Interview with Hank Mann by Brenda Savage A.P.A. American Press Association I ran into the Hula Monsters in March, at of all places the Elysium Fields nudist resort in Topanga Canyon, a bucolic paradise in the foothills of the Santa Monica mountains, near Malibu, California, The Hulas were playing a huge luau to a very receptive and revealing crowd. I was there to do a story on the up coming closing of Elysium Fields after thirty years of glory. Progress was taking over and the gates of the private resort were about to close for ever. I found a story within the story , when I meet Hank and the band along with four hula girls. What fun, I had never seen a more perfect band of players and dancers for an outdoor party, clothed or otherwise. Hank took a few minutes during a break to answer some easy questions, considering some of the beautiful women there, I was surprised I had his attention at all. Little did I know that night, that I would get such an interesting story about a great place and a great band on such a beautiful day. B: Hi Hank, what are you guys doing here? How did all this start? H: you mean how did we get this gig? or how did a haole boy from Santa Monica start playing hula music.? B: Both, but first tell me how you got started. H: Alright here goes…..in 1964 I was a drummer in a surf band called the “Abstracts” , we were really big at Paul Revere Jr. High…I was twelve years old I grew up about five miles north of Sunset Blvd in the Santa Monica mountains. I had two older siblings who turned me on to the a.m. radio of the day. The music we now call 50’s rock or rockabilly. I don’t want to sound too old but my influences span the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. Oh shit! I sound like my dad. B: So what then? H: I went on to play lots of dances and school events through High school, all the while I loved to sing and since no one else in our band would , I became the singer, by default. Being at Palisades High school also opened the door to many other popular activities, like surfing and of course cars and dating. I was the only kid at Palisades high school with a 57 Chevy and a Triumph 650 motorcycle. I was also very involved with dirt bike racing, I love the feeling of speed on a motocross track. In 1973 I got serious and became the lead singer-front man in a original cover band called “Maidenhead” B: You mean like Mick Jagger or what? H: Ha Ha..No, more like David Lee Roth meets Axel Rose . We were the House band at Gazzari's on the strip, and drew a hell of a lot of people every time we played. We did gigs with Van Halen, Ratt, Joan Jett, Litta Ford and a whole lot of other up and coming bands right here in Hollywood in the mid-70s. I kind of miss the freedom of being a lead singer, all I needed to bring to the gig was a microphone. Lead singing is a great release. B: but you didn’t play much guitar then , or did you? H: No , not too much, just rhythm if that. I always surrounded myself with killer guitar players, I have played with some of L.A’s greatest 6 string guitarists..That freed me up to run around like a crazy man on stage. We all grew up playing back yard “keg" parties right here in southern California. Hey it just dawned on me…. that’s what I’m still doing. B: So where did all that lead you? Did anyone notice you guys? H: We signed a demo deal with Gary Girsh , then with Geffin Records, we recorded a record under the band name “Traxx”, I thought it was fantastic, Heavy metal blues, anthem rock. They never promoted us, and shelved us a year later, it’s a common story. But it was a great experience, I still listen to those recordings with great fondness. B: So when did this steel guitar, hula thing start? H: I was always interested in building guitars, we used to make cigar box three string banjos when I was in the Boy Scouts, you get an old cigar box, glue on a 1x2 stick for a neck, carve a few pegs, throw on some guitar strings, try and tune it and away you go. It sounded like shit but we loved it anyway. it was fate that my hobby would extend into designing and building my own brand of steel guitars. B: You mean ‘Malibu Indian” steel guitars evolved from cigar boxes? H: In a way, only now I build eight, ten, twelve and fourteen string steels, all out of solid Hawaiian Koa wood. Man nothing resonates like Koa wood. B: So how did the Hula Monsters begin? H: Well let me back track a little... in the 70s and 80s I was fortunate enough to study and train with the famed Hawaiian martial artist Edmound “Kealoha” Parker Sr. a direct descendant of king Kamehameha himself. I rose to the the rank of first degree black belt and competed in over 75 full contact tournaments, including the worlds largest karate tournament, the “Internationals” five years in a row . While training at Ed Parkers studio in Santa Monica, CA . I had the chance to train along side of Elvis Presley, Jeff Speakman, Tom Kelly and Benny Erquades. Mr Parker was my first introduction to Hawaii, the culture, the music ,the life, it was just a matter of time before my music would be permanently influenced. I fell in love with the Hawaiian steel guitar sound B: Wow! I had no idea, so when did you start the Hula Monsters as we know them today? H: In 1986 after going to Honolulu for some rest after a tough breakup, I put together the first incarnation, basically a swing blues band with a steel guitar. Even though I wasn’t that good on steel yet, I could hear the potential. I call it “Ice cream truck” music. Your ears perk up and the sound makes you feel so good. Some people here in L.A. just didn’t get it, that’s why I liked it, I knew I was on to something. B: Why the name Hula Monsters? H: It’s a cross between Gila Monster from the Texas blues we played and Hula for the Hawaiian swing…Texas.. Hawaii…Hula Monsters, it was a match. I now own the trademark. B: When did you record your first CD “Party Platter”? H: Well I had to learn more about playing the steel guitar first, Its totally different from a regular guitar, more like a harp. I met an 84 year old Hawaiian steel guitar player named Ralph Kolsiana through the Hawaiian steel guitar club. He lived in L.A. so I took lessons. Ralph taught me the basics on how to play and more importantly, how to tune each different guitar neck, He also let me check out all his vintage steels. Ralph had the #003 Rickenbacher fry pan given to him by Rickenbacher himself in the 1930s. Ralph is a great player and WOW! What a great singing voice. I was lucky enough to play rhythm guitar on his video documentary. He’s the “real deal”. Unfortunately we lost Ralph about a year ago, I played at his funeral, it was the hardest gig I have ever done. B: I’m sorry to hear that, he sounds like a great man, In a way he lives on in you. H: Yes, I built my first guitars off the measurements from Ralph’s #003 Ricky. I had an old koa surfboard hanging on my living room wall, I made my first five steel guitars from that old board, all eight strings and they sound fantastic. I also made Ralph a custom twelve string to his specs. I know he dug that axe. Cause he gave me a 52 rickenbacher six string and a 1920s koa ukulele in trade, I treasure those guitars and will never let them go. B: How did you learn the wood working side of guitar building? H: I’ve always been a wood worker and a craftsman, in fact I started a Hardwood flooring company back in the early 80s to help with some of the bills. To this day I am still a licensed contractor, so I had all the sanders and power tools I needed right there in my wood shop. The blending of music and woodworking was a natural. B: What happened then? H: I played what seemed like thousands of clubs, parties, casuals, luaus and events, we also hosted many a jam night, Jam nights were big in L.A. and still are. B: Is that where you met Jon Bare? H: Exactly…Jon got up on stage one night and the sound of his guitar and my steel just clicked instantly. We became fast friends and began doing some pretty cool gigs. Like the L.A. Marathon finish-line, frat parties, pier gigs, you name it. B: So that’s when Party Platter was born? H: Hell ya!..Jon had a great recording studio so we decided to record our ten best songs as a demo…who knew that demo would become 450 hours in the studio and bring forth our first CD. Its still in all the Tower record stores nation wide and doing quite well. We were distributed all over Europe as well via “Taxim” Records. B: Did you guys really do an in-store play at Tower Records Hollywood? H: We sure did, hula girls and all. That was great, we had the store packed with fans and regular customers. I think they were all shocked to see and hear a hulabilly, honky-tonk swing band live in a Hollywood record store. And when you add the authentic moves and wild costuming of the hula girls You get something very unique indeed. After that they put us in all the listening stations nationwide and it took off from there. We were actually listed in the 38th annual Grammy awards ballot for 1995,too bad we didn’t get enough votes to make the Finals, But at least we were in the game, Maybe someday ?? we got a lot of airplay that year as well, by way of the “Blues Deluxe” syndicated radio show, Coast to coast, that was a trip…. B : I would voted for you guys anyday… H: Thanks Brenda…(big hug)……. B: Tell me about the” Zen of Hula” H: Well, I built a special double twelve string steel just for that CD, I call it the “Swing Ray”, Man its got every chord known to man, and a few chords man doesn’t know about. Then we brought the band down to a vintage 24 track studio in an old movie building on Hollywood Blvd. Man that was some cool track’n, bums, Movie stars, runaways, hippies, weirdos you name it they were all there. B: Whos on the CD, the same players as “Party Platter”? H: Yes the same HOT CATS..Chet McCracken (Doobie Brothers) on drums And Chris Pinnick (Chicago) on lead guitar, Rich Grossman (three dog night) on bass.with Mo Holiday on ukulele. . Jon decided to sit this one out and work on his Killer Whales CD . But he’ll be on the next one. We got some incredible cuts 13 in all Its the best CD yet, and party platter was really hot. We even have some Hulabilly Hip Hop on the last cut. Check it out …its groov’n man. we are on the radio every day in Hawaii as well. That’s really flattering because they are very picky over there, especially if you’re a haole boy like me. The Zen CD also won a “battle of the bands” sponsored by Los Angeles radio station KABC for the debut broadcast of the John and Ken show at the House of Blues. We were chosen out of 500 other entries and deemed the winners by national talk show host Larry Elder. That was quite a thrill, we were on the air for three hours as the house band. B: That sounds like a blast Hank but I’d better let you get back to this party, just one more Question..I hear there is yet another Hula Monster CD in the works what else can you do, that you haven’t done already ? H: Two words Brenda….”BEACHNUT BOOGIE” !!.. I wrote 15 new songs and they all pop! There’s a little something for every one, some original 50s style luau swing tunes, some hula Hip hop, and some great hulabilly shuffles that have become our trademark. I decided to use my first ever “store bought” steel guitar on this CD. It’s a 1956 Fender “stringmaster” triple neck, and for the first time as well, I’m using a 2003 Fender “vibroverb” Cesar Diaz amp. instead of my Evans. Man it’s punchy, and records like you can't believe. We are taking our time on this one, doing it right, I want every song to be danceable, its gotta groove or forget it! It will be done by spring 2004. With the Same great players and some surprise guests as well. Keep checking our web site for up-dates, any way Brenda, lets talk later …..I’ve got some wacky people to entertain, Mahalo nui loa, for the interview Thanks Hank, and thank you for letting me distract you from all this scenery. you guys are just great, and your background story is very cool indeed. Just a closing thought… In a world of instant oatmeal and Hollywood fake-outs its nice to see a group of players and dancers that have refused to sell out A stick to your guns approach that’s in it for the longhall.,and the Hula Monsters have done the work and stuck to the plan and its finally paying off for them. Here’s to a great band and goodbye to a great resort, Elysium Fields forever…