Phoenix-based heavy-metal outfit ‘Okilly Dokilly’ call themselves the world’s first ‘Nedal’ (Ned+metal) band – a tribute to the well-meaning, yet super-annoying Simpsons character Ned Flanders.
The members of Arizona’s most ‘neighborly’ rock band are bespectacled, mustachioed, and always dressed in Flanders’ signature costume – pink shirt, grey trousers, and green sweater. They even have creative names for themselves – Head Ned – vocals; Red Ned – synth; Thread Ned – bass; Stead Ned – guitar; and Bled Ned – drums. Most of their songs feature ‘direct Ned quotes’.
Lead singer Head Ned revealed that the idea for the band came about when he was shopping for groceries one day. “Myself and our drummer were in line at a grocery store, entertaining ourselves by coming up with really cutesy names for really hardcore, brutal bands,” he said, speaking to Australian magazine Rip It Up. “The name Okilly Dokilly came up and was very funny to us.”
“We ran with it,” he added. “I contacted a few friends, and here we are. Most of us have played in other bands around our hometown. This is definitely the heaviest sounding project any of us Neds have done.”
When asked about how the band fit in within the broader genre of Simpsons-themed metal, Head Ned said they are a ‘happy medium’. “Not as fast as Bartcore, and a little cleaner than Krusty Punk,” he explained. “Not as heavy as ‘Homer J.ent’ – Nedal is a happy medium in the Simpscene.” The band is all set to play their first hometown show on September 5, but they already have a few demo tracks up on their bandcamp page.
Okilly Dokilly has plenty of songs dedicated to Flanders references – like this one song called All That is Left. It’s their homage to the Leftorium, a store owned by Flanders that specializes in products for left-handed people. Unfortunately, no one on the band except Head Ned is a lefty, so as much as they all want to pay their instruments left-handed, they can’t.
Head Ned revealed that band members’ other pastimes include “watching the Simpsons,” “plenty of Futurama,” and “politely asking for the return of our power tools, usually with little success.”
Their long-term goal is pretty simple: “In reality, this is all just an over-the-top attempt at getting Matt Groening’s autograph, even if it comes with a cease and desist letter,” he said.
via RipIt Up
