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Yes, you heard right THE MUNCHKINS are back! We recently chatted with vocal/bassist Weldon about the return of MUNCHKINS IN THE CAN. CKR: Besides us pestering you guys to get back together again, what actually made you decide to bring back THE MUNCHKINS? Weldon: So we'd have a reason to cover "Machine Gun Etiquette" (title track off THE DAMNED'S 3rd album with the lyrics "Second time around") hahaha nah, we (SASPIRILLA) had Louie play guitar with us at the New Years thing in Futenma and we got a lot of good feedback. It was a fun time and Louie seemed to really enjoy playing loud noisy guitar again. Then with Kazuro's condition (hospitalized for surgery to his upper leg) and well Kokusho-kun... you know he's got his thing (SPILITUS) and that's what he's really focused on... It was getting fuckin silly (going on with SASPIRILLA) so I asked Shinobu if he'd be interested in joining the ol' band that Louie and I had created some years ago and he said ok and Louie said ok. . CKR: How was it playing together for the first time in 5 years at the Tobariki event? (Bar Boon in Futenma - June 16, 2007) Weldon: It was great... I mean when we played, unfortunately that day I wasn't feeling too good... but when that first note set off, everything was hey ok hahaha... I can't wait for the 14th Annual over at Kazu's (UCHU NEKO)(14th Annual Chicken Katsu Records Party @ Oto Bora, Okinawa City - August 18, 2007)... but you know honestly if Shinobu had been in Minneapolis, we'd (MUNCHKINS IN THE CAN) never have stopped. CKR: Heard through the grapevine that you guys already have some new songs? Weldon: Yeah, the first time we got together Louie already had a couple tunes that he wanted to try out, one of em is "December" which we played at the show (Tobariki Vol. 1 at Bar Boon in Futenma - June 16, 2007) the other one we're still working on or I guess I should say I'm still working on... the bassline or coming up with something... you know what I mean. CKR: hahaha I believe so... you guys gonna join in on that compilation we're putting together, probably 5 bands doing about 5 songs each. Weldon: Yeah I remember seeing the newsletter about that... going along the lines of Thrash Til Death or some of the ol' hardcore comps with LIP CREAM and them guys (DEATH SIDE, OUTO, etc .) doing a few songs each. Fuck yeah we'd love to be a part of that! CKR: It's obvious you guys draw from a lot of different influences but what would be the key elements that THE MUNCHKINS draw from? Weldon: hmmm well Louie is a die hard BUCK-TICK fan and I like pretty much up to "Aku No Hana"... then you open that up and you got your BAUHAUS and THE CURE and I'd even say WIRE. Also LOVE & ROCKETS, JESUS AND MARY CHAIN, T.REX, of course TREEPEOPLE and a lot of the stuff they spawned like STUNTMAN and BUILT TO SPILL... JAWBOX... IGNITION, then your BUTCHERS (BLOODTHIRSTY BUTCHERS) and COWPERS. THE REPLACEMENTS fuck yeah, of course THE PISTOLS (SEX PISTOLS), THE DAMNED, THE BUZZCOCKS... we all like TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS, HUSKER DU, I also like bouncy bass you know so HOUSE OF LARGE SIZES, MEAT PUPPETS, NED'S ATOMIC DUSTBIN, TALKING HEADS,  we could go on forever... hahaha (07/11/07) photos: (1.) Shinobu @ MFrog, Okinawa City - 5/20/06 (pic by Nate Jones), (2.) Louie @ Big V's, St. Paul, MN. 11/3/01 (3.) Weldon @ Bon Appetit, Minneapolis, MN. - 2001 (pic by Joe Guitarzan)