Interviewed by Brian Rademacher
Date: August 2010

George Becker: Hey Brian it’s George from WICKED SIN what’s going on?

Brian Rademacher: Not much, doing good. So WICKED SIN started back in 1984, am I correct?

George Becker: Yep, in 1984 we came out of a cover band called HEX from North Jersey.

Brian Rademacher: What were some of the songs you covered?

George Becker: In HEX we did a lot of KISS, IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST; the whole heavy metal cover type thing.

Brian Rademacher: When you started WICKED SIN was that the original name?

George Becker: Yes.

Brian Rademacher: I photographed WICKED SIN back in the day. Did you play all originals then?

George Becker: Yes, but we peppered the set with some classics like "Sin City", "Boys Are Back In Town", just to spice the set up.

Brian Rademacher: Back then your name was "Rage". Why did you pick that?

George Becker: I have no idea (laughing) it was given to me through cover bands and I just kept it. I don’t know why.

Brian Rademacher: Did WICKED SIN turn into a band called IF 6 WAS 9?

George Becker: IF 6 WAS 9 was a cover band I put together after WICKED SIN got dissolved.

Brian Rademacher: IF 6 WAS 9 had some shows with wet T-shirt contests, lingerie contests and prizes; it must have had a pretty good draw?

George Becker: Yeah it did, we had some fun. You know, the Jersey shore type thing.

Brian Rademacher: What about the band FRUSTRATED INC?

George Becker: That was a very short lived reincarnation of IF 6 WAS 9. I worked with a couple of these cover bands just to keep it going and keep my chops up and then when the opportunity came about Gary and I put WICKED SIN back together.

Brian Rademacher: I checked out one of your solo tracks called "One Step Closer" and it is a pretty good song!

George Becker: That’s not a WICKED SIN song. I recorded that as a promo and I was going to put it on the WICKED SIN CD we had out but I kept it for myself. That track is available on iTunes and CD Baby. We are going back in the studio and record a new CD so that track will probably end up on it.

Brian Rademacher: Back in the day your influences were MOTLEY CRUE, SWEET, KISS, THE NEW YORK DOLLS and T.REX. What about now?

George Becker: It’s still the same. It doesn’t change much. The only bands out there right now I like are GREEN DAY and FALL OUT BOY, otherwise I’m still into that classic 80’s metal.

Brian Rademacher: Tell me a little about the band 10 MINUTE LINCOLN?

George Becker: It’s just something we put together. It’s a typical New Jersey cover band and we play almost every weekend.

Brian Rademacher: Tell me about the crazy bass player named Attorney General?

George Becker: He’s a very good friend of mine that played the same venues as WICKED SIN back in the day and he’s the one we put 10 MINUTE LINCOLN together with and we put our old influences into our show.

Brian Rademacher: I was looking at some of the pictures and it looks pretty wild.

George Becker: Yeah, we have a good time, a lot of fun for a part-time gig.

Brian Rademacher: Tell me about the tattoo on your right arm?

George Becker: It’s Jesus’ face with the date my father died and Rest In Peace to my Dad.

Brian Rademacher: On your left arm you have a microphone.

George Becker: Yeah, a microphone in flames.

Brian Rademacher: You’ve been doing a lot of 10 MINUTE LINCOLN shows and now you’re going back to WICKED SIN?

George Becker: Yeah, this will be our first show back on September 18 at Dingbatz. We’re doing it with our friends PHAROAH. PHAROAH is headlining. THE SKULLS are also playing with us. This is going to the start of… I’m not going to say new… I’ll say a resurgence of what we are doing. We also have a CD out right now called Strictly For Pleasure and it’s available on CD Baby. It’s a compilation of all the old songs we used to do with one new track. This is going to be our first show back but not our only show. We’re looking to hook up with some friends and hopefully doing a lot with PHAROAH.

Brian Rademacher: Do you really think this is the time to make a comeback with the economy being so bad. The Jersey seen is totally different for a cover band as compared to an originals band. The original scene kinda sucks and there are not many places to play.

George Becker: It does suck, it really does. Do I think it’s the right time; it’s never the right time but with Facebook, MySpace and the Internet, its better. If I had the Internet in the beginning when WICKED SIN originally formed the whole structure would be different. I think it’s the right time but we will see on Sept 18th, so come out and have some fun with us.

Brian Rademacher: Do you think local acts even look for a label to get signed anymore?

George Becker: No! I don’t think a record label is necessary anymore at this point. The only thing a label is good for is that they front you the money for recording, otherwise there are ways you can get around everything.

Brian Rademacher: Tell me about the line-up for WICKED SIN right now?

George Becker: It’s myself and Gary Jayy who are the original co-founders of the band. Ariel our bass player lives in West Palm Beach and he opted to drop out of WICKED SIN right now so we have a fill in bass player named Mark from a band called THE BLAZA’S and Scotti of THE DROPOUTZ and PRETTY BOY FLOYD is on Drums.

Brian Rademacher: What can people expect from the show on Sept 18th?

George Becker: Our set is forty five minutes. You can expect a lot of songs off the CD plus we are going to do two or three songs that we like but not going to call them covers; one of them being "Pretty Vacant "by THE SEX PISTOLS. The show will be pretty reminiscent of what we used to do and naturally we are a little older and the hair is a little shorter. It’s going to be pretty much the same as our 1986 type show.

Brian Rademacher: You mentioned you’re going to be working on a new CD. Can you tell me anything about that?

George Becker: Gary and I are writing right now and we are in pre-production in the demo stages.

Brian Rademacher: How have things changed from back in the day compared to now with the women?

George Becker: (laughing) Well we’re married other than that, back then people were freer, girls were different, guys were different, the club circuit was different. The drinking laws and people are different. Out there on the club circuit it was crazy, crazy, crazy and anything could happen. Now it’s a little more subdued.

Brian Rademacher: Basically all the clubs you played are gone. Where else is there to play originals in Jersey nowadays?

George Becker: Not many at all. There’s Starland Ballroom, Mexicali Live, and Dingbatz plus the Stone Pony. That is basically the only four that WICKED SIN is going to look at other than regular concert venues there’s nothing else. Any cover band I ever played in, all we do is play bars, there’s nothing out there. I really miss L’amour, The China Club, The Cat Club and the Rock Palace. These are places we used to frequent.

Brian Rademacher: What are the plans after the Sept 18th show at Dingbatz?

George Becker: We are in negotiations with PHAROAH and a couple other bands to set up a mini tour and we will be playing once a month. We first go with New Jersey, Philadelphia the tri-state area and if we can branch out that will be great.

Brian Rademacher: Are there still WICKED SIN fans out there that followed you all the way until now?

George Becker: I wouldn’t say all the way until now, but with MySpace and Facebook they are coming out of the woodwork and it’s been a very good response.

Brian Rademacher: Let’s get into some fun questions. So what does your wife think about all this?

George Becker: She loves it; she’s the one who pushed me back into the WICKED SIN thing. As with the cover bands, I’m a musician, I’ve been doing this since I was fifteen years old.

Brian Rademacher: So what was your first job?

George Becker: I was actually a cook at Chicken Delight but they really didn’t like the hair back then.

Brian Rademacher: How were you in school?

George Becker: I went to a catholic school my whole life, was a "B" average.

Brian Rademacher: So what do you think your parents are most proud of you for?

George Becker: (laughing) Ah, ah… we will skip that question (both laughing)

Brian Rademacher: So how is your relationship with PHAROAH?

George Becker: I’m really close with Karl. I use to be closer to Dennis and Nelson and as time went on and we both took a break and it kinda like faded out. I actually haven’t seen them. I hope everything’s good and I look forward to seeing them on the 18th.

Brian Rademacher: Is it possible you might go on stage and do something with them?

George Becker: I don’t know they have pretty set things going on (on stage), but you never know. I think it would be great at the end of the night.

Brian Rademacher: How do you feel about Dingbatz?

George Becker: I like it, it’s a rock club. I think it’s the perfect venue for what we are doing.

Brian Rademacher: So what are your expectations of the show coming up?

George Becker: I expect a lot of people and a very, very good time.

Brian Rademacher: Well George, congratulations on your comeback.

George Becker: I just want everyone to come out on the 18th and enjoy the show and have some fun.

Brian Rademacher: Thanks man.

George Becker: Talk to you later.