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Article published Jan 12, 2007 The Dirty Gunnz keep abreast of fan adoration
By Steve Wildsmith of The Daily Times Staff
As a fan of '80s rock, Dirty Gunnz singer Mike Hurst knows what comes with playing the music.
At the band's first show, however, he was unprepared for just how enthusiastic some of the female audience members would be over the group's collection of rock anthems and power ballads.
"Some of the girls started lifting their shirts up, and here I am a married guy with two kids, freaking out," he told The Daily Times this week with a laugh. "I'd never been in that situation before. I just turned around, and my wife, who was sitting right there, told me later that I did the right thing. That's something you just don't expect. I was in shock."
While such debauchery may not have gone over too well with Mrs. Hurst — or any of the Dirty Gunnz wives, for that matter (all except for guitarist Jed Cochran are married) — it certainly comes with the territory. The Dirty Gunnz, after all, subscribe to the '80s philosophy that rock 'n' roll should be fun — high kicks and guitar solos and lighters held aloft and a party-like atmosphere.
"We just want to have a damn good time," Hurst said. "Life's too short to write songs about wearing flannel shirts and work boots and talking about wanting to kill your mom and dad. We just want to bring back rock, man, and that's what we try to do every time we play.
"The way we see it, as a band we're trying to let everyday people escape from the monotony of work and bring them back to that time in their life when music was fun. It's what we grew up on and what we live now. We eat, sleep and breathe rock 'n' roll."
Hurst and his bandmates (save for drummer Mark Barnhart) are all Blount County boys. Hurst graduated from William Blount High School in 1995, having been raised on a steady diet of Warrant and Def Leppard and Ratt and Van Halen.
"The first time I got my KISS 'Hot in the Shade' album, I knew that's what I wanted to do," he said. "I think it was the song 'Hide Your Heart,' but when I heard it, I knew that's what I wanted out of my life."
The Dirty Gunnz formed in the summer of 2005 from the remnants of several local bands — Milesingle, Hanover Fist and Hurst's former project, Madworld. Taking their cue from such bands as Motley Crue, Danger Danger, Poison and Guns N' Roses, the guys — Hurst, Cochran, Barnhart, guitarist Vince Ingle and bassist Jimmy Craig — began crafting original songs that pay homage to their influences and putting a Dirty Gunnz spin on certain covers by Alice in Chains and Creedence Clearwater Revival. The band is hitting the studio in February to complete work on its debut album, and Hurst promises it will take local fans by storm.
"All of our stuff is just really sleazy — the look, the sound, everything," Hurst said. "And the last few shows, the crowd response has been amazing. Honestly, I didn't expect the turnout and stuff that we've had. The Dirty Gunnz have a following now, and I think people realize that just because their buddy may not like '80s music doesn't mean they don't have to like it.
"A lot of the '80s retro stuff is coming back, anyway. A lot of people grew up on it, and they had good times listening to it. I think deep down inside, people really love this kind of music."