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Interview
with Michael Poulsen, Vocalist and Guitarist with Volbeat.
MM - Introduce the band members to us and
explain what each members role is.
Michael Poulsen - vocals + guitar, the
songwriter, Jon Larsen - DRUMS, Anders Kjølholm - Bass, and Franz
"Hellboss" gottschalk- Guitar.
MM - What motivated you into forming a band in the first place? How did
you all hook up with each other and exactly how long ago was this golden
moment?
Michael/volbeat - Well , after 10 years I split up my old band
DOMINUS to form another band with a new style. I really wanted to do a
style that was some kind of Rocknroll with a heavy sound and with
melodies, so I formed VOLBEAT in late 2001/beginning of 2002.
We made our first promo/demo cd in 2002 with producer Morten Nielson and
after that we went in studio With producer Jacob Hansen (INVOCATOR)
to record the promo/demo cd "Beat the meat" 2003 , which was
the cd who made some very good reviews all over as the best upcoming and
with the best promo cd in such mags as heavy oder was and METAL
HAMMER.
MM - At what age did you decide you wanted to be a musician?
Michael/Volbeat - Music has always been a big part of my life, but I
bought my first guitar when I was in 8 or 9 grate in school, and
just started to figured out how the hell I should play this mother
fucker.
Well let me tell you a little story. When I was very young I was
sitting in my uncles house and going through his record
collection, and he had tons of vinyls with different kinds of music.
Then one cover catches my eyes and almost scared the crap out of
me. It was the First BLACK SABBATH album with the lady on you
know. And I was going WHHHHAAAAAUU, what the fuck is
that. I have heard about a band called BLACK SABBATH but
never really heard it. And my uncle told me if you like it you can
have it, but don't play it in the dark, and don't play it backwards (
he said with a smile). And of course that was the first thing I
did. And from that day on I sold my soul to the devil and
heavy metal music ha ha.
I remember sitting and listening to the album and said: Fuck this is
serious business AND BUSINESS IS GOOD. And this dude from SABBATH
had an awesome evil feeling on his guitar. And then I began to
borrow records with DIO, BLACK SABBATH, IRON MAIDEN, RAINBOW
and so on from my sisters boyfriend (and now her husband).
Because he had more Heavy stuff than my uncle. And in this new
amazing world of heavy metal music I one day come home from school with
my friend Kim and we turned on the tv and there was this Metal band
playing live with this great attitude and they sounded fucking
great and it looked like lots of fun . The band was ANTHRAX and there
was this live concert with them on Danish television, and then I
said ... 'that's it I got to have a guitar and play this
music' .. and Kim said: can I be the bass player,, of cause dude I
said. But Kim never got his bass cause he really didn't
have a single tune in his system, and now he is a plumber who is doing
my bathroom at the moment, which is cool.
But I got my guitar and start playing when I was in 8 grade or
something.
MM - What was the reason behind your previous band Dominus’s split?
Michael/Volbeat - I made up my mind that "GODFALLOS" should be
the last DOMINUS album. The "GODFALLOS" cd was a mix of all
the thing we have done, and was a perfect way to end the whole thing.
And I desperately wanted to do something else, and I have always known
that one day I would end DOMINUS for doing something else.
It was a hard choice, because DOMINUS was somehow my child. But I was
sick and tired of the scene and the people in it, the style, my
self, everything. I was no longer satisfied with what I was doing.
And I felt that the Death metal style was limited, and didn't give me
the freedom and challenge I needed for writing songs from the
heart. And when the heart no longer beat for the thing you are
doing, then it's time to get further with something else I think. The
vibe was good in DOMINUS, and me and Jens Peter Storm the lead guitar
player I had on the last 3 DOMINUS albums were talking about making
something together.
But in the end we wanted something different out of the music, so we
decided to split up and do what we had to do. No hard feelings at
all, just pure understanding. DOMINUS played the last concert in
2001, and it was a good night. I took a half year break of playing
music, not because I wanted to, but because I needed to get some
distance from what I have been doing in DOMINUS and start all over with
all these new ideas and old stuff that wouldn't fit to DOMINUS. It was
time for the RockNRoll Rebel monster VOLBEAT.
MM - Where did the bands name Volbeat come from, what does it signify to
you and can you remember any other names you considered at the time?
Michael/Volbeat - My 3rd cd with my old band DOMINUS was called
VOL.BEAT, and was a more Rocknrollish metal album than the other DOMINUS
albums which were more DEATH METAL. And when I ended DOMINUS I
thought VOLBEAT could be a cool name for my next band. Then after
we did the promo cd "Beat the meat" some children told me
that VOLBEAT was a pokemon figure. And it sure is ugly as hell
ha ha, but I will not change the name for this little mother fucker
ha ha.
MM - What’s the music scene like in Denmark at the minute?
Michael/Volbeat - It's really interesting at the moment with
fine bands as
RAUNCHY, HATESPHERE, INVOCATOR, ILLDISPOSED, MNEMIC, MERCENARY,
URKRAFT at the moment and you can almost say that it is a +
somehow to be a Danish band at the moment as it was being Swedish for
some years ago, If you know what I mean.
MM -The band are currently signed to Rebel
Monster Records, how did you come to hook up with them and what sort of
deal do you have with them?
Michael/VOLBEAT - We were actually dealing with different labels
for a long time, including ROAD RUNNER RECORDS for
over 6 month. ROAD RUNNER really liked the album and we where about to
sign when trouble with the German territory of Road Runner began to
postpone the project.
REBEL MONSTER RECORDS is a sub label to MASCOT RECORDS And the people
behind it thought it sounded cool with one of our song titles
"rebel monster" as the label name, and indeed it did;-),
but the VOLBEAT cd is actually a MASCOT RECORDS release. We have signed
for this album and then there are some options.
MM - Have you found them supportive of the band so far?
Michael/Volbeat - Yeah it works, they believe in the band.
MM - How would you describe the sound of your music to someone who
hasn’t heard it yet?
Michael/Volbeat - Metallic RocknRoll with the touch of the 60's
melodic tunes.
MM - What can someone expect from a typical Volbeat show?
Michael/Volbeat - Lots of heavy energy and RocknRoll
vibes, and a good connection with the audience.
MM - What memories do you hope they’d take away with them after seeing
one of your shows?
Michael/Volbeat - MAN THAT WAS SOMETHING.
MM - Are you a fan friendly and accessible band? i.e. Do you come out
after the show and meet the fans to sign stuff etc?
Michael/Volbeat - Yeah we always go out to our fans and talk to them and
sign what ever they have. Their support is inspiring and important for
us, and we have a good connection with our fans I think.
MM - What are your favourite songs to play live and why? What songs do
you find the fans most react to?
Michael/Volbeat - The good thing is that the fans do not always have the
same favourite song, and that really means a lot, because it shows that
many of our songs are strong enough to be a favourite songs for
different ears, and that leaves a good energy for the whole set. But
people are really going nuts about POOL OF BOOZE. My favourite
song will always be the first one in the set, no matter what song it is,
because that's the time the party is about to start.
MM -What bands/artists have shaped your playing or your attitude to
music over the years? Who inspired you to become musicians in the first
place?
Michael/Volbeat - ELVIS PRESLEY, BLACK SABBATH, MEGADETH, METALLICA,
DIO, KING DIAMOND, RAINBOW, ANTHRAX, DEATH, has
since the beginning been inspiring me to do what I do. But many bands
after that do now also have an impact on me, you know.
MM - When you sing, every song is infused with emotion and passion. How
do you maintain this level of intensity?
Michael/Volbeat - Well, the important thing for a Volbeat song when I
write it is that it has to be melodic. But I cannot
answer or tell you how I keep the emotions, passion and intensity in a
songs, because I don't know, it's just there. And some time it works and
when it don't, I fuck myself up again to get inspired he he.
MM -The band recently released their debut album ‘The Strength/The
Sound/The Songs’, can you tell us a little bit about each of the songs
and any stories behind them.
Michael/Volbeat - For me it's important the the listeners get their own
story out of the songs, because the lyrics is very open for any body I
think. So I don't want to take away their feelings or thought's away
from what they feel is the right story for themselves.
But I can take a few "Danny & Lucy" and "Firesong" is
a connected story. "Always" is a song for my friend Jens
Demello who were close to leave because of cancer.
"Caroline" is build up on Elvis song titles all the way.
MM -The album includes a cover of the song ‘I only wanna be with
you’, is there are any songs you have a burning desire to do a cover
version of?
Michael/Volbeat - There are so many good songs from the 50's, and to
mention just one is impossible for me. And if I got started the list
will be to long and I will perhaps forget the most important one, if you
know what I mean?
MM -Does the band have any plans to tour in support of the new album?
Michael/Volbeat - We are working on it. The idea is to get VOLBEAT out
for you all. So we are working on some different agency's to bring the
Rebel monster out on the road.
MM -If you could tour with any band out there right now, who would it be
and why?
Michael/Volbeat - Who will not like to tour with MOTORHEAD. I
mean, to die on tour with them could make sence, he he. They
are the most honest complete band concerning style, music,
attitude, vibe, sound, rebels. I mean, they are so ROCKNROLL.
MM -What's the 'grand plan' for your band? Are you aiming for anything
like fame, fortune, artistic acceptance etc?
Michael/Volbeat - We are aiming for being able to continue
playing music, and to die with MOTORHEAD;-) Well that's
probably not going to happen, because Lemmy is immortal, he he.
MM -How do you feel about the internet and the effect it is having on
bands and independent music?
Michael/Volbeat - The internet is a very important promotion tool. About
downloading I think it must and should be up to the bands to
decide if there music should be free for downloading. And not up to the
one who steals the music and think it's okay, because it not. We have
some free songs on our net for fans and listeners to take for free, but
if I found my whole cd out on the net I will get pissed off. This is
hard work, and we have to bring food on the table like any body else,
and we can't do that if we give you all our pay check's.
MM - If you could describe your music as part of a woman’s body, what
part would you choose?
Michael/Volbeat - Funny Question, hmmmm, It must be her hooters/tits
because they will effect you ( sometimes good and sometimes bad) , he
he.
MM -Tell us one thing about yourself that not many people know.
Michael/Volbeat - I'm the one who shot JFK. I was hunting
duck's when my riffle suddenly went off and ups.
MM - Ok, finish the following sentence … ‘Everybody needs a little
Volbeat in their lives because …’
Michael/Volbeat - ... 'everybody needs a good set of hooters/tits, ha
ha.
MM -Lastly, is there anything you would like to say to all our readers
out there?
Michael/Volbeat - Thanx for reading this interview, and don't play
with guns, somebody could be in the way: -) Have a nice day.
MM -Thank you for taking the time out to do this interview with us. Best
of luck with the new album.
Michael/Volbeat - THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND THANX FOR DOING THIS
INTERVIEW, BEST OF LUCK TO YOU TOO.
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