a shocker that I can’t play at all, really…..

Josh-  Motley Crue (Shout at the Devil era)

Al Dine-  WHEN I WAS 12  (1971) I WANTED TO BE A POT SMOKIN HIPPIE LIKE MY BROTHER. MY DREAM CAME TRUE 6 MONTHS LATER.

A-  Do you install toilet paper so that you pull from the top or the bottom of the roll?  I prefer from the top myself....

Bad Brad-  I dont install Toilet paper I either leave it on the floor or on top of the toilet.

Josh-  top

A-  If you could choose between a robot and an alien women as a "partner"  Which would it be?  Why?

Bad Brad-  What kind of "Partner" are we talking. If its a partner to solve a task like who can sell the most bottle openers to drunks -then I'll take the robot ( I hear they dont take breaks and are good at taking orders). If its a life partner then I think Id opt for the Alien Woman, but she cant have more than two eyes.

Eli-  OH please.  Why can’t I not choose both?  Which one of them has the better record collection?

Josh-  Alien, I am afraid of Electricity

Al Dine-  THE CHIC IN AEON FLUX,FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. SHE'S AN ALIEN , ISN'T SHE?

A-  What's your favorite place to play in SLC, and what's the best night to go out/play? 

Bad Brad-  Whenever we play Im looking forward to it and so far all the places we've played have been great. Its hard to say whats our favorite, We've had great gigs at the Urban Lounge, The Broken Record, Burts Tiki, Brewskis, Kilby Court, Pats, and Monks. The best night to play is hard to say as well. For me the best night to play is the one where I get to sleep in the next day. The best place to play is where I dont have to worry about being a witness to major crime or blood spilling on my equipment or myself. I also like a place with some easy women.

Eli-  We play all the regular cool doves here in SLC.  Typically, we play on the weekends and write and rehearse during the week.

Josh-  Burts or Kilby, One that I am not working.

A-What came first, the music or the misery?

Bad Brad-  I think maybe misery, I think one day long ago someone started moaning over and over about their problems until it eventually sounded like a song. I know I had a belly and head full of misery until I discovered how to play music. Yep Misery came first then Music moved in and ran it off.

Eli-  Oh my god, I’m getting this one tattooed on my face!

Josh-  Music.

Al Dine-  THE MISERY

A-  Now I know you guys are recording a new album in July, tell me about it, what do we as your droves of fans have to look forward to?

Bad Brad-  Its true we are working on a new album and should be recording with Mike Sasitch in July . We're working on new material as we speak and have written some new songs that we've been using in our sets. Adding Al has really Beefed up our sound and has added a whole nutha element that has really made the band stronger. For our fans - all I can say is hang in there were working as fast as we can, also dont dally - when this album comes out, buy it. Were not making 1,000's of copies- supplies are limited. When they're gone they're gone.

Eli-  It’s true  We’re going in in July to record with Mike Sasich, the guy that did Andele’.  This time we’ll be doing vinyl, so that’s cool as well.  The record should be out early this fall.  We’re all pretty excited about this.

Josh-  Dance beats and a chorus line

A-  Dudes, dave here on a personal note....thanks a ton!  Sorry this has been such a bitch but I'll kiss you all on the mouth for making it happen.  I can be robot or alien, I go both ways I guess that'll only work if you do too!  I owe you all one, name it!

For more information on PINK LIGHTNIN' visit their myspace page: www.myspace.com/pinklightnin - do it.