By Kenneth Gambill
Photo by Scott Sugiuchi

After having Johnny Cash open up for his band, one would think that Manfred Jones would be a little arrogant about The Woggles’ 1995 South by Southwest performance. This is when the “Man in Black” was reintroduced to the youth of today as he had just recorded his first album with Rick Rubin. “It was nice of Johnny to warm up the crowd for us,” says The Woggles frontman. Jones’ recognizable sarcasm can only help but emphasize his excitement for their new CD and recent month-long tour with The Zombies and The Mooney Suzuki.

“It was Steve’s idea to put this tour together for his Underground Garage radio show,” explains Jones, AKA the Professor. The “Steve” he is referring to is the one and only Steven Van Zandt, or more commonly known as Little Steven of the E Street Band fame.
“Steve got us the whole thing, tour bus and all,” says Jones. “Not like we never made rest stops before when we toured in a van that continually broke down, but now we can just go when we want to on the bus.” Thanks to Little Steven, this was the first time The Woggles ever had a fully funded tour with known bands and the ability to relieve themselves while going 70 miles per hour.

“We’ve played with a lot of known bands in the past but never in a situation like this,” says bassist Patrick O’Connor. “We find it funny that we are opening for The Mooney Suzuki years after they opened up for us. Now they’re in car commercials and are taking off.”
O’Connor, AKA Buzz Hagstrom, explains that after playing with such bands as Man or Astroman?, The 5, 6, 7, 8’s and Southern Culture on the Skids, it’s a different time for them now. “Some bands find quicker success than others,” says O’Connor.

Touring in the past has been fun for the guys, but what most Atlantans don’t know is that The Woggles are getting big overseas. The band shot a video back in the day, which essentially got them gigs in Germany and England. “We’ve played Japan about six times as well,” adds O’Connor.

But with the intensity of touring also comes the release of their latest CD. The new 12-song CD, entitled Rock and Roll Backlash, came out in late September/early October. Recorded by Rick Miller of Southern Culture on the Skids, the CD is a little different than what the guys are used to.

“It’s the most diverse thing we’ve ever done,” says O’Connor. “It captures all of our personalities and I truly believe it’s our best CD to date.”

After many years of performing together and with everybody living in different parts of the country, the guys have made the dream work, whether it be recording the latest record or preparing for the latest tour.

The Woggles have taken many shapes and forms over the past 20 years, with the Professor being the only original member. Along with drummer Dan Hall (AKA Dan Elektro) and guitarist Jeff Walls (AKA Flesh Hammer), the band has collectively recorded nine CDs and written almost 200 songs. “For being together for so long, it’s a real accomplishment,” says Walls.

What is most appealing about the band is the fact that, throughout the years, they have not changed their sound to conform to the current trend. “We’ve seen many flavors of the month come and go and we have stayed true to our sound to play what we believe is fun,” says Jones. “We’re not a band that you’re supposed to think too hard about,” adds Walls. “It’s the dance-ability to the songs that keeps us going.”

Along with their new full length, the boys also recorded a four-song 7” instrumental release for Austin’s Chicken Ranch Records. With the new releases and tour wrapped up, The Woggles celebrate a year that has brought a lot of excitement to the band. Maybe the good fortune will pour over into the New Year.

www.thewoggles.com