Hollywood Music TV Canada Online Ezine Interviews HMTV Bodies Band
HMTV Canada: 1. Hi Bodies how is your summer going so far?
Bodies: Well, summer's been great on a personal level. We've been on a five week break and have just gathered again for rehearsals. Getting back together, however, was magic. (Clint)
Yeah, it«s nice to be back together again. I have been working on some new songs during the summer and it«s soon time to present them for the rest of the band. (Nick)
HMTV Canada: 2. Lets start with when bodies started out as a pure cover band can you tell us about Never Mind The Bollocks album you covered for?
Bodies: We were a few childhood friends that sort of found ourselves in suburbia with nothing more to do than go to work. And that was no fun. So we thought we'd start a band again and do something we loved and something that was easily rehearsed in order to get out and play as soon as possible. So we went for the classic Sex Pistols' album 'Never Mind the Bollocks...". A brilliant album with all classic punk rock songs on it. Plus the fact that my voice was a real good Rotten-sound-alike. I'd met a guitarist while on a pub round in Stockholm, that was really interested and he knew Nick and brought him along. So we started rehearsing. And got our first gig just a month after the first rehearsal. So we played around Stockhomlm quite a bit and started writing our own material as well. Soon enough though, Felcher was replaced by John L. Undell. This was his first session in the band and we're just overly happy that he is back with us again. (Clint)
It was perfect to start with the Pistols for us. A bunch of real good stuff that we all knew. Never Mind The Bollocks is one of the most important albums in all time for me. So many good songs. We started some years before the Pistols comeback tour so people really enjoyed getting the chance hear those crackers again. The first gig was at a big party for a friend of mine. Nobody really knowed that we were going to play. We were dressed up in "Wall Street suits" and you should have seen their faces when Clint started yelling 'Right nooooooow...' (Nick)
HMTV Canada: 3. How did you meet each other and how long have you known each other?
Bodies: The original drummer, Mr. Rahl, and rhythm guitarist, Johnny-O, and me were old school mates. We'd been in different set ups through all our lives, basically. Then I met Felcher Wheel, our first lead guitarist, on a drinking bout, as I mentioned, and we started talking about forming a band covering only the Sex Pistols. He'd been in a band called The Renegades with Nick. As for the current members, me and John L. Undell and Hans Gee go a long way back. We weren't really friends when we were kids, but we all knew about each other as we were hanging with the same crowds. Nick and me got to know each other when we fomed the band, which is now fourteen years ago. (Clint)
I was very happy when Felcher phoned me and wanted to play together again. Met those blokes at a rehearsal studio and it worked out very well. I hadn't played for some years and it was nice to play some real punkrock again. (Nick)
HMTV Canada: 4. When did you form your band and what inspired you to make music together?
Bodies: Our first rehearsal was in January 1996, so it's been a while. I don't really know what first inspired us. I think we just have that drive to create, you know? It's just something we do. Lyrically, I am mostly inspired with things that irritate me, upsets me, annoys me, gets me angry. (Clint)
It's a great alternative for a creative need, as opposed to bowling or stamp collecting. (Nick)
HMTV Canada: 5. Which songs do you perform frequently? Do you play any other covers?
Bodies: We have about twenty original songs now, that we choose from when performing. We made a decision about two years ago to drop the covers all together. But we have covered 'Search and Destroy' (Iggy Pop and the Stooges), 'Bang bang' (Iggy Pop), 'White Riot' (The Clash), 'Janie Jones' (The Clash), 'London's Burning' (The Clash), 'The KKK took my baby away' (The Ramones), 'Blietzkrieg Bop' (The Ramones), 'Beat on the brat' (The Ramones) and 'New Rose' (The Damned). I may have forgotten about one or two, but they have all been in our set at one time or another. (Clint)
You forgot 'Sommar'n dšr' by the Swedish legend John Holm. A pretty strange cover for a band like us. (Nick)
HMTV Canada: 6. Do you have a record label? Are you a member of any music organizations?
Bodies: We're not contracted to any label or promoter. Not that we would mind, it just hasn't happened. We are members of the Swedish organization STIM, an organization that looks after artists' copyrights and collect money for airplay and record selling and such. (Clint)
HMTV Canada: 7. I noticed your track Drive has that punk metal vibe, Sweet Pain is filled with that power pop vibe Sicken and Blind Brother are awesome tracks they have that pure punk vibe. Can you tell us who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs?
Bodies: Usually it's Nick or John L. that write the music and I come up with the lyrics. We have no set way of writing songs - sometimes the music comes first, but mostly I submit some lyrics to either Nick or John L. and they come up with some music for it. Lyrically, it is mainly about things I see as wrong or something that just rubs me the wrong way. It may be some stupid politician, it can be human stupidity - how we always seem to treat each other badly, some individual that I'm angry with, how we pollute the planet and destroy our future. These are main themes, but there are also relational problems and love. 'Sweet Pain', for instance, is about the sweet pain of being head over heels in love. At least it is to me, but I've heard several other interpretations of the mening of the words. And that is really the way I want it. I want people to interpret each song differently, and hopefully that is what I achieve. (Clint)
HMTV Canada: 8. Where have you performed, what are your favourite and least favourite venues? Do you have any upcoming shows?
Bodies: As we're a D.I.Y. band, unfortunately we rarely get outside Stockholm. Much due to the costs involved with touring. We plan, however, to get over to Glasgow sometime during spring and we have a standing invitation to go to Detroit and play at a local boat party. We would simply love to get abroad and meet the people we've made friends with over myspace. Our favourite venue has to be one that is no longer around - The Chrome Bar. We performed to just over 1.000 people. It was a great place! Least favourite are all the places that don't do right by musicians and have them play for food and two beers (though the actual performance can be great). (Clint)
I«ve played in France with my old band The Renegades some years ago. Both club gigs and at a festival. I must say that I really want to do it again with Bodies. Nice, friendly people, food and booze and the audience was great. You could see that they really liked live music. I have to agree with Clint about the least favourite venues. (Nick)
HMTV Canada: 9.What was your biggest challenge as a band, how did you overcome this challenge?
Bodies: We've actually been through quite a few ordeals as a band. We've had a lot of members dropping out, some at the time when we've been on the verge of stepping up a bit when it comes to reaching out to people and getting to play the somewhat larger venues. There have been at least four times when we've had to, more or less, start over from scratch. (Clint)
HMTV Canada: 10.What is the ultimate direction for your band what do you hope to accomplish in the future?
Bodies: We don't really have a set aim as such. Not career wise, anyway. We want to have fun with our music, get out and play as much as possible and meet the crowds. If someone would like to help us, that would be perfect. If not, we'll just keep doing what we're doing. If some label would like us to record a record for them, brilliant. But if not, we'll just keep going as we've done for the past fourteen years. We're a bunch of mates that love to play together. (Clint)
For me it«s to be an even tighter live band and write even better songs. We also want to make a new recording that we all are really happy with. Hopefully this autumn. (Nick)
HMTV Canada: 11.What are your influences and how are your fans reacting to your music?
Bodies: Our influnces are, and I'm sorry I have to reply with the common answer, very varying. We all listen to very different stuff. But I would say that for our own music, the influnces are all within the pop-rock-punk-metal sphere. And I hope we mix it all into our own sound. (Clint)
We've been a D.I.Y. band for so long now, that I still have a hard time realising that we actually do have 'fans'. =) But it's a great feeling. They ususally ask us if we can come play in their town and want to help out spreading the word. One of our friends, or a fan if you like, made us a profile on bebo and set us up with a chatboard at www.bodiessweden.proboards74.com as a surprise gift. And she's also the administrator of both of them, but we supply material such as downloads and pictures and answer all questions ourselves. (Clint)
It«s nice to see that we have some hardcore fans out there. And not only in Sweden. Fans are asking for T-shirts and stuff from all over the world. We probably have to thank the MySpace phenomenon for that. (Nick)
HMTV Canada: 12.How do you like our music site at Hollywood Music TV? Bodies: I think it's great! I like a lot of bands on there, such as Daredevil Jane. And I'm all for any chance for unsigned bands to reach out to a wider audience. Unfortunately, with the summer break and all, we've been lagging behind on the updates on our profile. We'll get there, though, and post some new stuff! (Clint)
HMTV Canada: 13.What advice do you have for people who want to form their own bands today? Whats the music scene like in Sweden?
Bodies: Just do it! That's what punk is all bout to me. You want to make a film? Do it. Want to make a fanzine? Do it. Want to be an off road biker? Do it. Want to try parachuting? Do it. When we all started out playing in our teens, there were no venues where we could perform, so we created our own. We rented places and sold tickets to all our friends, and we sometimes still do. There's a lot of work involved, but it's also a great satisfaction when it all REALLY happens! And if you can't play the guitar properly? So what! You'll get there. Or perhaps you'll find you're more interested in playing the bass, the drums or sing. Try, explore and experiment until you find your thing. (Clint)
Have fun and try to stay friends. (Nick)
The music scene in Sweden is extremely vibrant, when it comes to bands. And most of them are really good in their genre. But there aren't enough places to play. And there are really no 'mid-sized' venues. (Clint)
Yeah, too few places for too many bands. Hell, there«s a lot of very cool bands in Sweden right now, but many of them will call it a day 'cause they can«t get any gigs. (Nick)
HMTV Canada: 14.Is there anyone you will like to acknowledge ? Any last words?
Bodies: Well... That will have to be former band members, especially Johnny-o and Ego T. Superstar. And our families, for putting up with us. (Clint)
I have to say thanks to Mr Felcher for putting me togheter with Clint and the boys. (Nick)
HMTV Canada: 15.Thank You Bodies for taking the time to complete this questionnaire, a pleasure interviewing your band , hope to see you play in concert in Canada someday. You Rock
Thank YOU! We really hope we'll get over. And if there's anyone over on your side that's interested in helping us out, drop us a mail at: clint2hell@yahoo.com
Cheers, everyone!
=)
/Bodies thru Clint Hell and Nick Cee
Brought to you by Hollywood Music TV Canada Tina
