Interview with Spazmatics – South Carolina band | Art and Culture Scene

The townspeople who frequent the Montreux Bar and Grill have probably heard of Spazmatics.

These guys are retro – the interesting thing here is that this tribute band is actually part of a big franchise that has existed since 1997, although the South Carolina band has been performing since 2014.

They play their favorite classic songs from the 80s, some from the 90s and a little bit from the 2000s.

“The Spazmatics” is actually part of a major franchise, as there are nine such tribute bands across the country. I spoke to the local leader, Spenser Hooks.

Regan: Spenser, how did this band come about? What is your favorite song from the 80’s (or 90’s or 2000’s) to play? Which band from this general era do you think had the greatest influence on you and why?

I have to say that a song like “I Melt With You” from 1982 by Modern English is so classic.

H: The original Spazmatics started in Los Angeles / Las Vegas in 1997. The general idea was to have a nerdy theme inspired by the “Revenge of the Nerds” movie series and to present 80s New Wave hits. After a few years of success, Spazmatics has grown to become a franchise. Now, here we are 24 years later as the SC chapter representing much of the southeastern USA and also playing music from other decades. I like a lot of the songs (“Melt With You” is a great one), but I would say my favorite of the night is usually “Come On, Eileen” or our Backstreet Boys medley because boy bands are the most talented people ever existed in the history of existence! As for my biggest influence, without a doubt … Smash Mouth … the greatest band of all time … indisputable fact!

A: How did you manage to be “The Spazmatics” – did you have to audition and the competition was fierce?

H: Last year of 2012, I heard rumors at the Guitar Center about an 80’s theatrical band auditioning and decided on a whim to give it a try, as it seemed completely different from any entertainment in the area. The process was managed by our founder and former member Tim Brennan, who had previously been a support bassist in the bands of Cleveland and Chicago Spaz. I showed up a day in advance, sang Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell” and got the job offer. Little did I know that he was testing a lot of potential singers for six months, so I must have done something right – or he was just the most nerdy guy ever.

Over the next 16 (sixteen!) Months, we continued to do tests with people to complete what was necessary and more or less we followed the same process whenever a member left Spaz due to whatever reasons life throws at us.

R: Where are you doing your solo shows and how are you doing? What kind of music do you write originals?

H: I have been fortunate to do solo shows regularly in the Hilton Head, Bluffton and Hardeeville areas in the past few months. I have a great booking agent there that keeps me busy – shout out to Doug from Stratus Entertainment! My solo show is an exciting one-man band, in which I play guitar and vocals with professionally recorded backing tracks in my personal recording studio to simulate a complete band experience. I cover many genres (rock, pop, country, hip hop, disco) and decades. I like the things that make me dance, so basically, whatever pleases me. You can check it out at Facebook.com/SpenserHooks. I write originals and am currently in the process of demonstrating. As it is my own studio, I can take my time and I certainly seem to be moving at a glacial pace, but I hope to launch something about streaming services this year. The material will be totally different from any cover I play because diversity is an incredible sauce.

A: Do all of your bandmates “love” 80’s music, or is there another era of music that you also like to play?

H: We all like 80s music, but one of our members definitely loves it more than any of us. He will remain anonymous, but his initials are Bryn Wilson – our guitarist. The rest of us are definitely kids of the 90s / 2000s, so this is our biggest moment of happy fun. Someone limp Biscuit? … No one… just me… OK… without shame.

A: Are your other bandmates currently doing other solo or duo performances and what kind of other music do they play? Did you say that everyone was lucky because everyone had jobs related to music during the pandemic?

H: Our drummer teaches drums and works for the band Florence NewSpring Church. Our guitarist has his own guitar business, where he builds, repairs and sells / sells equipment. Our bassist is a live sound engineer established for several small and large events throughout the Charleston area. We are all grateful to be able to continue our various musical endeavors over the past year, until we can perform for our incredible fans on a regular basis.

Mary E. Regan, Columnist, is an Advertising Advisor with her consultancy ProPublicist and is looking for more clients. Story ideas? Email: [email protected]