We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Gino Bambino a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Gino, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Putting my name in the band name. I figured getting and keeping a band of the same people would be difficult, plus I was moving around quite a bit at the time so I knew, I guess. I knew I’d have to do everything, not that I didn’t have some help along the way, but primarily it’s on me. And good or bad, i’m to blame. ha. So far it’s worked out ok. Still a long way to go so we’ll see.

Gino, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Gino Bam! Bam! Bambino and I write, sing and play guitar in the band Gino and the Goons. We’re fast and loose, loose and loud. We’re fun and mean all at the same time. It’s dead serious but it’s also very tongue in cheek so lighten up a little will ya? Sheesh. I’ve been doing G.a.t.G. this since 2008 and self released, produced and mixed our first LP on my label, SunWray Records in 2012. Total Punk Records did the reissue 6 different times. Did countless singles on random labels, comps. etc. our next two LPs were on Slovenly Records in 2015 & 2018. Then one on Big Neck Records in 2019 and the last one on Drunken Sailor Record also in 2019. We have a 12″ split with the Dirty Coal Train European version out now. The USA version is coming soon with the High Heels on the flip side. Another Slovenly LP coming in 2024, Another split 12″ and a One-Man-Bam-Bam Band Lp coming as well. Toured and played locally mostly in the southeast and midwest. One European tour and a trip to Puerto Rico so far. Life is fast and cruel and beautiful and crazy and weird and exciting. Things will happen, when they happen. Sometimes you have to make them happen. Even when sometimes it takes trying the same thing over and over again.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Three things: F. U. N. That’s what Rock n Roll is about. RnR is not perfect, life is not perfect. RnR IS life. Live it. Don’t hide from the imperfections. Don’t cover them up. If it feels good, then do it. Let it go. Be what you want it to be. Not some other bozo. If you have fun, work hard (if it’s fun the hard work won’t seem like work) it will be all worth it. I prefer a band setting. I write the songs but I want the band’s personality in the songs. Again, I write the songs, so sometimes I want something a certain way, but you can’t dictate how someone plays. Let them do their thing. The songs will sound different then in your head and can be really great and exciting. Now everyone has some skin in the song and now, helpfully makes it fun for everyone. It feels like a band and not just hired guns.  If you don’t have a band, do everything you can yourself. It can really mean something special as well, it will feel good and it will sound more like you. Therefore be true. If it’s true, then it can’t be false. People can spot a phony a mile away.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Having a band is hard. Keeping a band is even more difficult.  Especially the older you get. I love Chuck Berry. He never had a band. He showed up and the opening band was his band. No practice, no run-throughs. Just 1-2-3-4! and you’re off. I started this band when I was older and in a new town I didn’t know anyone. I kept Chuck in mind and how he did it. I figured it’d be random people for a while anyway. I grabbed people from the parking lot before I played and asked if they knew how to play. Sometimes they said, no but I still had them play with me anyway. Sometimes it worked better than others. I’ve done it all myself when no one was around. Sometimes it worked better than others. I prefer having a band, but it’s not always easy.  I had a drummer miss his flight to Tx once. I called the driver when I left and asked if he knew any drummers. He brought a drummer with him. On the drive from Austin to San Antonio the drummer said, play some songs so I can learn them. With me in the front passenger side and him in the back, as it came to a place in the song that needed to be addressed, I turned around to tell him about it and he was fast asleep. He actually did great and when I told him about the show in Austin the next day he said he had to work and couldn’t do it. I found someone in the parking lot to play drums. His name was Mike and said he played with CJ Ramone. Not sure if that was true but it was a cool story. He did pretty good. I got lucky that time. All you can do is always move forward, never straight.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ginoandthegoons.bandcamp.com
• Instagram: gino_and_the_goons / sunwray_records_studios
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/ginoandthegoons
• Youtube: Just type in Gino and the Goons and stuff will pop up
• Other: Your moms house.

Image Credits
Drawing by: Gino