Gnu / Adam Nenadal
- by e-mail april 2004
Before
speaking about music, i would like to know your opinion about
your country, its economical and political situation. Is it a country
where
life is "easy" (moreover since the fall of the communism)? Is
Czech Rep. get
into a occidental way of life or the country keep a strong (cultural)
personnality?...
Life in
Czech Rep. is definitely better after the fall of communism. You
know, there are lot of young people who are strictly left-orientated
and
they say that it´s a capitalistic bullshit that we live in, but
they don´t
remember the pressure and the total lack of justice in the communistic
mess.
I am not a big fan of capitalistic way of living, you know - and in
the
music I try to work on non-profit basis, but I am free to do whatever
I want
to do. And that´s the difference. I have one advice for all those
young
people who can remember the phrases from Marx or Engels: try to read
the
autobiography of Ivan Martin Jirous. He´s one of the greatest
Czech poets
and the unbroken spirit of Plastic People Of The Universe, the greatest
Czech underground band of 60´s and 70´s. Those people spent
many years in
jail just because they play their music!!! If all those lefty-orientated
youth hardcore bands played their music before 1989 and say the things
against the system like they do now, they would end up in jail as well...
But I have nothing personal against youth people who are left-orientated.
I
just wish that they knew all the parts of history. History isn´t
black or
white, it is far more complicated...
Were
you too young during the communisme period or do you remind
something about that time, what kind of things do you keep on mind from
this period?
You were
under the pressure from the childhood. When you came to the
high-school, you were told that the only way to get to the college is
to
become a member of "SSM" - communistic organization for youth.
You couldn´t
study the college and NOT to be a member of SSM. You couldn´t
travel and see
other countries, one neighbor was the secret police spy to another,
everyone
lived in fear to speak up their minds... There were no good books, no
good
music, nothing. When I see some movies from that period with that cold
atmosphere, it still gives me the creep.
Can
you talk about the beginning of GNU. I remind me the first time
I've heard about Gnu was with Tschepitz from Lvmen. He was talking to
me about
a band who does very good music but the band was thinking the contrary.!!!!
Firts of
all, we are Gnu, not GNU. This band started in the fall of 1991,
and from the spring of 1992, we have this line-up which reamins the
same
until these days. This is for me the best part of Gnu - that we have
been
together for such a long time. We know each other musically and personally.
Well, you know, it´s not like "brotherhood" after all
those years, it´s more
like "marriage", but me personally - I have beautiful marriage,
so what? And
about Tschepitz - we always trusted our music. That kept us going, that
was
our fuel. We had strong faith in what we do. Always, always. In some
periods
it was the only thing that left for us... But I think that I know what
Tschepitz meant. We knew that Gnu is not some ordinary band and that
was
important for us to know this. But we did not have energy and time to
promote it, to tour, to play more often... so maybe this is it. Music
was
for us ALWAYS the most important thing - not the tours, the promotion
things... so maybe Tschepitz thought that we didn´t believe in
ourselves.
Anyway, I love Tschepitz to death, I would do anything for this guy.
Any
specifics reasons that you play with 2 bass?
Not really.
We were friends in the school before we started the band and we
all wanted to be in the band. So the easiest way is to learn how to
play
bass. Everyone can play bass.
Generally
speaking, bands/music from Amphetamine Reptile records was a
big influence on Gnu's music when you start the band?
Yes, no doubt about it. I still remember the feeling when I hear "Dope
Guns and Fucking in the Streets vol. 1-3". I thought to myself
- whooooa, this is far better than punk or hardcore, I can do that too!!!
So I did, hehehe.... And to these days, I still think that TAR´s
"Jackson" is the best rock record of all time.
About
Gnu, do you care a lot about your band, would like to improve the band
(more records, more shows, tours, outside Czech rep. etc..) or is it
just for "fun"?
I have
already answered. We ALWAYS want to improve our music - that is the
main goal for us. It is the most important thing in the world - beside
love - THE MUSIC. We don´t feel that is necessary for our music
to play more
often, we just want to sound better and better. But we LOVE playing
live,
man, it´s really really strong sometimes. I don´t believe
that the drugs can
be stronger than playing live the music you love. No way! And sure it´s
fun
for us. We have a lot of fun. We don´t take ourselves too seriously,
we are
just the bunch of total assholes playing together in the band. But we
are
fucking serious about the music.
Musically,
Gnu's music has changed a lot between both albums....
I think
yes. Music comes to us very naturally. We don´t have to play for
hours to get one good idea. You now, we have been together for such
a long
time so we know what we can expect from each other. So we let the music
take
control. We are instruments, we are not musicians. We let the music
to lead
us. It´s always big adventure and that´s what we like!
When I was in Czech rep., people talked to me
about your lyrics. They
told me "it's very great lyrics, great poetry". Can you told
us what are the
subjects of the lyrics, is it possible to get an english version?
I have
english translations, everyone can contact me, I will send it, no
problem. But I don´t think that those english translations can
express what
original version means. I don´t know. Like I said, music comes
to us very
naturally, but I have to wok very hard on the words. Sometimes the song
is
inished and I have to wait for long months for the right words... it
is very
important to me, to feel the right words. VERY important. So I take
my time
and work on it hard. I don´t know if I can say something about
the subject
of the lyrics. This subject changes - it depends on the listener´s
mind.
That´s what I like. The words are mine, but the subject belongs
to the
listener.
I
know as well that you are editor/journalist. Writing is important for
you? Would you like get more of your time in the writing processus...
Yes, I
like this job. I am glad to have this one. I can make money which I
can use for my band and for my label.
You ve got your own label as well : Silver Rocket
records. Did you create it before Gnu? Can you talk it more about this
label.... what are your motivations etc....
Silver
Rocket began in 1996, when Gnu was already well known. I always tried
to use the "fame" of Gnu to let the people know that there
is more great music coming from Silver Rocket - Lyssa, Esgmeq, OTK,
Wollongong, Ememvoodoopoka... And the motivation was simple: to listen
the vinyls of our favourite bands. We knew that the bands we like are
too strange and too original even for the underground labels, so we
create our own space. It´s more fun, we have total control of
everything we do and we are responsible only to ourselves. Silver Rocket
is a BIG part of my life,
BIG part of my idea how the relationship of frineds/artist should be.
I love
it, it really satisfies me.
What's
the story behind the split single with Love 666? how did you meet them?
It was pretty simple, we helped to set the 2 shows for them in Prague,
because we all think this is one of the most amazing bands EVER. And
they have a couple oh free hours during the day in Prague, so we managed
the studio pretty quickly and recorded their tune, which is I think
excellent. And Gnu just put their tune on the other side of this 7".
I
was very curious about the Manara's drawning on the homepage of your
website?! what does the drawning mean?
Bingo! We are all big fans of Manara, what can I say more? We love music,
hockey, Manara, beer and lots of weird stuff. It doesn´t have
any particular meaning. We just wanted to make fun of all those hard-nosed
hardcore labels who take them too seriously.
Can you talk about
the history of the czech musical scene. It was the
same evolution than the international music scene with the punk scene
at the
end of the seventies then the hardcore scene, new wave etc... or the
history of
Czech music is pretty different ?
It´s
a little bit different because of the communistic censorship. Only few
people knew that there were some independent music or some evolution
in the
music generally speaking. But there were some great Czech bands anyway.
But
it also had one positive effect - Czech independent music scene isn´t
very
trendy or stylish - we had no one to compare with and maybe this aspect
stayed. Of course there are a lot of wannabe´s and posers, but
really good
Czech bands are far better than US bands I think. I think OTK is simply
sensational, excellent band... if they would release on Touch and Go,
they
would be world greatest stars! OTK is one of the best bands in the world,
that´s for sure. And I think that is same in the France - I think
that
Moller-Plesset are far better than 95% of US bands who come to tour
Europe
and their tour is success only because they are American bands... I
think
Czech and France independent music scene have a lot in common.
I
feel that, in spite of the american musical influence, the Czech
rep. is apart, you keep your own identity. What do you think?
Yes, I
have already answered higher. It´s the same in the France, isn´t
it?
But sometimes people in Czech Rep. don´t really believe in themselves,
they
have very little of self-respect (because that´s what communists
wanted!) so
they don´t trust that the Czech bands could be great... But it
will change
sometimes.
Is it easy to release records, to make shows,
tours etc in Czech rep.?
I think
you can´t make money like - for example - in Germany, but yes,
I
think this is exactly the same like in other countries. Maybe even better,
beacuse people in Czech Rep. can be really cool and they can sacrifice
something for the music.
Are there many labels in Czech rep? the underground
scene is very active.?
Yes. There
is a lot of hardcore / punk labels and everything. And I must say
that there is a very good level of cooperation. My favourite labels
are
Minority Records from Prague and Free Dimension Records from Tabor.
What are the Czech bands who had/have a big infleunce
on the other ones?
I think
definitely Michael´s Uncle. The greatest Czech band ever. The
stopped playing music in the middle 90´s, but what they did was
something
that I will never forget. Totally original. Mind-blowing, great lyrics,
everything. They lived what they sang about. I have never seen something
so
authentic until Esgmeq came...
What
do you mean by "I
have never seen something so authentic until Esgmeq came..." ?
If rock´n´roll wasn´t invited, the members of Esgmeq
would be dead now. No bullshit. The music keeps them alive. They are
from Cheb, it´s the bordertown, lots of crime, alcohol, whores,
drugs... and they are in the middle of it. And they are RAW, their music
is authentic and RAW. I alway must laugh, when I hear bands like The
Hives... they want to be dirty, but they are not. They are just a bunch
of well raised guys from well situated families who think that play
rock´n´roll. I always laugh and think about Esgmeq. They
ARE rock´n´roll, man...
What
are your projects now? new records? tour (in France!)?
We have 4 more new songs, and I think that they sound very good. We
don´t have any plans for anything now... we just want to make
couple of more new songs. I love making music.
what are your 5 czech preferate bands ever?
5 preferate bands generally speaking?!
Five
Czech bands
Michael´s Uncle
Mad - House Chicago I.R.A.A.
Lyssa
Esgmeq
OTK
Generally
speaking
Big Black
New Model Army
Fugazi
Swans
Killing Joke
