You always hear punks talking shit about “selling out,?but how many of them can resist the temptation if the opportunity arises?

Urchin, the lead singer of Seoul pogo band Couch, answered that question with a clear “ssibal anhandaedu.?

Serendipity reached him on his cell phone when he was at work, high atop a partially constructed building. The electronics company Casio wanted Couch for a TV commercial for watches (we assume).

Up on that building, welding torch in one hand, cell phone in the other, he barely gave the woman time to finish her offer.

“Fuck it,?is the translation, “I won’t do it.?

Why would he turn down the chance for fame and certainly money? More importantly, why would anyone think to ask pogo punks to sell watches? Do they want to give a fledgling DIY band a break, or just use their image to make them the circus clowns of advertising? What was Urchin afraid of?

Urchin became fluent in English just long enough to explain his reaction.

“I don’t care about money,?he said, “I need money only for life--but I will not use my band for money because that is not fun. No fun.?

By turning down the offer, Urchin distances his band from many other Korean punk bands, including some he’s called friends. Crying Nut has hawked soju on Korean TV, and more recently the Ghetto Bombs appeared in a KTF ad, where they blathered about nothing and espoused an appropriately trendy slacker attitude.

“I don’t hate the Ghetto Bombs and Crying Nut and other television bands, but I don’t want that for my band,?Urchin explains. “because Crying Nut and many other bands, before that those people were my friends.?

Fame has changed bands in the past, but Couch won’t compromise. Not without changing their name and at least three of their members.

Urchin didn’t wait to ask the other two members for their input. Bassist Yee Jongjae, a little harder up for cash than Urchin, was disappointed.

Urchin recalled, “I said to Jongjae, ‘hey, let’s not make it,?but Jongjae has no money: ‘Ooh, I want, I want!’”

The opinion of the third member, Sharon, wouldn’t have mattered. The Casio representative told Skunk proprietor Rip they only wanted Urchin and his bassist Yee Jongjae for the commercial, along with Jongjae’s skinhead friend Yonggi, leaving out the band’s female drummer. According to Rip, the commercial wanted a “tough image: tough and wild and clownish,?which obviously Sharon doesn’t fit. So, essentially they didn’t want the band Couch for the commercial, just their image, and not a complete one at that.

Under what terms would Urchin sell out his band and his principles? What about if a wily furniture manufacturer invited them to promote couches?

“No,?Urchin answered, “because I like beds more than couches.?He admitted perhaps he’d do it if they threw a few beautiful women under the sheets.

Barring that, you won’t see Couch on TV anytime soon.

“I don’t hate the commercial,?said Urchin, “but if that commercial makes us clowns, I don’t want it.

“But, if that commercial owner gives Couch the chance to speak real truth, we will make it. But nobody will make that.?

Casio was not contacted regarding this matter, mainly because they’ve probably forgotten Couch already and I doubt their PR people would have a clue about it.