Their Name Notwithstanding, Are New Jersey’s ‘The Wankers’ The Best Tribute Act In The Biz

Seems you can’t go anywhere these days without another Yacht Rock, and/or Taylor Swift, tribute band popping up somewhere. As we speak, there appear to be more tributes to the ever-popular 70s genre, as well as the iconic Ms. Swift, than there are grains of sand on a beach. Factor in a few dozen or so homages to The Eagles, The Allmans, The Dead, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, Styx, Journey,  etc., etc., and it might seem like there’s no originality left on the tribute scene. Well, think again.

Combining Austin Powers’-style outfits, with faux Brit banter, and an incredibly diverse repertoire, New Jersey’s ‘The Wankers’ have only been around a year, but -for better or worse - are starting to turn heads.

Fronted by vocalist/guitarist David Fagin (aka Damon Gallagher), this surprisingly fun quintet, who bill themselves as ‘The Best of Britpop and Beyond’ will suck you in and have you singing along, even if you’re not entirely familiar with the genre.

Just ask the nearly three thousand people they recently played to at Musikfest, Bethlehem, who came to see a Beatles tribute, then wound up gobbling up every piece of Wankers merch they could get their hands on. “It was quite amazing,” says the band’s co-founder, bassist Helena Holmes (aka ‘Hellie O’Riordan). “Even folks who weren’t familiar with Keane, Stereophonics, Supergrass, etc., were going ballistic. I think it has to do with the fact we don’t just stand there and play our instruments. We put on a show. A very fun and sardonic show. We’re kind of like a combination of Deadpool and Spinal Tap.”

Performing the requisite classics from U.K. supergroups such as Oasis, Blur, Coldplay, The Cranberries, etc., The Wankers take you on a ride that not only encompasses the best the 90s had to offer, these pretentious pretend Brits also rock 80s New Wave legends like The Cure, The Smiths, Echo and The Bunnymen, Duran Duran, - even Wham and Bananarama.

Big fans of British humor, i.e., Monty Python, Benny Hill, Ricky Gervais, etc, Fagin and co. immediately settled on the name ‘The Wankers’ as a tongue-in-cheek tip o’ the cap to the wry, English jab. However, the band had no idea the amount of blowback they’d receive from buyers in the states. After all, wanker is primarily an English term.

“We knew it would be a little controversial,” says Fagin, “but we didn’t expect so many U.S. bookers to be so offended. I mean, compared to what we say to each other here in the states, ‘wanker’ seems like a compliment. It’s so PG-13.”

A former artists’ rights ‘Spartacus,’ Fagin is no stranger to controversy. In the early 00’s his band, The Rosenbergs, was credited as the first to go viral after they turned down a horrifically bad deal with Universal Music’s “Farmclub”, a start-up label and TV show, and precursor to American Idol.

Fast forward almost a quarter-century, past partnerships with Napster and Robert Fripp, tours with Echo and The Bunnymen and Modern English, past opening slots for The Strokes and Duran Duran, past an appearance on Howard Stern w/ Gene Simmons, past his testimony on Capitol Hill alongside Alanis Morrisette on behalf of artists nationwide, past being Elmo’s assistant on Sesame Street (yup), and past a catchy Beatlesque theme song for Jenna Elfman’s last sitcom for CBS, Fagin says he’s finally found his true calling - that of a Wanker.

“It’s funny,” says Fagin, "a lot of the folks who have a problem with our name have no issue booking The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, then going home to a six year-old who sings Cardi B. word for word. Or worse, that ‘My Neck, My Back’ song. I take my hat off to the Daddies. They held their ground through a years-long shitstorm and now play every major theater in ‘Main Street USA’. If buyers can get used to a name that references pedophilia, accepting The Wankers shouldn’t be that hard.

“Outside of being one of the most fun and talented bands we've seen, The Wankers are doing something no one else on the tribute scene is doing: A tribute to Britpop and New Wave. Yes, we've encountered our fair share of pushback from buyers on the name, but everyone who sees them loves them. It's just a matter of time,” says Rick Horvath, the band’s agent at Providence Music Group. The rumored upcoming Oasis reunion shouldn’t hurt, either.

In spite of the mixed reaction to their name,The Wankers are quickly garnering a devoted following of ‘Wankettes.’ Even The Cure’s Reeves Gabrels is not immune from being ‘wanked.’ The band recently gave the former Bowie guitarist a complimentary tee after a show in NJ (pic available on their Facebook and Instagram). Stay tuned as to whether or not he wears it on stage.

Mix the name, the outfits and the camp in with Fagin’s uncanny ability to parrot the stylings of Liam Gallagher, Thom Yorke, Richard Ashcroft, Robert Smith, even Morrissey, and you have yourself one heck of an entertaining night.

The band’s tongue-in-cheek humor is obviously not for everyone, but if you fancy classic British rock and pop, DVR every episode of The Office, and have no issue with a band named after a mild, English slight, do yourself a favor and drop a few quid on The Wankers next time they’re in town. The cheeky lads and their lovely lass will be performing at the legendary Daryl’s House in Pawling, NY, September 29.

About The Wankers:

With their randy threads, cheeky wit, and top notch talent, The Wankers are unlike any other act you’ve ever seen.  Performing classic after classic from icons such as Oasis, Coldplay, Blur, Radiohead, The Smiths, The Cure, Echo and The Bunnymen, The Cranberries, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, and many more, The Wankers will transport you back to the days when Brit bands ruled the world! Yeah, baby, yeah!

For more information on The Wankers click here.

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/embed/LN9n8osmRtY

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