Trevor Dunn on Mr. Bungle’s Ska’s Influence: Podcast

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Here’s a question for all the rude boys out there: What’s a non-ska band that had an incredible influence over an entire generation of ska artists? Answer: Mr. Bungle. On this episode of In Defense of Ska, the hosts chat with Mr. Bungle member — and one of the best bassists of all time — Trevor Dunn about the band’s origins, their relation to ska music, and more. Listen above, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Dunn dives into the intersection between Mr. Bungle and ska, gushing about his love for bands like Fishbone, Bad Manners, and Oingo Boingo, as well as recalling the time they played with The Untouchables. Such influences might be subtle when it comes to Mr. Bungle’s most popular work, but if you know where to look, they begin to become clear. The hosts and Dunn explore the track “Carousel,” for example, which while not the band’s first ska song, was rather the first one they wrote from a sincere place.

Elsewhere, Dunn recalls some of Mr. Bungle’s infamous antics, like the time frontman and metal legend Mike Patton drank pee from a shoe at a New Year’s Eve concert with Primus.

Get Mr. Bungle Tickets Here

“We found [a mechanical Santa] on the street that day, and of course we were like, ‘We have to bring that on stage,’” Dunn remembers. “But I think what happened was that some fan threw their shoe up on stage, and that’s what Patton pissed into… I think he also split his head open on the stage, which was not uncommon, and had to be rushed to the hospital.”

Mr. Bungle is about to embark on their spring tour, and you can get your tickets here. For more from Dunn, check out his list of his 10 favorite bass albums.

Listen to Mr. Bungle’s Trevor Dunn on this episode of In Defense of Ska, and make sure to like, review, and follow the series wherever you get your podcast. Fans can also get early and ad-free episodes by joining the IDOS Patreon, and don’t forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series here. Additionally, you can support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition will be released in Oct 2024.