THE NAUGHTY BOYS OF ROCK ARE BACK AND STILL IN TROUBLE
Until September 2001, the 21st century lineup featured new guitarist Shaggy Zarsoff, third (& long-time) drummer Lefty Zarsoff, original lead guitarist Smokey Zarsoff, keyboardist Buster Bloodvessel-Zarsoff (he's a second cousin) and founding bassist/frontperson Izzy Foreal. This version of the band performed its own headlines away from the Boys Are Back In Town gigs beginning in October 2000, and the reaction from diehard followers as well as new discoverers was extremely positive. After the September 2001 gig at The Bull N Bush, drummer Lefty & airkeys player Buster departed. The next gig in January 2002 at the Lewisham Hotel featured a 4-piece Zarsoffs with fill-in drummer Squeezie.
There are many venues the band would like to play at again because they pulled huge crowds there in the past. However, places like Blacktown RSL (where they were the favourites on the Boys Are Back In Town tour) are out of bounds for them this time around because [name removed because of possibility of legal action] agency has refused to book the reformed version of the band. The Zarsoffs are at a loss to understand the problem, because reports from everywhere else are so positive.
Izzy Foreal feels the new album is proof that the Zarsoffs are not just a parody of their former selves. "The new material is going down well, along with selected Zarsoffian classics. I can only assume that [name removed because of possibility of legal action] sees us as a bunch of dillusionary old farts who will deliver the same old material from the past and nothing more," says Izzy. "But I think it's unfair to assume this, without giving the band a go at some of the venues where it would, in my opinion, be the most popular."
Izzy admits the band's onstage skullduggery may be part of the problem with bookers such as [name removed because of possibility of legal action] , though "They need to see that we've grown up a bit. Sure, we'll never be Top 30 pinups, and we'll always be mainly an adults-only product - but we still pull heads at rock venues, and the days of the infamous 'Dance of the Flaming Arsehole" are in the past."
"What we are about," says Izzy, "is being the catalyst for a good time, with an irreverent approach to the whole idea of rock & roll as an industry. To the punters, we are just a bunch of looneys who happen to be able to play music, and who would be just as comfortable beside them at the bar. We have no intention of deconstructing that image, not even for [name removed because of possibility of legal action]."
The band is still working steadily without the support of the agency which could book them into their favourite venues. Their own agency is confident the new album will put them in a better working position. Izzy sees something positive in [name removed because of possibility of legal action]'s position. "We've always been able to put industry people's noses out of joint - it's good to know we can still do it, and without having to fire off a note."
