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They're
tasteless, crude, and downright vulgar. They've side-stepped overexposure
with indecent exposure and created one of the most impressionable
stirs in the Rock underground since the first wave of American Punk.
They've proudly pissed on popular culture and cough up controversy
with child-like enthusiasm. They aimlessly amuse themselves by spreading
darkness, fear, and both cheeks at anyone who doesn't get the joke.
yet anyone who's ever really listened to the music or seen the band
play. well, there must be a point buried in there somewhere, right?
They're Turbonegro and they don't like your kids. And yet when an
epic track like "The Age Of Pamparius" comes blaring from their "Apocalypse
Dudes" breakthrough, or classics like "Get It On" or "Rock Against
Ass" hook you in, evidence shows there's plenty to sink yer teeth
into if little else left to judge. or is there? Turbonegro is an embodiment
of sex, sailors, food fights and F-words rolled up into a bong-sized
hash ball that's a never ending toke into the mindless, madness, rush
of adrenaline that brings out the dirty dog in us all. And they make
a statement like few others before or after them. not that either
of the two band members previously interviewed were too anxious to
reveal the inner workings of a cumulatively mad mind; and so what?
If it sounds good, who cares if it makes sense? The statement? "Death
Punk Forever." "I Got Erection." "Fuck The World." take your pick
or pick your window for that matter cuz it don't have to be clever,
just carefree and maybe a little bit crazy.
Ask not why they are not bigger than they are, rather, astonish at
the fact that anyone this side of Northern Europe has a remote clue
as to their existence. So after a well aimed pelvic thrust through
most of the '90s that culminated in their finest ("Apocalypse") hour
and five year period of self-destruction, they rise again, bigger
and better than before and pointing straight at the ear of an ever-growing
legion of fans who wouldn't let them die. Turbonegro is a self-deprecating
slice of Seventies' showmanship and self-indulgence, swearing off
the socially bound seriousness that's plagued the suffering music-first
Rock star hold outs who place playing at a premium.
They've released seven full lengths, two EPs and a live disc and already
had a remarkable 26-track tribute done for them entitled "Alpha Motherfuckers,"
which features some of the greatest Indie Rock, Punk, and Techno bands
that ever existed. Now, after a lengthy recording layoff they release
the magnificent "Scandinavian Leather," which follows a successful
U.S. club tour first opening for Q.O.T.S.A. and then headlining their
own. and this after having played for hundreds of thousands of European
festival fans on last year's comeback. Prior to a recent show in April
at The Bowery Ballroom in NYC's East Village, I had the perverse pleasure
of meeting this under the radar, made for the stage character act
bore of Hard Rock, Punk, and Comic Relief. Due to technical difficulties
taking place in the Ameritania Hotel bar (read - too damn much talking
and lite FM in the background) and inferior recording equipment ($45
bucks really gets you shit nowadays doesn't it?), much of the shared
banter between (Guitarists) Rune Rebellion, Euroboy and myself was
lost in a blur of indecipherability. However, luck must've been with
me this evening as I've only recently discovered that scattered at
key points between spread particles the tape does in fact yield enough
information to make something out of almost nothing.
Why does the live show only feature material from your last two studio
albums "Ass Cobra" and "Apocalypse Dudes?"
Rune: It's partly because with this line up was basically when we
started touring for "Ass Cobra" and that's when it all kind of formed.
So these are our songs.
There's a huge difference in the sound between the "Ass Cobra" and
"Apocalypse Dudes" albums yet it's still undeniably Turbonegro.
Rune: Part of the difference is in the change of line up. Obviously
Euroboy came in and plays on "Apocalypse" and then there's Chris Summers
who took over on drums.
Do you set out to make a statement or get a reaction with your music?
Rune: Not really, it's just about us making the records we want to
make. But of course when we release a record we do want to get some
reaction.(laughs)
Do you worry about cynics questioning your. judgment?
Rune: Well we give them something to talk about. but we don't like
to explain things to anyone.
Do you have any deeply rooted social or political sentiments you want
people to know?
Rune: Death Punk Forever!
Gimme something on "Scandinavian Leather, " your first new studio
album in five years.
Rune: First of all, I'm really sure it's our best record. It's got
all of those elements from our previous records but it's just more
mature and a more concentrated form of Death Punk.
Euroboy: It's also the most focused and vital album we've ever done.
I mean. what is the best album? That's a matter of taste. But I know
that this album as a whole, it's a great band effort. The other albums
have been a bit more. maybe separate, you know? "Apocalypse" was,
I just feel like halfway through the recording we kind of broke the
code and came up with our own musical identity. We started writing
these really cool songs like "'Motherfucker" and "Rendezvous With
Anus" and "'Dungaree High," and we came up with this really catchy
and cool bubble gum-like Death Punk style and on the new album that
was our goal, to really expose that side of the band. We may lose
a few of our fans of the old Punk stuff because people only into Punk
are not always into what sounds. good, but they're more about something
else. But we're probably going to get a lot of new fans as well.
There are a lot of similarities between "Leather" and "Apocalypse,"
which makes sense considering how much better the band sounds overall.
Euroboy: It's important to remember that state of the art Punk Rock
these days stays underground. It's genuine low-fi all recorded live.
We totally go against that. It's really well produced and a thoroughly
made album. It means we might lose the hipsters but the music is still
really good and it's an album that's going to last for years and years.
What are Turbonegro like live?
Euroboy: I don't know, I've never seen myself like that and I don't
like to watch videos of our shows. I can feel that there's this certain
magic going on when we play. There's a lot of euphoria going on stage
and then it makes sense to perform the songs.
So why should people go see you guys?
Euroboy: Cause we're good. Rune: Cause we're beautiful. (Laughs) Euroboy:
We sound really good compared to a lot of new Punk Rock bands and
we actually have a good heavy live sound now. Musically, it's good
and visually, from what I've heard, we're fantastic. A guy came up
to me last night - from The Moving Targets - and he's an older dude,
and they said it was like watching The Dead Boys.
Why does Turbonegro "Hate The Kids?"
Euroboy: Cause they suck (Laughs). Seriously, that's one of my favorite
songs. - Rune: I don't think we've ever played that live. We've got
so many songs now.
What are you going to play from the new album?
Rune: I don't know. we'll probably play one or two. (They did - "Sell
Your Body To The Night")
After our interview the band headed downtown for the second of two
sold out shows at The Bowery (er, Mercury Lounge a night earlier actually,
but ultimately replaced due to size limitations!). Luckily, the evening
succeeded far better than the previous night that was cut short because
of a ridiculous bottle-throwing incident that downed lead singer Hank
Von Helvete. The band ripped through their many classics - and true
to form, stuck mainly to the previous two, "Ass Cobra" and "Apocalypse
Dudes" records - or basically pick up their '98 live release, "Darkness
Forever!" for reference. The band is alive and constantly in motion
on stage, nearly KC-like in their personas only without the "sunshine,"
offering a colorful perspective for the fixed eye. Hank's stage presence
is a combination of charismatic and creepy, adorned with a top hat,
cane, and diffusive evil black eye make up that adds a sinister Alice-like
element to the freak show persona. A packed house for The Bowery,
which may hold 6 or 700 (not counting the downstairs lounge area)
means nothing compared to something like Norway's Quart Festival,
packed with tens of thousands as is viewable on the MPEG add-ons to
TN's recently reissued "Ass Cobra" and "'Dudes" records, but considering
their time away and the fact they receive no mainstream press, the
results were pretty damned impressive. And the show was phenomenal.
The band was dripping with as much attitude as Hank had belly over
belt, and were as mechanically sound as any Arena-Rock stud twenty
years their senior. All in all, no one left disappointed, Hank got
a rose from a cute female fan - didn't seem bothered by it - they
did "I Got Erection" for an encore, "Death Time" for another, and
for a memorable Monday night, darkness and denim reigned supreme.
Discography:
Turboloid 12" - Straitjacket Records 1990 Hot Cars & Spent
Contraceptives - Big Ball Records 1992 Helter Skelter - Repulsion
Records 1993
Grunge Whore 10" - SFTRI Records 1993
Never Is Forever - Dog Job Records 1994
Ass Cobra - Boomba Records 1996
Apocalypse Dudes - Boomba Records 1998
Darkness Forever (Live) - Bitzcore Records 1999 Scandinavian Leather
-
Burning Heart Records 2003
Website:
http://www.turbonegro.com
http://www.turbonegro.net
http://www.turbojugend.net
http://www.turbojugendusa.com
Interview by Vinnie Apicella
va85@columbia.edu
©
1998-2003 Sinbad Productions / BallBusterHardMusic.com
No Material, Written, May Be Reproduced Without Permission From SinBad
Prods/Communciations and or the Recording Artist and Their
Representation
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