ROBIN BLACK : Interviewed by Christine Leonard-Cripps

Tighter than a pair of leather pants! Glam Rock freak and MMA pundit Robin Black spits out an  nstant Classic for the masses

Love him or hate him, Canada’s most notorious media whore (next to Jian Gomeshi) is back with his second full-length album Instant Classic. While some may shy (OK, flinch) away from the Boy George-meets-Alice Cooper look that Robin Black and the Intergalactic Rockstars have chosen, there’s no denying that he gives good interview. "Riff-laden, arena-style rock music is our big thing and when we started out nobody else was doing it. By now we’re getting pretty damn good at it. Inside I’m just a 14-year-old rock ’n’ roller. And what I love best is going out on the town and flirting with girls," says Black. "After hearing a lot of the new stuff that’s out there, I’ve come to the conclusion that rock music is a really lowbrow form of entertainment – like comic books. It entertains all kinds of people and it’s all based on fun… and on the groin!" Strutting his stuff with fellow glam rockers "Killer" Ky Anto (lead guitar-vocals), Starboy (guitar-keyboard-vocals), John "The Creep" Kerns (bass), and percussionist Chris "The Kid" Kidd, Black and company have already made a name for themselves with their unbelievably loud, pyrotechnic-filled stage performances. Adhering to all that is cheap and smutty about their preferred musical genre, they extol the virtues of sex, drugs and the pursuit of hedonistic pleasures of every description – a common thread, which has ensured that despite the passage of time this quintet has remained as tight as a well-worn pair of leather pants.    * MMA commentator and practitioner of Tae Kwon Do and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Robin Black returned to the cage in November of 2012 after a 2-year hiatus. He brought his professional fighting record to 4-5 (W-L) with his second-round Kimura armlock submission of vetted opponent Derek Charbonneau at the inaugural SLAMM: Tristar Fights event. "I’m proud of the five of us," Black says. "I have the pleasure of playing with four really talented guys. We wouldn’t have survived for 10 years otherwise…. Our skills have developed around one another and we’re working harder now than ever before in our lives. We write, play, tour and try to improve. I think it’s very admirable and noble trying to be the best rock band in the world. It’s all about drinkin’ beer, smokin’ pot and playing rock ’n’ roll… and I get to bang a lot of pretty girls!" Making an album with the dude who produced Pink Floyd’s The Wall and KISS’s Destroyer is a dream come true for any aspiring rocker and Black is no exception. Hammering out the final details of Instant Classic with legendary producers Bob Ezrin and GGGarth Richardson was definitely a highlight of a career that has put the Winnipeg-born Black and his band on the fast track to (increased) notoriety. Already well known for their onstage antics, glamorous makeup and bravado, Black sees Instant Classic as a timeless tribute to all the things he loves most about good old rock ’n’ roll. "We’re so used to touring all the time, people know us as a super exciting live act," he says. "But we wanted to go beyond being the drunkest band in Canada, so we decided to take a huge leap forward and make a great record." The band minted Instant Classic in the hopes of capturing that essence of joie de vivre and distilling it for purely commercial purposes. The technically polished version of their manic mayhem may be one side of the story, but Black admits he and his bandmates just love driving around with the tunes cranked and needed a "special" new disc for the ol’ Trans Am. Instant Classic delivers everything we’ve come to expect from the larger-than-life Robin Black. "People go nuts at our shows," says Black. "If you love MuchMusic, Elvis Costello and introverted indie-rock bands who sing sad songs about their parents – don’t come to our show. If you love KISS, Aerosmith, pounding beers, smoking joints, beating your chest, wearing low-cut tops and tight pants – we’re the band for you." Originally published March 2005 in FFWD Weekly Magazine By Christine Leonard  @Nocturntable