When you think of all the characters from The Simpsons who might inspire a heavy metal band, Ned Flanders would probably be at the bottom of the list. The bible-thumping average Joe from the show is about as non-metal a character as you could find.
However, that hasn't stopped Pheonix, Arizona-based band Okilly Dokilly. Everything about the group comes back to Flanders: the song lyrics are Flander's quotes from the show, the green and pink outfits the band members wear are stolen straight from Ned Flanders' closet and the band says their favorite pastime is "politely asking for the return of power tools, usually with little success."
The band members have even shunned their real names in favor of Ned. Their lead singer is Head Ned, the drummer is Bled Ned and three remaining members are Red Ned on the synthesizer, Thread Ned on bass and Stead Ned on guitar.
According to Head Ned, the idea for the band came to him and Bled Ned as they stood in line a local convenience store.
"Myself and our drummer were in line at a grocery store, entertaining ourselves by coming up with really cutesy names for really hardcore, brutal bands," he tells ripitup.com. "The name Okilly Dokilly came up and was very funny to us. We ran with it. I contacted a few friends, and here we are. Most of us have played in other bands around our hometown. This is definitely the heaviest sounding project any of us Neds have done."
As the world's only "Heavy Nedal" band, one might expect the band members to all be left-handed as well. That is sadly not the case, as only Head Ned can claim to be wrong-handed. The band will perform their first show in their hometown on Sept. 5, with their end-game goal being to acquire Simpsons creator Matt Groeing's autograph — or a cease and desist letter, whichever comes first. You can check out the group's Facebook page here.
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