Real Sickies lead singer truly suffers for his art
The very first Real Sickies show was a wedding, one where lead singer Ben Disaster made a lasting impression on the guests.
“I fell off a table and knocked someone in the face,” Disaster says over the phone with a certain amount of ruefulness. “That was about the time that my body really started to shut down.”
That’s a fairly succinct way of explaining the personal hell that Disaster went through for over a year, as he put his life on hold dealing with escalating health concerns. The Real Sickies, who asked Disaster to be their lead singer about six or so months after forming, kept writing and recording, eventually coming up with the 13 songs that make up their latest release, Get Well Soon. A feast of classic poppunk flecked with influences along the lines of The Ramones (their name is a tip of the hat to the Queens, New York fourpiece) and Teenage Head, Get Well Soon also nods at that dark period in Disaster’s life, when he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to walk again, much less perform.
We spoke with Disaster (who also numbers Physical Copies and Screaming Targets among his many bands) about the new album, spinal issues, and keeping the punk flame alive as you age.
Q Get Well Soon seems like a very sardonic diary entry; what exactly happened during the period where you were sick three years ago? A Well, I was originally diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and was coming to terms with what that would mean in my life. Then it turned out that what I had was a serious issue with my spine; it was pushing up to the point where it almost severed. I was visiting chiropractors trying to get it sorted, and that could’ve been an incident. One wrong move and boom, I wouldn’t have been able to walk out of there.
Q How did you eventually get it figured out?
A I had an MRI done the morning after a Physical Copies show. We were finished the show at 2:30 a.m., and then I stayed awake and went to the appointment a little sticky. The every next morning I got a call that went to my voice mail saying “we have the results, you need to get to the hospital right now.”
Q What did they do?
A They went into my throat, took a piece of my spine out and replaced it with a plastic wedge, which takes a lot of the pressure off my spine. Eventually I got feeling back in my hands and body, learned to run and walk again, and get back to rocking. That’s what Get Well Soon is about; the mental struggle of being told that you have multiple sclerosis, and then finding out that you don’t have an incurable disease, but you need this invasive surgery. It was quite the interesting time in my life.
Q The Real Sickies didn’t disintegrate, though, or find another singer.
A No, they stuck with me, and just kept coming up with new songs, which is very different than some of the other groups I’ve played with in the past.
Q You’ve played in straight up punk bands before, though you’ve wandered through many genres in your 32 years. Were you attracted to the back-tobasics approach the band has? A Yeah, that and just being a front person again. I feel like I’m good at that, I have a skill at being a lead singer. I was into doing fast, energetic music, with a message that isn’t necessarily political, but just relatable for 14 to 40.
Q Having relatable lyrics for a 14-year-old is important if you’re going to be doing all-ages shows like the one you’re having for your album release at The Aviary.
A Well, two of the members of the Real Sickies have families, and those kids are super influential on the band’s goals and directions. It’s also part of my background; I was really lucky to grow up with an East Coast family, where house parties were a thing, so I don’t feel awkward being around kids.
Q Punk rock can be a bit of a trap for adults wanting to prolong adolescence, but it seems as though you’ve managed to find some balance there.
A It can be quite emotionally liberating to see bands like (U.K. legends) The Subhumans (who the Real Sickies recently toured with) still growing and vital. You can grow up and be an adult, but still be DIY and be your own individual weirdo.