I drove to Tübingen to see the Cyanide Pills. They are from Leeds – UK and their records are out on Damage Goods. (Break It Up 7″; Suicide Bomber 7″; Cyanide Pills LP; Conquer The World 7″). Band members are PHIL PRIVILEGE (voice), ALEX ARSON (guitar), CHRIS WRIST (drums), ALARICK ‘THE TRICK’ (bass) and SI PINKEYE (guitar). They were guided by Paul the tour manager who I was lucky to meet and talk to, cause Paul is a really nice and attentive person (hi and cheers). He managed that Si and Alex took some minutes for RTC to do a little question answer interview. Poor Alex, Paul told me that he never does interviews but at this moment he got forced to. Not alone, we had to wait until Si came back from the ladies’ room (or was it the men’s…?). Did a little chat and it was more that Si was talking (when I did not jabber around) and Alex was more the quite Norwegian one.
RTC: Hi there, thanks for your time, who are you and what is your job in the band?
SI: I’m Si and I play guitar.
ALEX: I’m Alex and I also play guitar.
RTC: What made you start music?
SI: I don’t know, all of a sudden I could play guitar, it came just like this.
ALEX: Seeing other bands that influenced me, I wanted to do that myself.
RTC: Just that or as well cause of the chicks?
SI + ALEX: (looked at each other) what is this idiot asking?
RTC: OK, next question, how does your mother/father describes your music to the neighbours?
ALEX: Catchy songs and somehow she heard about Punk Rock, perhaps she thinks we do Punk Rock.
SI: My parents do not know much about music, although my dad comes to all our shows, I guess he would say Punk Rock. My mother probably would describe it as heavy metal???
RTC: This is your first tour in Germany, how is it, which was a gig you remember?
SI: Yes, it is the first time that we tour outside of England. We did not had much time and therefore we made just 10 gigs; today is the last one before driving home. Berlin Wild At Heart was great, packed, cool location and lots of fun.
(RTC: keep in mind, the interview was done before the Cyanide Pills played in Tübingen and believe me: this was and will ever be the best gig they have ever done will ever do or will ever dream of – I guess cause Rock The Cam was there, and believe me: even Santa Claus believes in the Eastern Bunny)
RTC: Are you Punk Rock?
SI: Yeah yes.
RTC: Then could you let me know what Punk Rock is (bad trick from the scintillatingly witty Rock The Cam – Feuilleton writer with a nothing background)
SI: Punk Rock is a type of music (and he cleverly sneaks out of my question), there are lots of different opinions, for some it is politics, fashion, a way you think or different mixes of these points.
RTC: You are publishing your fine records on Damage Goods Records, how did this happen?
SI: Damage Goods saw us live, then we lost track and somehow it worked out later, they wanted us.
RTC: Can you live of your music?
SI: No, we all have other jobs, I am a mechanic, I do repair cars.
ALEX: I am a music teacher for kids.
RTC: Cool, then you can educate them with good stuff. What was your first record you bought?
ALEX: Guess it was Green Day – Dookie
SI: Oh it is embarrassing; it was Oasis – Definitely Maybe
RTC: That is not embarrassing, it was a good album, the blokes are a bit strange but the music is good.
Now it was almost time to go, so here is the last question
RTC: Imagine you are god and you are able to set up a festival of your choice, name me the five headliners?
SI + ALEX: Let’s get them together, we start with
The Clash
Sex Pistols with Sid
Early Turbonegro when they were still on drugs
The Briefs
Jimi Hendrix
RTC: Thanks and have a good show
SI + ALEX: Thanks, we will do our best
And they did a great show (interesting how these two changed while being interviewed and then being on stage – different personalities) It was a real good one, the Cyanide Pills took the stage and just started rocking and I had the feeling that the guests in the Epplehaus ware really satisfied, this was worth driving from Munich to Tübingen! Next time again.
