The Tel Aviv-based trio Monotonix lists ABBA as an influence, but its music feels more akin to punk, especially considering lead singer Ami Shalev's unhealthy disregard for his body while performing.
 
Guitarist Yonatan Gat said Shalev always seems to get hurt in New York.
 
"On our very first tour, he broke his arm and had to play the next show with a cast, but he just did the same antics with a cast on," Gat said. "(This time) he fell down and broke some stuff, but he'll be fine. By the time we get to Oklahoma, he'll be healthy as an ox."
 
STAGE ANTICS
While Gat and drummer Ran Shimony create enough sound for a band twice their size, Shalev sings in his booming yet slightly mournful Ozzy Osbourne-esque voice and periodically flips, dives, lunges and collapses on, off, over and around the stage.
 
"I'm sure part of our behavior on stage is influenced by being from Israel. We've been listening to Middle Eastern music since we were little kids, so it's there somewhere," Gat said. "We always get stopped in Israel because we don't get a lot of loud bands (there). We played in Providence two days ago, and we were the quietest band, but in Israel, we are the loudest band."
 
As for Monotonix's love of music that would be considered out-of-fashion elsewhere, Gat disavowed any cultural or national connection.
 
"It's just us," he said. "We've listened to Queen like mad throughout (this) tour. It's just our perversion, I guess." "Timothy Bradford