Category Archives: Interviews

Interviews, Various

(interview) Chat with Koffin Kats at Trash And Burn festival 2019.

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Koffin Kats from Detroit, psychobilly legends played two shows in our neighbourhood and the first one was at Trash And Burn festival in Sveti Martin Na Muri, Croatia. That hot Saturday was ideal for us to have a little chat with them for our zine. Enjoy!

You guys just celebrated your sweet 16, did you have a party?

Vic: We were out on the road on this tour and I just realized oh, hey guys, it’s our 16th birthday, oh cool, and then we played our show.

16 is a big deal in America, isnt´it?

Vic: Oh yeah, for us it’s like oh yeah, we’re 16 now, keep it goin’.

How many European tours did you have?

Vic: This is our 13th.

And you played in Croatia like three or four times ?

Vic: I believe it is our fourth , two times playing Dirty old festival.

You also played in Rijeka, Mud blood and beer festival.

Vic: Oh yeah, Mud blood and beer festival, and now we ‘re here again.

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What exactly happened last year when you cancelled Euro tour?

Vic: We weren’t aware that, a passport was good, until the tour was going to end and then we were going to renew it after the tour, but when we were leaving they told us, no you can’t fly with this passport because it’ s going to expire in a few months even though we were in the window of returning before the passport expired, we weren’t aware that you had to have like an extra four months on the passport –so they wouldn’t let us fly over. Otherwise it would be just drum and bass and it wouldn’t be any fun (laughs).

We are fascinated by your bass lines. When you create songs are bass lines main foundation for the songs, or the guitar riffs…

Vic: Some songs are based on the bass lines, I’ll come over with the bass line, it dictates where the guitar goes, but then that can equally happen with the guitar, sometimes it dictates, or even a drum beat if Eric comes up with a random drum beat and then I just think of something off top of my head for a bass line, then the guitar will follow. It ‘s really a combination of all the things. We don’t specifically set up and go like ok guys here comes the bass, let’s build on  this, it’s whatever kinda pops in, we’re all playing together.

What about the lyrics? The first three albums were more horror, SF thematics and now they are more personal, do you agree?

Vic: The newer materials are more the combination of everything from what we’ve done in the past. After the first three albums I was getting little tired of writing constant horror stuff, I thought it was getting little boring for us, so I decided to change it up a little bit, now I feel it’s ok to revisit some of that stuff  with older perspective and I can start incorporating into the new lyrics more influences from different genres.

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One thing that also fascinates is your vocals, one of the most beautiful voices in the scene, kinda like Elvis or Danzig but not clone, yet better. Did you ever take some vocal training coach?

Vic: No, I never even intended to be a singer, but when we started the band we didn’t have anybody that can sing so I just figured that I would do it. And learning how to sing really was by playing so many shows. Our first shows I had no idea what I was doing and had no vocal control but you kinda developed that after playing so many shows. Koffin Kats is now close to at least 2500 shows so I’ve had a little bit experience (laughs).

Do you still hurt yourself with the bass at your shows? You were often bloody on your head while playing alive.

Vic: I don’t get paid enough to do that anymore. (laughs) It was too damaging.

For your head or the bass?

Vic: Both (laughs).

You are one of the most hard working bands, how many days in one year are you touring?

Tommy: It depends on the year, we pick and choose where to go, back in 2012. we played close to 250 shows. Always touring Europe, USA and Canada.

Do you have time to sightseeing when you’re in Europe?

Tommy: Yeah, tomorrow we’ll have a day off in Ljubljana so we will get to walk around and see some things. We’ve seen a lot when we drive by, like you’re in the van and then you see the Eifell tower. Each time you have a chance to get out the van and walk around it’s nice.

Classic question – what’s the difference between American and European tours?

Vic: The license plates are different. (laughs) Anywhere where we travel we find enthusiastic people at the shows, that’s universal. Difference in touring over here vs. The States are that we’re very used to convenience in the States as far as 24 hour shops are open and after the show we can go and find food anywhere and we’ re used to that. Here it’s a little bit different, things close at 7 pm, and the City kinda shuts down. But we don’t have doner kebabs at home (laughs). But the excitement at the shows is universal. There’s not too much difference with that.

Tell us something about your cooperation with 12 Step Rebels. You did the split album From Our Hands To Yours. Do you hang out privately?

Vic: Yeah, they are friends of ours, they are not as active as they used to be, but once in a while we still do shows with them. They live in Albuquerque, New Mexico, our guitar player that took over Tommy’s spot when he left the band for a while, his name is Ian,  actually played with 12 Step Rebels, that’s what connected us with them. We are hoping to see them again next time we’ re out in New Mexico.

What about The Quakes? You delivered guest vocals on Seven Seas Alone.

Vic: They are also friends of ours and we do shows from time to time with The Quakes. I actually talk to Paul Roman on regular basis, catch up with each others stuff.

Are you also friends with some other bands?

Vic: Yeah, through playing shows, touring and traveling all over we meet with many different bands, we try to get along with pretty much every band. It’s a very cool situation because bands we grew up listening to and who helped form the sound of Koffin Kats like Mad Sin, Nekromantix, The Quakes, Demented Are Go, now we actually play shows with those guys.

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You also had a lot of shows with Goddamn Gallows.

Vic: Yeah they started as a band pretty much around the same time as we, we’ve been friends ever since.

Do you do your merch yourselves? Do you have somebody for the design?

Vic: Yeah we can’t draw for shit (laughs) so we always hired up the artwork and the lot of the US printing we actually do ourselves in our shop that we have. And when we tour over here we have somebody else printing it for us.

What about the videos, you don’t do them much. Only Giving Blood and The Way Of The Road.

Vic: We’re working on that, we’re gonna focus on making some more video material.

Tommy: For a while it seemed like videos weren’t the thing anymore and now we see more and more videos, so we realized we have to do them, but it takes time.

Is Tommy back for good?

Vic: Oh yeaaaaah.

Tommy: I’m not going anywhere.

Vic: Until he has a heart attack…on stage (laughs).

Who gave Eric his nickname E-balls?

Vic: Oh, he kinda got it himself because he’s got only one ball.

Eric: Yeah, I don’t know who gave it, you guys did, someone did…

Vic and Tommy: Eric – one ball, – e ball, it’s just one big ball – E ball (laugh).

 

 

 

Interviews, Various

(interview)LATEX MY ASS o muzici, prošlosti, budućnosti i sceni!

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LATEX MY ASS je novi zagrebački bend osnovan na pepelu legendarnog psychobilly benda Latex Willer. Nedavno smo bili u Ormožu, Slovenija gdje je Latex My Ass svirao svoj tek drugi koncert kao predgrupa Koffin Kats. Bio je to idealan trenutak da malo popričam sa vokalom/gitaristom Peppersom o nekim stvarima.

Kakav je osjećaj vratiti se na binu nakon nekoliko godina? Koliko je prošlo od zadnjeg giga, 6-7 godina?

-Rekao bih da je super osjećaj, samo jako drugačiji nego kada smo prestali svirati. Nismo puno svirali, koliko je prošlo, osam godina, tada smo svirali možda dva tri giga mjesečno i nekakvo zasićenje se dogodilo, možda najviše autorsko. Par godina smo vrtili iste stvari, a nije dolazila inspiracija za nešto novo i onda nam je to, blago rečeno dosadilo, pa smo prestali svirati. Nakon jedno osam godina se pojavila neka inspiracija, pa su nastale nove stvari i uglavnom sam ih ja sam snimio na kućnom računalu i koristio neku svoju kućnu opremu i dodavao digitalne efekte da zvuči što uništenije pjesma. Slučajno smo se na jednoj probi našli bubnjar iz Latexa, njegov sin i ja i shvatili da zapravo to možemo izvesti onako kako nam se sviđa. Nešto je drugačije od onog prije, ali u tri mjeseca smo uspjeli posložiti pet-šest novih stvari, sviramo pet ili šest starih Latex stvari sa albuma i još toliko stvari koje smo napravili tada, ali nisu nikada bile snimljene. Sada imamo polusatni zabavljački repertoar. Da se vratimo na tvoje pitanje, osjećaj je drugačiji utoliko što smo stariji deset godina, nema više toliko adrenalina koji nas vodi, nego nas više nosi dijeljenje stvorenoga sa najbližim prijateljima. Uglavnom nam je publika sastavljena od dugogodišnjih prijatelja koji su na toj sceni u raznoraznim bendovima, ali povezani sa scenom na različite načine, primjerice kroz fanzine ili obožavanje garage/rocknroll/psycho/punk muzike.

Zanimljivo ime, Latex My Ass, ja sam sebi to protumačio na ovakav način: Latex, na neki način pogled u prošlost, znači prijašnji bend, jer ovo gledamo kao novi bend, a My Ass, okrenuli ste dupence prošlosti i gledate budućnost. Jesam li dobro shvatio?

-Zanimljiv pogled. Volim koristiti u pjesmama i nazivlju višesmislene kovanice, pa tako i ovu. Priča je vrlo jednostavna. Kada je Ivek(bubnjar) radio majice za prošli bend je, bez da se konzultirao sa bilo kim od nas, kao što to i inače radi, stavio na leđa Latex My Ass. Ne znam koja mu je inspiracija bila za to. Htjeli smo produžiti stvaralaštvo Latexa. Imali smo sto različitih imena koji su morali sadržavati Latex u sebi. Jednostavno, zato što i sviramo stare stvari, morao je biti vidljiv taj nekakav nastavak proizvodnje na sličan način, iako je muzika nešto drugačija, iako nemamo kontrabas koji nam je bio prije zaštitni znak kao i većini psycho bendova. Zadržali smo te stare pjesme, sviramo ih na sličan, ali drugačiji način i možda će nam biti lakše vratiti se staroj publici kroz zadržavanje dijela imena, pa smo se zato tako odlučili. Latex My Ass si i ti na neki način dobro skužio, ali nije okretanje guzice onome što smo prije radili. Mi smo na neki način krnji Latex, pa se može reči da nismo zapravo Latex, jer nam nedostaju vrijedni članovi kao Irina, Damir i Markoč, kao i dva kontrabasista koje smo mijenjali, Srki i Felker. Ta cijela ekipa je sudjelovala u stvaralaštvu tako da nismo zapravo Latex i zato smo Latex My Ass.

Slušao sam ova dva singla koje ste izbacili, Pjesma me jako podsjeća na Coffinshakers, možda samo ja to tako čujem, puno je mračnija nego drugi single koji je na engleskom. Zanimljivo, više nije toliko psycho koliko je neki garage punk rock, usudio bih se reči dark rock. Ima li u planu novo izdanje, baš novi album?

-Na jesen ili ove zime, ako ćemo se malo trebati još dodatno uvježbavati, planiramo snimati svakako, imamo dosta materijala za album ili e.p., ali ja bi radije da napravimo cijeli album. Žanrovski smo se probali osloboditi psychobilly-a, prije smo ga forsirali, u to vrijeme u Zagrebu toga baš i nije bilo na način kako se nama sviđalo i na neki način smo i kroz festival koji smo radili i kroz bend pokušali promovirati ono što u psychobillyu mi volimo. Uvijek je bilo miješano sa garažom, punkom i drugim stilovima, jedino nismo išli u metal, to nam nikada nije bilo drago, iako nemam ništa protiv metala i volim otići na metal koncerte, no to nije ono što volim stvarati. Ove nove pjesme su nastajale pod različitim utjecajima, prijatelja i psihičkog stanja što se možda može i čuti. To je horror, ali malo realističniji od onog prije, cijelo vrijeme je u tim pjesmama zapravo bilo izbacivanje smeća iz sebe, a žanrovski se zaista mijenjalo kroz zadnjih godinu dvije pod utjecajem scene i prijatelja među kojima sam se kretao i jako dopuštam da prijatelji imaju utjecaja na mene. Dosta pronalazim nove bendove kroz prijatelje, tako mi je potpuniji doživljaj muzike kada slušam neku muziku koju mi je netko preporučio, ili sam vidio da netko uživa u njoj, to mi je potpuno drugačiji osjećaj od nečeg što sam solo otkrio, nekako je potpuniji osjećaj.

Ovo vam je tek drugi koncert danas, ako se ne varam…

-Ovo je sad drugi gig danas, samo bih htio još, ako smijem dopuniti prošlo pitanje, spomenuo bih da nisam ja jedini stvaraoc u bendu, tu su Ivek i njegov sin Fićo…

Kakva je sinergija između vas dvojice, stare garde i njega tako mladog?

-Fićo je nevjerojatno nadaren mladi dečko koji je počeo svirati prije samo dvije godine i sve nas je već prestigao u nekakvoj kvaliteti svirke, naravno još je jako mlad, tek mu je 16 godina i još puno uči, kakav li će tek biti za godinu ili više dana, to možemo samo zamišljati. Stvarno je nadaren, nekoliko pjesama je i on napravio. Sviđa nam se što on naginje žešćoj strani punk muzike i tjera nas da sviramo što brže i tjera nas da radimo što žešće stvari. Koliko će postići pokazati će vrijeme, ali on nam je sigurno najveći potencijal.

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Vidim da na gigovima koristiš neku vrstu corpse painta, šminke na licu, je li ti to ostalo iz starih dana, je li to neko drugo ja na bini ili umjetnički izražaj ili samo dio showa bez dubljeg značenja?

-Što se tiče scenskog nastupa ja sam uvijek bio nekako ambiciozniji od ostatka ekipe i htio jesam da imamo nekakav dodatan scenski nastup uz muziku. Nisam muzičar, volim i cijenim muzičare, no ja ovo radim iz hobija, volim također različite druge tipove umjetnosti. Jako volim Hansovo slikarstvo i pop art općenito, ali uvijek sam htio da na bini postignemo nekakav dodatni efekt uz muziku. U zadnje vrijeme sve više vidim da nije nužno imati scenski efekat, već postići energiju, a šminka na licu je zaostatak iz starih dana, hoće li biti kontinuirano vrijeme će pokazati. Obično neposredno prije nastupa odlučim što i kako se našminkati. Do sada sam se uvijek nekako našminkao, ali da li ću biti koji puta i bez vidjeti ću. Definitivno je drugačije kada se našminkaš, to malo mijenja, napravi neki odmak od tebe, možda si istovremeno, neću reči iskreniji, ali daje ti nekakav prostor da napraviš neke stvari drugačije nego da si to ti.

Što ti misliš, u čemu je sva ta ljepota undergrounda, DIY, te scene, koja nas je sve privukla zajedno u neku mrežu?

-Ljudi koje sam upoznao kroz godine imaju tisuće priča kako ljudi ulaze i izlaze iz scene, ali opet postoji to neko zajedništvo kao druga obitelj. Punkrock nije samo zabava, punkrock je i način života. Dosta je i angažirana scena i muzika. Mi, iako jesmo svirali psychobilly koji pokušava biti apolitičan, ne možeš biti apolitičan, a da nisi desno, pa onda smo mi dio antifašističke struje, iako ne eksplicitno u tekstovima. Tako da smo cijelo vrijeme dio te punkrock obitelji i mislim da to povezuje ljude. Na mjestima gdje se okupljaju rade to što bi inače željeli raditi, a društveni konstrukt im to ne dozvoljava i možda su zapravo u tim trenucima ljudi najiskreniji, nažalost nekada često pod utjecajem alkohola i droga se ljudi otvaraju, ali mislim da ta vrsta zabave koja je kombinirana sa angažmanom mijenja ljude na bolje, ako ne pretjeruju sa opijatima, mislim da to sve zajedno povezuje ljude. To je moj odgovor. Postoji tisuću priča, svaki čovjek ima svoje razloge kako uđe i kako izađe sa scene.

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Da, postane toliko dio tebe da postane jedno s tobom, poveže se sa tobom ta scena u jednu veliku cjelinu…

-Kod mene je to išlo malo drugačije, muzika je bila jako prisutna u obitelji. Obitelj je doživjela određene promjene, onda se i u meni dogodila značajna promjena, muzika mi je prije predstavljala nekakvo rekao bih dodatno uljepšavanje života, a sada me muzika spašava od često dosadne svakodnevnice i ja u ovim godinama vidim sada da bi život bez muzike bio potpuno drugačiji.

Hvala ti puno na prvom interviewu za naš zine i želim sreću na gigu večeras, svi ćemo se dobro zabaviti.

-Hvala ti!

 

 

 

 

 

Interviews, Various

(interview) Enrico(Los Fastidios): I’m a dreamer and this album means more than a dream to me.

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Italian streetpunk ska legends Los Fastidios are soon releasing their new album and also play a gig in Croatia, so it was about time for me to talk with Enrico a little for our zine.

1.FIRST THING WE CAN TALK ABOUT, THERE ARE GREAT NEWS FROM LOS FASTIDIOS. THE NEW ALBUM IS FINISHED. WHAT IS IT CALLED AND WHEN IT IS COMING OUT? IS THERE PHYSICAL VERSION OF THE ALBUM(CD) OR ONLY DIGITAL VERSION?

The new album will be out on the 16th of may, titled JOY JOY JOY it will be available on cd digipack, vinyl and in digital version. The album is released by Kob Records in collaboration with the Madrid label Potencial Hardcore and supported by Fire And Flames Music (Germany), Lonsdale in Deutschland (Germany), Coretex (Germany) and True Rebel (Germany).

13 songs including 2 cover songs (“Ellos dicen mierda” of the great Euskadi band La Polla Records and “Joy Joy Joy” a popular english song that was already covered in the 80’s by the english band The Housemartins). On this album there is also an old 2001 Los Fastidios song “Guarda Avanti” recorded today in a new version.

We are really proud about the new album, I really think it is the best work of ever of the band… 

2.TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT THE RECORDING PROCESS AND ARE THERE ANY SPECIAL GUESTS AND WHAT ARE THE NEW SONGS ABOUT? CLASSIC LOS FASTIDIOS SOUND OR SOMETHING NEW?

It is recorded where we did our previous 2 albums (Indie Box Studio in Brescia)…. We are really happy and proud of the new songs….we paid really a lot of attention to all the arrangements and I am sure all the Los Fastidios fans will really enjoy the album !!!! The sound is always the same mix of different kinds of street music we like: streetpunk, ska, rocksteady, reggae, oi!, punk rock and a touch of pop and combat rock…

We have some great guests, really good friends on this album, I’m so happy and proud about it… I would have liked to have even more of them, we have a lot of friends musicians all over the world.

On the new Joy Joy Joy album, there are four Italian guests and two international guests. First of all I share a really nice 2tone style ska song together with Elisa (it is not the first time, she recorded a few months ago an ep 7″ with 2 Los Fastidios songs sung by her), really great fun. Besides our regular dear guest De Veggent (ex RedSka) who played his keyboards in three songs (he was also on our two previous albums), another great musician, Giotanni (from Ashpipe band) played his great violin in another song on the album. The Skassapunka friends were backing vocals in a lot of songs of the album. We invited another Italian friend, the rapper Dj Koma Aka Mauràs, who raps a part of a punk song dedicated to the music of the street.

About our international guests, first of all we share a song together with our German punkrocker friends Elf and Dirk of Slime, who need no introductions, the first Los Fastidios song ever in German language…(please don’t kill me for the funny Italian accent…ahahah), a really nice punkrock song dedicated to the bad politicians only able to talk and not to solve the problems of our planet.

More, we have on the album another special international guest…sometimes the dreams come true…my favorite singer ever, the singer of one of the bands who meant a lot to me, he sang a part in another song of the album…I’m talking about Paul Heaton, singer of the legendary The Housemartins and The Beautiful South and now singing in a solo project together with Jacqui Abbott (The Beautiful South)…this is the icing on the cake….Paul sings in a ska/pop song talking about my/our dreams for a world with more justice, respect and peace for everyone. I’m a dreamer and this album means more than a dream to me.

Los Fastidios photo promo (1)

3.OBVIOUSLY THE NEW ALBUM WILL BE RELEASED ON KOBRECORDS, HOW DID YOU START A LABEL AND DO YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN MAKE EVERYTHING DIY BETTER THAN SOME BIG LABEL?

It’s me (Enrico) who started with Kob Records….KOB Records was born officially in 1996. like street music record shop based in Verona (Italy)…The label officially started in 1998. (it was born from the ashes of our old label Skooter Rekords that released the first 7” of Los Fastidios / the split album Los Fastidios / FFD “Hasta la Baldoria” and the second FFD album on vinyl “Ridere di Rabbia”). 

Kob Records first release was the second album of the Italian punk rock band Derozer “Alla Nostra Età” (KOB001) followed by the second Los Fastidios album “Contiamo su di Voi!” (KOB002) and the first album of the italian punk rock Melt “Sempre più distanti” (KOB003). Since those first 3 issues, we have arrived today to the catalogue number KOB139, the new album of Skassapunka “Adelante”. The shop and label were created by Enrico who wanted to be able to get also in Verona some punkrock/ska/oi! stuff, seeing that in that time it was really difficult to find good street music in the local music stores… Kob Records since the beginning  started to work on the live promoting and organizing a lot of gigs in the Verona area at the end of the 90’s, the shop immediately became a really important meeting point (reference point) for the punkrock/skinhead scene of those years… Unfortunately the shop ran until 2011. (it was closed in December that year) and since that moment  the shop continued to work only by mailorder/online shop http://www.kobrecords.org with me and Elisa (she entered officially in the Kob crew at the beginning of  2012.)

In the beginning of the 90’s Verona was a little bit boring town…for many people punk rock was finished….I knew it was not true…in few years we showed to the people punk rock was still alive… It was great to see, at the end of 90’s, that a big scene was growing up around the shop and the label…we had really great times…in few years punk rock was back in town and not only in town… In 1999. we released the legendary cd sampler “Tre Venezie, Skins and Punx United” including more than 20 bands coming only from our region…it was the best answer to all of those who were saying few years before punkrock was died. 

Kob Records gave a good imput to the scene…on the heels of our label other independent labels were born in Italy in the following years… Also the mass media started paying attention to the independent music world and  those years  scene had a great growth thanx also to the great job of the independent labels…

Since the beginning Kob Records was opened for the  collaborations with other international labels, we worked for many years together with Mad Butcher Records (D), Jimmy Jazz Records (PL), Insurgence Records (Can) creating a really important labels network in the early 2000s….

In last few years we have a really good collaborations with Fire and Flames Records (D), Casual Records (F), East Beat Records (Rus)… And new international collaborations will start officially soon….We think collaborations between independent labels are really important to spread out and to distribute in a better way the independent sounds of the street. 

The name KOB is the acronim of Kontro Ogni Barriera (Against All Barriers)…I took the Kob name from the legendary KOB Berlin squat … I went at the Kob squat in Kreuzberg in the beginning of the 90’s…I love this district….that time I saw there a great Oi Polloi gig… I really enjoyed that venue and I decided some years later to call my shop and label with the same name… a little tribute for a district we really love. 

4.MANY YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE LOS FASTIDIOS STARTED. DO YOU STILL FEEL THE SAME DRIVE AND SAME ENERGY YOU HAD WHEN YOU STARTED? IS THIS LINEUP OF THE BAND BEST EVER?

The years run by, but the spirit still grows, year after year…nothing changes, it’s passion, more than passion, it’s like a fire inside of you that never stops, a fire taking  the fuel from the energy and the enthusiasm of the people following  the band everywhere with a great passion… Sincerely I think that they were, are and will be forever the real strength of the band, my strength and strength of all the musicians who have played and play now in the band. It’s a continued transmission and return of energy from the band to the people and viceversa…

In the last few years I must say thanx to my girlfriend Elisa, always by my side, who gives  me a lot of energy and enthusiasm each day for my/our music project, together with her I share every moment of my life, including the job (she is the co-owner of our label and agency Kob Records). She helped me a lot to address the difficulties with the smile and to be positive in face of every event. 

I’m really lucky because I can tour the world with our music and everywhere I tour around the world, I meet the same eyes, I feel the same hearts around the globe…I can listen from everywhere the voices of my sisters and brothers spreading out the values, the fights for the human and for animal rights. My people are my inspiration, my energy… I feel myself part of a big international Family, a big crew, people with the same style, the same positive attitude, against the system that kills the truth.

Los Fastidios photo promo (4)

5.WHAT OTHER RELEASES BY KOBRECORDS SHOULD WE LISTEN? ANY NEW HOT RELEASES SOON BESIDES YOUR NEW ALBUM? CAN YOU SAY, WHAT IS THE RELEASE OF KOBRECORDS THAT YOU SOMEHOW LOVE THE MOST, OR HOW SHOULD I PUT IT, THAT YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF?

Kob Records published more than 140 releases in 21 years till this day….every one of them was really important and good for the label…we produce only what we like…. In the last years we produced less stuff, not easy today to sell a lot of records and we must pay a lot of attention to where we invest our money, anyway we are really proud of all the new releases and bands working with us….from Skassapunka, to Paolino Paperino Band, to Le Iene….we are also booking gigs for all our bands…. We are coming out with the new album of Le Iene (ska punk from Ferrara, Italy) and at the end of the year we will release the new album of Skassapunka (ska punk from Milano, Italy). I really suggest to follow these bands…great musicians, great attitude.

6.CAN YOU LIVE FROM MUSIC? WHAT LOS FASTIDIOS DO IN PRIVATE LIFE?

Me and Elisa, we are 100% into the music, music is our life, Kob Records today is a label, an online shop and an international booking agency…and of course at the same time we are also really involved with our band Los Fastidios, seeing I’m the singer and Elisa the official tourmanager. We give everything we can to this project, we are really busy, we have a lot of work, We’re also going to need  other people working for us, but it is not possible now because of financial limits….so we prefer to continue only us two for now, it is not easy, but we survive, but above all, we are really satisfied because we are doing a really good job. For us this satisfaction is more important than anything else.

About the other guys in the band, Ciacio the bassplayer is working together with his father, they are truck drivers…. Mario, the guitar player , he is studying music and he is a music teacher….Bacchetta, the drummer, finished the music school last year and he is working in some music projects.

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7.OBVIOUSLY YOU TOUR A LOT. ARE TOURS AND GIGS THE ONLY WAY TO PROMOTE YOUR MUSIC PLAYING LIVE IN THESE MODERN INTERNET TIMES WHEN EVERYONE CAN PIRATE AND DOWNLOAD MUSIC ANYWHERE? ARE YOU ANGRY AT PEOPLE WHO DON´T BUY YOUR MUSIC, WHAT IS YOUR OPINION OF PIRACY?

I really think bands must play, tours and gigs are the best way to promote your music, and to spread out messages/subcultures. The concerts are really important also for talking with the people, I love to talk with the people before and after the concerts, I think it is the better way to know the different countries, the people, the local social tendencies. About the pirate dowload I think that the real people, the real fans, they support the bands, maybe they download the music but at the same time they support the band by buying the official band merchandise and go to gigs. Sincerely I’m always happy if people download my music, The most important for me is that the music arrives to the people and internet is a good way to spread out the sound and the noise…

8.RIGHT WING FASCISM IS ON THE RISE IN EU. HOW ARE THINGS IN ITALY? HOW IS LIFE IN GENERAL THERE?

The situation in Italy, like in most parts of Europe, is really crazy. Fascist movement is really growing up using the migrant crisis (for me it is not a crisis at all) to spread out their fucking racist messages. New racist laws for our migrant brothers and sisters are causing a lot of problems to all the good associations working together with the migrants. Too many restrictions and oppression, for people who need help, for people who run away from really hard and difficult situations… We fight against this racist situation, we know another world is possible and we fight for it…We really hope something will change….I wanna be optimist and positive….something will change….I am a dreamer and I still have a dream in my heart !!!

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9.I SAW YOU LOVE FOOTBALL. WHAT CLUB DO YOU SUPPORT? ARE THERE MANY FASCISTS AND RIGHT WING BONEHEADS IN ITALIAN TIFOSI SCENE? IS THERE VIOLENCE DURING/AFTER THE MATCHES?

Los Fastidios is a band really involved in football. We support and we have good connections with a lot of antiracist terraces everywhere in the world.  Many times in Europe we have played for some “football firms”. We have also played in some really important antiracist football tournaments. I support a little team in my hometown Verona, the third team of the town, Virtus Verona, a little football team playing in the 3th division. A little football team but with a great antifascist/antiracist heart. The team is really involved also in the social causes, its president and coach are one same person (one person) for 37 years now. His name is Gigi Fresco. He is hosting today around 200 refugees….it’s not only football….a little team, with a great internationalist heart. The supporters group is called Rude Firm and there is a big project of the Firm together with refugees brothers and sisters, to involve them in the terraces life.. With the band we have 2 songs written for this team: “Reds in the Blue” (the team colours) and “El Presidente” dedicated to our president/coach and a third new song is featured on the new Joy Joy Joy album, the song is titled Rude Firm.  In every concert of Los Fastidios you can see the Virtus Verona scarf hung from the drums.  nfortunately in Italy the fascists are really into the football scene too and a lot of terraces are in hands of the fascist groups…. some terraces look today more like fascist political parties than ultras terraces…

10.THAT WOULD BE ALL FOR THE FIRST TIME. YOU ARE COMING TO ZAGREB, CROATIA TO PLAY A SHOW THERE, WHAT ARE YOUR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES PLAYING IN CROATIA AND WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM ZAGREB SHOW?

We are so happy and proud to come back to Zagreb….we played there two times many years ago and it was amazing….We have a lot of friends and fans in Croatia and we are expecting a lot from this upcoming event… I’m sure it will be a great party and a great new experience.

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