The members of Cobra Starship appeared in a hilarious series of ads satirizing MTV’s The Real World in a fictitious reality series, “Viva La Cobra” as the band's Artist of the Week MTV-Segments last January. In the "show," the band, singer Gabe Saporta, Keytar player, Victoria Asher, Ryland Blackinton, guitar, Alex Suarez, bass and Nate Navarro, drums, deals with a variety of issues including petty jealousy, compulsive house cleaning issues. Singer Gabe Saporta is the target of a lot of animosity through it all. Ryland Blakinton even kills his pet gold fish, then admits in a taped confessional that he will do it again if he gets another one - "anything to get at him" All episodes are still available for viewing at The MTV.Com Cobra Starship Artist page.

The humor of the ads is as much a part of Cobra Starship's purpose as their music. Founder Gabe Saporta claims he formed the band after he fled into the desert to get away from his emo-rock band, Midtown, where he was visited by a Cobra from the future who came to warn him that at the end of the world, there would be no salvation for anyone. The Cobra revealed to Saporta that his life mission was to be sure that mankind goes out in style by "helping hipsters not to take themselves too seriously and by telling emo kids not to be such p_ _ _ _ _ _." The band's name came from a combination of words on two of his jackets.

Saporta has said that he tells critics who say Cobra Starship is not serious that they are right.

The band's song "Snakes On A Plane (Bring It)" was the theme to the kitschy horror film of the same name. The song appeared on the movie's soundtrack and on While The City Sleeps, We Rule The Streets, Cobra Starship's first album on Fueled By Ramen's Decaydence imprint, founded by Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy and Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes. Maya Ivarsson of The Sounds, Travis McCoy and William Beckett of The Academy Is . . . all appear on the song. The band performed it live in Fall Out Boy's Party Suite at the 2007 MTV VMA's with McCoy making an appearance.

The Cobra Starship cover of Lionel Riche’s “Three Times A Lady” was played on the Reality Show, The Girls Next Door. Their song “The Church Of The Hot Addiction.” Was featured in a TGI Fridays Ad.

Saporta, a punk veteran, has called the VIP scene around the band's current fame "a flattery convention." That celebrity situation is the subject matter running through much of the band's second album !Viva La Cobra! The album features an appearance by Philadelphia's V.I.P., a hard-core gay hip hop trio, on the song "Damn You Look Good And I'm Drunk (Scandalous)." It was produced by Patrick Stump of
Fall Out Boy, who sings back up vocals on all but one track. Stump and Saporta named the album while on tour together.

 

By Frances Brennan

COBRA STARSHIP