When the name Bigfoot is mentioned in the same sentence as Monstrosity Championship Wrestling, one might assume a sasquatch is going to issue an open challenge. But the Bigfoot that will be appearing at the Jan. 4 MCW event at the Asylum is a much louder (and only slightly less smelly) creature that’s more likely to leave your ears ringing than to leave an over-sized footprint. Featuring former members of the Rock City Dropouts, Artimus Pyledriver, Gonzalez and the Spectremen, Bigfoot does have a heavy stomp and a wooly ’70s hard rock sound. Having previously performed alongside MCW at last year’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Monster Bash, Bigfoot is ready to party it up with the Wolfmen and other creatures that will do battle in the ring. As a lifelong fan of monsters, wrestling and rock, guitarist “Evil” Jim Wright talks to Wrestling with Pop Culture about this and other upcoming shows.
Guitarist "Evil" Jim Wright plays sasquatch-sized riffs. He also likes wrasslin'.
You’re clearly a big monster movie fan, and I know you’re also a fan of pro wrestling. So performing at a monster wrestling event seems like a no brainer for you.
We’re all big wrestling fans. The rest of the guys may not watch Monday night Raw like I do, but they’re fans of the old-school stuff. Our drummer Kevin [Watford]’s brother is a huge Nature Boy fan, but I doubt they know who Santino Marella is.
But Bigfoot is no stranger to MCW since you performed at the Monster Bash alongside the monsters in the ring. What did you think of seeing real live monsters doing battle in the squared circle?
Yeah, I enjoyed it. If you’re going to show monster movies, drink beer and play loud rock, you might as well watch wrestling, too. It’s right up there with corndogs; it makes perfect sense. And the fact that its monsters is like a two-for-one. Instead of getting a 12-ounce beer, you’re getting a 16-ounce beer. It’s a little bit more of something good.
Front man Jett Bryant was in the movie Dear God No!, which also features the real Bigfoot monster. That being said, do you guys have anything special planned for your sets at tonight’s show?
Well, we’re currently working on a new record called Double-wide Gonzo and we’ll actually be playing a couple of songs that will be on that record. One’s called “Throwing the Goat” and, like most of our songs, there’s “New Song 1” and “New Song 2.” We don’t have a lot of song titles, but we’re trying some new material on rock fans and wrestling fans just to see if they look at us like, “Really? That was it?” New year, new beer, new songs. That’s what I’m looking forward to, and the Wolfmen wrestling, of course. But those Wolfmen might know more than I do about the real Bigfoot.
The Wolfmen have vowed to be there.
Will they be drunk on moonshine again this time, though?
I think they are always a little bit intoxicated.
Well, then keep them away from my singer.
I think your singer is a Wolfman, isn’t he?
Yeah. But a sober one (usually) when we’re on stage. But when he gets with another Wolfman, the next thing you know there’s bad wrestling and a bad singer.
Your previous record was produced by Rachel Bolan from Skid Row and came out in 2011. Will he be producing this next album?
No, he ain’t doing this one. But we’ll still play all those songs. We’ll be playing “Sign it in Blood,” “Ride with Me” and “Carry the Cross” from that Bigfoot EP, which means we’ll probably do about everything we have. We’ll definitely be playing “Goddamn Pussy Gettin’ Machine,” but sometimes people don’t like the word “Goddamn.” On the set list it says “Goddamn,” or it just says “pussy.” And no one ever realizes it’s really about anyone who owns cats. But, you know, whatever. I mean, every monster fan should own a black cat. I own one. It’s awesome.
The MCW event is your first show of 2013. Where else will you be playing in the near future?
We’re playing the Tattoo Culture Magazine Launch Party with Six Shot Revival and True Widow at The Basement on Jan. 10. Then we’re playing the Rockets to Ruin reunion show at Smith’s Olde Bar with The Casket Creatures and The Dreaded Marco on Feb. 16. And we’d love to play the Monster Bash again, as well as the Drive Invasion at the Starlight Six Drive-In Theatre. But I’m always at Dragon*Con that weekend anyway, and I always go see the wrestling at Dragon*Con and get a monster T-shirt. And drink beer.
