Being in a retro-punk band takes more than using obscenities and having a passion for music outside of what is listed on the pop charts — it takes random nicknames and a 15-passenger van.

“We decided that we were going to have animal names on this tour,” says Monte Williams, bassist for The Ends.

Some nicknames are a bit obscure, such as Otter and Falcon, and Williams is not sure how they were decided.

The nickname lead guitarist Alan Nelson wanted — “Al G.” — was already taken for another friend, so he is called Snake, even though the band’s drummer is always known as Venom.

Williams explains that Venom, whose real name is John Miller, is the opposite of snakelike.

“I would call him Collie. He’s kind of like Lassie,” Williams says, explaining that Miller serves as the dad of the group, keeping the beat on and off the stage.

Williams fails to list a nickname for rhythm guitarist Alex Walston, so Nelson offers to make one up.

“Alex, we call him the Killer Bee,” Nelson says. “He’s a killer baller, which means he’s the grand master pimp.”

Williams describes members’ personalities as ranging from patient to responsible, which is a mix that might come in handy as the band is traveling on its latest tour.

“I think we have a 15-passenger van that we load everything into and it becomes our home for the next few weeks,” he says.

“We kind of become a poverty tour.”

Nelson has a different take on the traveling situation.

“I would compare it to Motley Crue meets Rolling Stones at their biggest,” he says.

Williams says he was under the impression that the band was playing an all-girls’ school in Ames, which caused some extra excitement for this show.

“A perfect audience would be probably about 1,000 really drunk ladies with tattoos ready to rock,” he says.

“We actually expect to see about five really bored males with no tattoos.”

Williams describes the band’s sound as “blues gone awry,” or 1970s-style punk rock with a blues influence.

The Ends hope to one day be able to make a living through the band alone, Williams says. For now, its goal is to put out solid rock records and give great performances, he says.

The Ends say they will be touring with another punk band, The Winks, which Williams describes as one of the best bands out there.

“The Winks are a really, like, hormonal, really overdriven girl punk rock band,” he says. “Their songs are fast and short, just like their relationships.”

Who: The Ends, The Winks

Where: M-Shop, Memorial Union

When: 9 p.m. Friday

Cost: $9 students, $11 public