Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan ran his first NWA wrestling event last night celebrating the company’s 70th anniversary. The show took place in Nashville, and while the live crowd enjoyed the show, it was a production disaster on internet PPV, with technical errors throughout the entire show. Legendary WWE announcer Jim Ross even criticized the production issues on Twitter. Corgan has responded in a new Instagram post.
“#NWA70 thoughts in no particular order: Magnum TA @magnum_ta was an absolute joy to engage with, and showed when speaking live of the NWA’s future why he is so highly regarded with fans and people in the business. Jim Cornette, on commentary, reminded why there is no one better with a microphone, and I appreciate him lending his gravitas to the event. His partner, Joe Galli, has such a bright future, and I hope he will remain as our leading voice for decades. As well, I was thrilled to have Tony Schiavone (@tonyschiavone24) call the main event.
As this highlights one of the great pleasures of owning the NWA, which is seeing these legends do what they do best. On the production side, we fell short on providing a televised event up to the standard that I would consider acceptable. Which reminded me greatly as to why people questioned my pursuit of TNA (in terms of wanting to buy the company, and filed a potential lawsuit to do so). Put simply, building up a culture like Smashing Pumpkins or the NWA, takes time, trial and error, and great risk. And throwing $$$ at the problems doesn’t necessarily correct the issues, and in some cases makes it worse. So last night I was painfully reminded of how hard this journey is, and knew by the time the last bell rung we have much work to do before we’d run another such live event. Which in no way diminishes my appreciation for those who ordered or attended the event. In fact, it increases it.
Sitting ringside for the main event, I had one recurring thought, which is there are only a few people on the planet (let’s say the number is under 30) who could do what Nick and Cody (@nickaldis @americannightmarecody) did last night. Or, as I used to tell my Mother, ‘this is why they pay me the big bucks, Ma’. Skilled, talented people need the right stage and crowd to show their best, and last night was exactly that. The fans were FANTASTIC. Pushing Cody and Nick to a place I think that surprised them. I remain hopeful for a third, definitive contest. Lastly, the vibe backstage with talent was jubilant, and hopeful. From a living legend like Dory Funk, Jr, to the kid in the dark. And that speaks volumes to me.”
2018 has been one of a hell busy year for The Blankz. The year kicked off with the release of the insanely catchy and fantastic “White Baby” and now The Blankz have released their fourth 7 inch single, “(It’s a) Breakdown”. One characteristic about the modern-day punk masters is that they have an undeniable knack for crafting wicked punk songs that not only please classic punk rock fans but really put an original, fresh spin on the style of rock.
“(It’s a) Breakdown” benefits from the same wicked sharp lyric writing of front man Tommy Blank. A theme that runs throughout their recent stretch of fantastic lyrics is an undeniable serving of sardonic humor as well as inventive metaphors and brilliant runs of word play. The Blankz don’t mess around in this regard. They go for the throat and waste no time getting there.
There’s a lot to love about The Blankz but for me, I think they succeed at the highest level possible when they waste no time getting to the chorus. This band knows how to write an instantly catchy chorus. Between the sweet melodies and the awesome lyrics, it’s a win-win combination. On (It’s a) Breakdown”, the chorus attacks in at a brisk twenty seconds into the song. In the chorus, Blank asks, “Channel up or channel down? It’s a break down. Hang myself or hang around? It’s a breakdown.”
A consistent highlight to The Blankz musical onslaught is the fantastic usage of the synthesizer by Nikki Blank. The spooky synths sit high in the mix and continually add a real unexpected piece of bliss to the overall tracks. Nikki Blank never puts the throttle to the floor yet swoops in and out at the exact right moment; unselfishly pushing to serve the song rather than show off. This crucial element is The Blankz’ secret weapon.
The Golden Age of punk may be long gone but if The Blankz continue this impressive, consistent streak of great songs, you would have a hard time not believing that they’re are the leaders of the modern-day movement. Courtesy of Slope Records, “(It’s a) Breakdown” is a must listen for fans of punk and fans of The Blankz!
