Rock Docs Podcast: Monks: The Transatlantic Feedback, with guest Evan Laffer

Rock Docs digs back into the archives of cult ’60s garage rock history to discuss the story of a singular, strange, but very fun band: The Monks. This week, your hosts, Andy Keatts and David Lizerbram, discuss the 2006 documentary Monks: The Transatlantic Feedback, directed by Dietmar Post and Lucia Palacios.

The film tells the story of The Monks, a group of Americans who met while serving in the Army when they were stationed in Germany. In the early 1960s they had formed a beat group called The Torquays, and connected with a mysterious German businessman who convinced them to change their name, revamp their sound, and adopt a new persona and look as a group of rock ‘n’ roll monks, complete with tonsure hairdos. They were to be Monks at all times, to always be sexy, and avoid being Torquays. It’s an odd film about an odd group, offering just as many questions as answers, but such is an appropriate approach for a film about such a mysterious group.

This week’s guest is Evan Laffer of the Jokermen podcast, who previously appeared to discuss Bob Dylan: 1978-1989 – Both Ends of the Rainbow, with fellow Jokerman Ian Grant. Hear the full discussion about this particularly curious Rock Doc below, and watch the trailer for the film as well. It’s available to stream on Amazon Prime.

Monks’ Black Monk Time is featured on our list of the 150 Best Albums of the 1960s.

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