Stunt Monkey Biography

biography

The Story of Stunt Monkey

Its members culled from the remnants of several 1970s supergroups, Stunt Monkey melds an effective combination of pop and punk rock influences into one of the newest and freshest sounds for the new millennium: adrenaline pop. Lyrically clever and musically inspired by short attention spans and caffeinated beverages, the precocious primates crank out catchy kibbles of music which rarely exceed three minutes a piece, and range in their socially relevant subject matter from living in a house constructed solely of LEGOs to having a girlfriend that hails from the Planet Mars. While the band has, as yet, not received the same widespread critical and commercial recognition of its individual members' past efforts, its most recent 9-song independent release, For the Ear, which contains semi-hits "White Trash Puppet Show" and "Spy Girl," stands poised to capture the domestic and international charts as soon as the band employs a method of distribution more effective than throwing copies of the disc from the stage during its live performances.

Aram Sarkissian, the guitarist and vocal stylist of Stunt Monkey, began his musical career at the age of 7 as the hidden mastermind behind Swedish group ABBA. Following the group's obsolescence in 1981, he returned to his native Glasgow, Scotland, where he decided to eschew the musical life for one in the corporate world. However, in 1997, after Sarkissian had built himself a lucrative career in the mackerel futures market, he reunited with long-term friend Greg Pinn, with whom he had played music as a child.

Pinn also had a brief stint with music in the 1970s as the stand-in trianglist for the Electric Light Orchestra. However, after being temporarily injured in a freak Hide-a-Bed accident in 1979 while partying in a Cleveland, Ohio hotel room after a concert, he returned to his native California where he became a full-contact recreational actuary. Former Mackerel Magnate Sarkissian and Pinn then began the earliest vestiges of Stunt Monkey, playing well-crafted folk/polka tunes in front of San Francisco Bay Area convenience stores for pocket change. The lack of a bassist, however, became quickly apparent, until one day, Michael Rossi appeared at a 7-11 where Sarkissian, and Pinn were just completing their acoustic tango rendition of Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Were Made for Walking." Rossi was mesmerized by the sweet sounds and astute arrangement of the duo's adaptation of the classic, in addition to Pinn's use of the Slurpee as a percussive instrument.

Rossi briefly played bass for Peter Frampton's interesting but ultimately unsuccessful "All Nude Revue" in 1977. While his playing was apparently okay, Mr. Frampton abruptly fired Rossi three weeks into the tour, citing "other deficiencies." Depressed and aimless, Rossi wandered the Asian continent until finally taking up with a Chinese master who taught him the ways of canine Feng Shui. After learning the craft, Rossi returned to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he was born and raised, and began consulting for a major dog house manufacturer.

Rossi then joined the power trio which was to be called Stunt Monkey. He, Sarkissian, and Pinn, began to play their silly songs to anyone who would listen, winning the attention of many California publications and giant corporate behemoth station LIVE 105, and opening for big national acts like Harvey Danger, Buck o' Nine, Dick Dale, and the Donnas.

They formed their niche almost immediately, as Stunt Monkey's main difference from traditional punk acts was immediately apparent.

"We aren't really angry about anything," observed a notably relaxed Rossi. "We don't smash cars, we don't do heroin, and we help old ladies across the street. I guess that makes us unique for the type of music we play."

Stunt Monkey's reign of happiness was temporarily interrupted, one day, when Pinn was, abruptly and without warning, beamed up into the heavens by alien spacecraft and taken to a distant planet where he could no longer play drums for Stunt Monkey.

Fortunately, Johnny "Boom Boom" Velcamp, who himself had been part of a 70's supergroup as well as a childhood friend of Rossi's, came upon Sarkissian and Rossi at a freeway offramp, where they were holding a sign that said, "Will give food to a drummer." Velcamp, it seems, needed food.

Velcamp, coincidentally, had played with '70s one-hit-wonder Paul Anka for his one hit, "[You're] Having My Baby." However, he did not play drums, but rather sang the "lost" backing vocal track to the song. Anka was not available to comment as to why the vocal track was "lost," but anyone who has heard Velcamp sing probably has a pretty good idea.

Together, the three, who had previously chosen to leave their musical careers behind for other pursuits, began to make the music some Northern California journalists have described as "fun," "catchy," "clever," "energetic," and "exuberant," crediting the band with helping to revitalize the San Francisco South Bay music scene. However, the boys, while grateful for the praise, are careful to put it into perspective. As Sarkissian states, "Hey, when you've been on stage before 100,000 screaming fans with a monstrous zucchini stuffed in your shorts, as I was 20 years ago, it's very difficult to surpass that. I'm just hoping that someday Stunt Monkey doesn't have to pay to play – at my mom's house."