Meet the Band
Monkey Wrench
A Foo Fighters tribute band with more than 100 years of combined experience!
Bringing some of the best songs from the legendary hit band, Monkey Wrench is a tribute band that aims at delivering a show that Foo Fighters would not cringe their toes at. It’s a tall order, we know! We are not the Foo Fighters! Nor do we aim to be. We love that band as much as any other Foo Fighters fan! That’s why we are focused and determined to pay proper tribute to them in our versions of their songs. Staying true to the energetic, no-nonsense, in-your-face, straight-up, balls-to-the-wall rock music that is loved worldwide. Monkey Wrench delivers a show that Foo Fighters fans will hopefully enjoy, if not love. We love playing it! It is no replacement for the real deal. Still, we hope it provides a decent reminder and resemblance between going to see Foo Fighters themselves.
This is our project born out of bassist Mike Thomas’s idea to form a kick-ass tribute band honoring the extraordinary career and music of the iconic band. Mike put this group of five seasoned musicians together to deliver an authentic tribute to Foo Fighters! You can read more about each of us below, check out our live videos, get some very cool Monkey Wrench merch, but above all: Come to our shows and rock out to some of your favorite tunes! Our set list includes All My Life, Arlandria, Best of You, Big Me, Breakout, DOA, Everlong, Gimme Stiches, I’ll Stick Around, Learn To Fly, Let It Die, Long Road To Ruin, Monkey Wrench, My Hero, No Way Back, Summer's End, The Pretender, These Days, This Is A Call, Times Like These, Waiting On A War, Walk, Wheels, Word Forward. Make sure to brush up on all of them, ‘cause you’ll be singing along at the top of your voice before you know it.
(BTW: If you’ve been living in another galaxy for the past 25 years and just now have returned to this one, first of all: Welcome back! And second: Here’s our gift of music to you: Click here to check out Foo Fighters. You’ll thank us for it, and you will definitely understand why we do what we do. And as an added bonus, you’ll be prepared to come to our shows too.)
Carl Kinahan
Vocals
Carl comes to Monkey Wrench with his Dave Grohl style vocals and his goal to deliver vocals that sound as close to and as inspiring as Dave's. Carl loves the feeling of live performance and the musical connection it makes with the fans and he is perpetually inspired by their feedback.
Carl has been an "Everlong" time Foo fan and besides Foo Fighters, his other musical inspirations (way too many to list) are Boston, Beatles, BonJovi, Whitesnake, Lou Gramm, Journey, etc.
Carl has been musical his whole life. His most recent projects include keyboard, rhythm guitar, and vocals with the classic rock cover band Go Rock Yourself and has been collaborating for several years with other artists.
Ed Kim
Lead guitar
Ed grew up in California listening to the Doobie Brothers, Chicago, Santana and Steely Dan. His first electric guitar, a Silvertone Strat-style his parents gave him for Christmas in third grade, hangs on his wall and still sounds pretty darn good. Since moving to New Jersey in the 90’s, Ed has played in original and cover bands across a range of styles, including classic rock, metal, pop, smooth jazz and country.
The privilege of paying tribute to the Foo Fighters is the high point in Ed’s lifelong devotion to guitar. He’s excited at the opportunity to emulate the iconic sounds of the greatest band ever.
Bob Vella
Rhythm guitar
When Bob walked out onto the stage with his guitar at the age of 12 years old, at a place called Wild West City, the rush of playing to a live audience hooked him! After many years of practice, and growing up with rock influences from such bands as The Doors, Aerosmith, AC/DC and Seether, his tastes transformed from country music, to the hard rock scene. Bob has lived his whole life in New Jersey, and has played in numerous cover bands, as well as original bands.
Bob has always been looking to join that next band that will challenge his playing ability. When he was asked to join a Foo Fighters tribute band, he saw this as an opportunity to push his talent to the next level. The Foo Fighters unique playing style has been labeled alternative rock, hard rock, and even borderline grunge. But whatever genre you label it, their playing style challenges any musician. Bob welcomes the opportunity to pay tribute to such unique musicians as the Foo Fighters, with the very talented members of Monkey Wrench!
Mike Thomas
Bass
Mike is excited to be playing bass in a tribute to one of the greatest, if not the greatest, bands that have ever existed. Foo Fighters has been his passion from their inception, and he’s always wanted to play their music in a band.
Mike has more than 38 years of experience playing bass in many different bands ranging from covers to originals. He got his start listening to Gene Simmons, Cliff Williams, Geddy Lee, Flea, Dave Hope, and Bootsy Collins. Still, he is most enamored by the workings of Nate Mendel and how he forms his lines in Foo Fighters' songs.
Mike brings his own power and groove to all the songs, and he can’t wait to see you out there rocking to Monkey Wrench!
Dennis Moesby
Drums
Banging on pots and pans at 3 years old and moving on to an actual drum kit at the age of 6, Dennis Moesby has spent a considerable part of his life behind a drum kit. He has played in many different bands, from cover bands playing popular hits at all kinds of events imaginable to making original music and playing clubs and venues.
Dennis is originally from Denmark, where he’s lived and performed live for more than 25 years. In 2018, he moved to the US, leaving his network of musicians behind and starting anew. Now he’s the drummer of Monkey Wrench and has found new challenges trying to match the sublime technique, style, sound, and groove of the iconic Foo Fighters drummers Taylor Hawkins and Dave Grohl. It’s definitely not an easy task. The drums play a big part in Foo Fighters' songs, and as a drummer, you must be able to deliver if you want to pay proper tribute.
Dennis has found renewed focus and energy in playing Foo Fighters' music. He is constantly working on improving his performance. Check out Dennis’s YouTube channel to see and listen to drum covers he’s made of Times Like These, Everlong, Best Of You, and All My Life.