The Real Romulans were a live and recording psychedelic mod/garage combo from Madison, Wisconsin. They migrated to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where their record label was based and where they recorded. They were then called simply, The Romulans * . Four, they were, at most times, and only three at the end of days. Six, in total, Real Romulans there ever were.
The Real Romulans came together out of boredom and dismay at the breakup of the seminal Plasticland. Vintage 1960's clothes and musical instruments they collected, and practiced a few times they did, until they were ready to unleash their alcohol soaked lysergic mod and garage pop into the void.
The group is now a part of that void, where history resides, but let us remember them as they were.... fresh faced, unruly youngsters who shared a love for the 1960's and catapulted it into their own time.... a rock n' roll band dragged through the acid mines and mushroom fields and thrown up on stage to drink and laugh and play rock and roll as if their very lives depended on it.
The Romulans were loud, very loud. They drank, they played vintage Vox, Microfrets, and Fender guitars through vintage Fender amplifiers, using vintage effects, fuzz pedals, and the Echoplex. Often, the cabinets were aimed at each other as their instruments produced walls of reverb drenched feedback on live psych standards (for them) such as The William Penn V's "Swami", "Psychedelic Kingbee", and "Tomorrow Never Knows". Other songs covered that occasionally made it into a set included The Creation's "Through My Eyes", "When The Night Falls" by the Eyes, "Plum Nellie" by The Small Faces, "What I Want" by The Prisoners, "The Good's Gone" by The Who, "Leavin' Here" by Holland, Dozier, Holland, and "How Can It Be" by The Birds. Only two cover songs were recorded. "Swami" is the last track on the CD and The Deviant's "Billy The Monster" is the A side for the 3rd and farewell 7" single.
The Romulans travelled as far west as San Diego, and toured south as far as Tampa, Florida, and east as far as Cleveland. The final tour was all Texas, ending with a gig at Emo's in Austin. Mostly, they appeared at venues in Madison (O'Cayz Corral, The Club de Wash, the Chamber), Chicago, Milwaukee (The Unicorn and The Toad Cafe), and Minneapolis (7th Street Entry, The Uptown Bar, the 400 Bar, First Avenue).
If you're looking to purchase these records, you'll have to use the internet to search for used copies, or unsold new copies that vendors may have in stock. No recordings by the band are currently in print.
There should be updates to come, new photos, and possibly live recordings, demos, and videos so keep coming back to this humble site.
Songs on the Player are now lower bit-rate MP3's that should load much faster.
* a former band based in Madison, Wisconsin and Minneapolis, Minnesota which should not be confused with any other band who has, is, or will be going by the name, "The Romulans". That means we were not the Romulans from California (although we did play there once) and we are not the Romulans of Vancouver, British Columbia, who are a fine surf band by all accounts.