Hour Magazine, May 1998
The Electric Six (formerly The Wildbunch): Fluke spice boys

Detroit breeds freak-show, get-naked rock bands like no place else. And so we adore the Electric Six (formerly The Wildbunch), even if they're trying to cut down on the semi-nudity element of their live shows.

The Hamtramck-based soul/punk quintet's origins date back to gigs at Zoot's and the Old Miami in August of `96. "The band got together to play those two shows," says singer-songwriter Dick Valentine. "I'd written all these songs, and just wanted to play them out before I went to grad school."

That was Mississippi State University and its school of broadcast meteorology, where future Chuck Gaidicas are trained. But Mississippi, however, proved a bit scary for a man of Valentine's rock sensibilities, and he fled after a few weeks to reassemble the 'bunch: M., Disco, Surge Joebot and Rock & Roll Indian.

"There's definitely no agenda to this band," Valentine says. "Everything that's happened has been a fluke."

Electric Six (formerly The Wildbunch) live shows incite frenzied audience participation. Centered by Valentine's torrid, evangelical-style delivery and bewitching stage moves, backed by two subversive guitars and M.'s surprisingly accomplished drumming (unbelievably, this is his first band), they let loose a swampy, tight sound of two-minute songs, and the disciples just go bonkers. Valentine used to strip down to his boxers, but has ceased with the skin show. "I'm just trying not to be as predictable," he says.

Electric Six (formerly The Wildbunch) shows in other cities have instigated frenetic stagefront reactions, such as the devotee in Toronto who bit Valentine's foot. But, he points out, "Detroit audiences definitely pose more of a threat."

Of course, now all the big-time A&R people are drooling. The band has some singles out on Ypsi's Flying Bomb label, but hooked up with Disney's Hollywood Records last summer. "That was another fluke," Valentine says. M. grew up with Violent J of Insane Clown Posse, and the 'bunch wangled the opening slot for ICP at its record release party for The Great Milenko.

That night, a fast-talking Hollywood rep approached the 'bunch, expressed interest and flew them out to L.A. last fall to do some demo work. Afterward, the label "basically just blew us off," Valentine says.

"I was more than ready to sell out," says Valentine, whose recent non-meteorologic-related occupations include ad copywriting and driving an Ann Arbor student bus. "It was definitely a good learning experience for us, because now we know what not to do."