Goodfinger

How did GoodFinger start, how long
have you been together and whats the story behind the Name?

A- On a total random night a couple of years ago, I saw Miss Scrappy front a tribute to the Ramones in downtown NY. I was immediately blown away at her vocal delivery and stage presence. Right when she'd had enough of her backing bands shit performance,she threw down the mic, stormed off stage, parting the crowd, knocking right into me in the process then proceeded to keep walking right out the club door, and into a cab. Genious! I knew right then, that she was the perfect force to front what I had in mind. It took me a couple of weeks to track her down, and then a little while to convince her to pick the mic back up, but once she did it?s been a harmonious, dynamic relationship ever since.
We met B, (our always flamboyant guitarist) on my birthday some months later. Me and Miss Scrappy had been out with producer Tim O?Heir (Stellastarr*, Dinosaur Jr, All- American Rejects)and found ourselves at an open mic night in the east village. Me and Scrap, totally trashed, decided to play our debut performance, but needing a guitar, we approached this larger than life
character who, at the time, went under the alias of Johnny B. Fabulous, to borrow his guitar. We struck up a cool vibe, swapped numbers, and met a
few days later where he was then convinced by our plan and material to be in, And further more, he knew a bassist named Frank Caira. who would be perfect for the job. The line up was complete. As for the name... use your imagination.

Q- How would you describe your style? what are your influences?

A- We are definitely rock, but draw influences from the decades of great music. No one source in particular. Miss Scrappy is from a burlesque/blues background, so naturally that?s included with a twisted slice of maniacal cabaret to stimulate, as well as educate.

Q- Goodfingers first CD, Tell us a little bit about the writing process and who participated in it?

A- Me and Scrappy wrote the songs for our EP over the first year, then developed them with the band before pulling some major favors, and blagging some serious studio time. We lured Tim O?Heir into recording the initial tracks, finished laying the songs down ourselves, then got old skool producer Godfrey Diamond (Lou Reed, Aerosmith) to mix with all his worldly experience. Noted local punk vertuoso Lourds played violin on Cloud 9, and the always unpredictable Drew Blood layed keys on Ball and Chain. We will repeat the
procedure very soon to complete a full length.

Q- Have you guys toured yet? how long or what will it take before you guys go on your first tour?

A- No Not yet.Only toured NYC! When we have the full length to promote, we?ll hit all of the known universe. We ?ve already been asked to play dates in the UK.

Q- NYC, how much of its energy is in your music?

A- Tons! We are all from, or have been living here for years, so therefore can?t help being driven by the energy of this great city. We have a song called? Sounds of the City? that is about just that.

Q- Aside from the GF's talents; you have a hot Female vocalist and a
hendrix influenced guitarist, a lenon look alike bassist and the hottest rock
DJ in NYC as a drummer. Do you feel that you guys might be a mini NYC all
star rock band?

A- There's no mini about it! Without larger than life characters, no band is very
interesting for very long. We all look for something to pull us through our daily existence and entertain. We?re lucky that, even though there?s some madness
amongst us, we understand that?s it for the collective good of GOODFINGER.

Q- A lot of bands have risen to the top of the charts and then disappeared with thier tunes, is your music made to last ?

A- For sure

Q- Are you a hit or an album oriented band? or Both ?

A- All 3. No filler.

Q- From listening to your EP, I feel there is a successful effort in the writing process that separates you from the sound alike rock bands,what is your take on that?

A- Well, we definitely don't fit into this current trend of 80's retro-re-fit acts that are besieging us right now. We're influenced by all good music and styles,
not just our favorites, so it doesn't show as much in our finished product. When you attach yourself to a trend, then, when that trend inevitably dies, so do
you. We're carving out our own niche, we're not wagon jumping,and because
of that we'll be here for some time to come.

Q- Any up coming shows in NYC?(list all the shows you have set up)

A- Our next show is at Snitch, owned by members of Velvet Revolver. I DJ there every saturday, and it's always off the hook. We're playing with the superb Burnt Orange. definitely one to look out for. Snitch is at 59 W.21st St. @ 6th Ave. Sat. Sept.17th at midnight. Be there, as this one?s going down in
history!!

for more info check out www.goodfingermusic.com - www.muleny.com

Where once things in the rock world appeared bad, now they are good… Goodfinger, that is, a straight-outta Brooklyn rock band and so much more. Take a healthy slice of Siouxsie, dash of The Pretenders and add that to a base of The Doors with just a hint of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and you might get close to what they sound like. GOODFINGER was born just over two years ago when drummer Mikey-Boy was literally run over by singer Scrappy Calloway in the midst of storming offstage. The former underground burlesque performer was peeved at her backing band’s less-than-stellar performance, but Mikey saw a superstar in the making and convinced her to pick up the microphone permanently. Another fortuitous meeting in an East Village bar led to guitarist Johnny B joining the nascent band, and he, in turn, then convinced his bassist Frankie C. to complete the line-up. Currently, they are being hotly pursued by both major labels and booking agencies all over the world. SONYC got a chance to sit down with Goodfinger:

SONYC: How did you gain Scrappy, your lead singer?

Mike: Scrappy stormed off stage away from another band and bumped into me. I thought she was perfect.

SONYC: How did you gain Johnny?

Mike: He shows up with his stratocaster around his neck...He was just walking down the street… no case...

SONYC: Scrappy, how long have you been singing?

Scrappy: Since being in my momma belly.

SONYC: How is your live show?

Johnny: Blistering.

SONYC: How does NYC’s music scene differ from the scene elsewhere?

Mike: NYC is compact: You can see a lot of bands and know who’s cool.
In other cities, it takes longer to see what’s going on. NYC has a healthy scene. Before the NYC scene, rock n roll was out. Now rock n roll is back.

SONYC: What other local bands would you want to be on a bill with?

Johnny: They want to be on bills with us.

Mike: Dynasty

SONYC: Tell me about rehearsal spaces...best and worst?

Scrappy: They all suck.

SONYC: ipods or cd players?

Scrappy: records

Johnny: if you dj with an ipod you are an asshole.

Mike: It’s like, “Why don’t you just email your set in!?”

SONYC: Betty or Wilma?

Johnny: Dino. Who wouldn’t want to fuck a purple dinosaur?

SONYC: What inspires your songwriting?

Mike: Once, I heard a woman yell across the street at someone,
“I know you. Do I know you?” That evolved into a song, because it kept playing over and over in my mind.

SONYC: Other than music, what are your interests?

Johnny: Poetry and women and freeelance floristry for the family company
and dee-jaying.

Mike: Trekking (which is somewhere between climbing and hiking).
I trekked up Everest and kissed the sky for Johnny.

SONYC: Does Scrappy ever complain about anything?

Mike and Johnny: The cold!

Scrappy: They say that hell is hot. They fuckin’ lie to you! It is frozen. It is cold, and everything dies, and heaven is nice and hot, and you have a margarita, and… and you are sweatin’.

SONYC: What keeps you going?

Scrappy: We just believe in what we are doing, and we have fun offstage and onstage and have high energy shows. This is the first band that is not just playin’ behind me but is a part of it.

FUN FACT: Johnny was fined 50 dollars for public urination.


Interview by: Amy Chace - SONYC.INFO

"The future of New York music,"
Tom Verlaine, Television.

- NA

....besides a bitchin'-if-semi-obscure pedigree, Goodfinger have other not-so-secret weapons up their collective sleeves, most notably frontfox Scrappy Calloway, a real bloozy powerhouse of a hard rock singer with a thousand yard stare. She sounds like Bellrays belter Lisa Kekaula, minus a little Tina Turner, but with the twice the pop appeal. Outtasight. The songs are big and loud and weird, part slinky rock n' roll cabaret, part heavy-devy blues-powered arena rattle, all of it bright and buzzing. 4 tracks here- all of 'em available to sample on their website - that range from the full-throttle blooze-pop n' roll of "Ball and Chain" to the pomp-ed up "All in the Game", which Meatloaf coulda wrote, easy.


- www.sleazegrinder.com

When Goodfinger took the stage this past thursday night at the Delancy Club, they did so without presumption or pretense. Four musicians, (lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass and drums) each decked out in their own expression of Lower East Side punk rock hipster style, doing what I assumed to be what they knew and loved best. The stage wasn't some holy ground of praise and worship for them, it was an old friend they were paying visit.   Their singer however, a petit dark haired and dark eyed beauty by the name of Scrappy let her boys launch into their first tune before she sauntered herself onto the stage. With clear, audible rock and roll tunes, a deep, soulful female lead and tight precision, Goodfinger evokes some of the gothic bands of the 80's like The Cure and Concrete Blond with some of their songs, particularly the synthetic seranade Love Digitale. They tempered this dark ballet with some fun, upbeat power cord driven rock that one couldn't help but either headbang to, or in the case of Masquerade and Is That So Wrong just sway with the beat.   Goodfinger is a band that knows how to play together, and on top of that, they're a band that knows how to look good. Scrappy sauntered, accustomed to her role as frontwoman and sex symbol dressed in a tank top and a scandalously scant see through red skirt atop sheer stockings and short black shorts. Their lead guitar, who goes by (so I've been told) Johnny B. Fabulous played so euphorically, it seemed like he didn't open his eyes once throughout the performance.   Goodfinger is Rock & Roll beyond a doubt, but unlike many of the bands that play the bars and clubs of the Lower East Side, they had their own unique style of fusion rock, and, it was played with clear melody and (gasp) audible lyrics!   In the world of NYC rock musicians I'm reluctant to use this word, but their style, I felt had a pop hook to it. But don't take it as an insult, it's this distinctive and easily-to-listen-to style, along with good looking band members and on-stage-chemistry that could catapult Goodfinger into stardom.   Either way, I'd have to say, this is a band to follow.
- Gideon, The One-Legged Band Reviewer.