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We at Eurobands.us and your fans appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to do this interview.
Mike: Hey, we're here for you 24/7.
Q: How long have you guys been together?
Mike: Violent Divine was formed in late August of 2005 but we have been playing togethereon and off in various formations since the early 90's
Q: Now that your album will be distributed through Walmart, do you think it will broaden your fanbase here in the United States?
Mike: At least it is a great opportunity for people to pick up the album but there is still lots of work to be done to make people aware of our music. At dirty job but we're ready to do our rock'n roll duty.
Q: Any plans of a US tour in the near future?
Mike: That would be great. Our label Chavis Records are working on a small tour for us at the end of the summer. Hopefully we'll have some good news on that shortly.
Q: How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard of your band?
Mike: I think I said once something like you should try to imagine all the greatest rock bands of the glam era of the 70's and the US hair metal scene of the 80's starting off their careers today. Melodic with an attitude? Describing what you do is probably one of the toughest questions, because we simply do what we do and... well I guess we don't analyze it that much.
Q: Who are your musical influences?
Mike: Almost any type of music really. I go for that vibe, the one that you feel when you know that this artist or band is for real and they really mean what they do from the bottom of their hearts. If they can convince me of their honesty - I'm completely sold - and it might as well be disco as well as heavy metal.
Gus: Motley Crue, Sex Pistols, Motörhead, Kiss, Guns N Roses, Van Halen, Ozzy Osburne......
Q: Musical influences? Hmm..basically everything I listen to...but Van Halen has always been my favourite band...as a guitarplayer I listen to all the great ones..Hendrix, Beck, Wylde, Dimebag..
Klaus: I have listened to many different bands/artists during my musical journey. but the main part is heavy rock such Kiss, Iron Maiden, Metallica and Suicidial Tendencies.
Q: Do you prefer larger performances or more intimate performances?
Mike: I can't say I prefer one over the other. A large audience might seem to be a huge kick for the old ego - being loved by the millions and all that but it's definately more of an accomplishment to reach the hearts of an audience of 20 people. Then you must really speak the truth.
Q: If you can pick one word to describe each member of the band, what would it be?
Mike: Gus: On, Klaus: Intense, Q: Focused.
Gus: It´ll take more than one word to explain this crew of craziness...
Q: Mike: Tourette. Klaus : loud Gus: Louder Q : Loudest
Klaus: Well, I know we have one characteristic in common: Kick-Ass!!!
Q: What is the concept behind your video for "Rush You"? Who came up with the idea?
Mike: It was all Erik's idea actually. Erik was originally hired to do a small rockumentary describing how we got a record deal, recorded the album in only 8 days and how we use the Internet as the main tool for promotion. In this he felt like a rehearsal room/performance video should be what brought the rockumentary forward. So we did a couple of shots, Erik did some hard labour editing it all together, we tried it out on a couple of local fans and found that it was able to stand on its own legs. So there is no concept really. More of a coincidence.
Q: When creating songs, is it a group effort or the work of just one person in the band?
Mike: The basic songwriting is often done by one individual member in his home on a computer. The song is sent by mail to as all so we can learn it. We try everything out in rehearsal and when we gathered about a dozen of new songs, we try them all out in the studio. By then every bandmembers has brought his own interpretation to the song and all together the song transforms from a rather timid demo recording to a Divine rock song. It's a fascinating process and a great way to work because we can be very effective and create a lot of songs.
Q: Which bands have inspired your bands style of music? How?
Mike: Mainly rock bands from the 80's but more often we are inspired by the attitude of those bands. Rock music was filled with energy and it was fun. Lots of good songs came out of that era... Motley Crue, Kiss, Iron Maiden are some of those bands whos songs today are more or less classic rock songs and that's what's our main source of inspiration. We want to do music that we love ourselves.
Gus: Motley Crue, Sex Pistols, Motörhead, Kiss, Guns N Roses, Van Halen, Ozzy Osburne...... These are the bands that we all grew up with. These are the bands we always wanted to be like.
Q: Everything from Sweet to White Zombie. How? Don´t know, we just think they kick ass..
Klaus: We are all children of the 80´s so Mötley, Van Halen and Kiss may have done some twisted things to our minds.
Q: Who came up with the name "Violent Divine" as your bands name?
Mike: We must give Gus the credit for that one. Naming your band is a process filled with doubts and second thoughts because it's so easy to get corny. However when Gus came up with the name we all felt like it was nothing that could beat it.
Q: Are you all self-taught musicians or did you guys take lessons?
Mike: I had some vocal lessons once when my voice got a bit damaged from using the wrong technique, but I have no other training but hard work in the rehearsal room to blame.
Gus: More or less self-taught.
Q: self-taught
Klaus: I have taken some lessons in the early 90´s both electric bass and contrabass but after a while I got bored and quit.
Q: If you could pick one song from your album, which one is your favorite? Why?
Mike: Misery, because of the dynamics of it... the verse is quiet and the chorus is like thunder.
Gus: They are all favorite songs because all of the 12 (+bonustrack) are picked out of the 17 songs that we had when we started to record the album. But if I have to pick one song I´ll pick song #2, "Love Revolution". I pick it coz it summerize all that I wanted when I started the band; A smashing intro, a hard rhythmic riff and a chorus that feels like a rock n roll anthem.
Q: My favourite song on the album: Let´s go simply because of the pure energy of that song.
Klaus: I pick Levitate because it´s fast and hard. Why? Because that's the way I like it.
Q: What would be your idea band lineup for a tour that you headlined?
Mike: Lots to choose from. If I could have to support acts I'd go for Motorhead and Sex Pistols.
Gus: Scary thought.....ok....Monsters of rock, Castle Donington. Before Violent Divine entering the stage, first out Kiss then Motley Crue.
Q: hmmm..tough one. Basically any band thats not to far away from us stylewise and are good people to hang out with.
Klaus: I would have Velvet Revolver, Metallica and Venom with me. And the name of the tour would be "Rich Egocentric Tour".
Q: What do you guys like to do in your spare time? Any hobbies or special interests?
Mike: I don't have issues like spare time. I'm in Violent Divine :) eh... I like the outdoors a lot. I like to travel, try out real things that locals do, what they eat, how they have their coffee, what they drink :) find out about people's every day life. I also study at the university which takes up much of my time.
Gus: The special interests besides makin music are film, reading, listening to music. Stuff like that. I always have a new song in "the barrel" and as soon as I´ve got one minute left I usually use that minute to create new music.
Q: Hobbies? Nah..music and my family take up most of my time.
Klaus: Yea I´m in a band called Violent Divine and we rock.
Here are some fan questions:
height:
Mike: 5.84
Gus: 6.23
Q: 5.9
Klaus: 6.17
NATURAL hair color:
Mike: a dead rat that has been lying around in a ditch for two weeks
Gus: blonde
Q: blonde/dark-blonde Whatever..
Klaus: brown
eye color (for those who are lazy and dont go look):
Mike: blueish-grey
Gus: blue
Q: some mix of blue/green
Klaus: ice-blue
single or taken:
Mike: taken
Gus: taken
Q: taken
Klaus: taken
birthday:
Mike October 19
Gus: October 29
Q January 24
Klaus: February 20
AND:
If you were trapped on an island and could have 1 person with you (dead or alive) who would it be and what 3 things would you have with the 2 of you?
Mike: Elvis, two pints of lager and a pack of crisps.
Gus: I guess I´m supposed to say a woman and some cooking gear or some beautiful famous lady....But I think I´ll go for Lemmy of Motörhead (in case there´s someone who don´t know who Lemmy are), a bottle of rum, a bottle of coke and a twist. I´ve always wanted to meet Lemmy and if I do, I want to have some nice drinks to offer.
Q: Dimebag Darrel. He seemed to be the perfect blend of a down to earth, friendly guy/ crazy party animal/ kickass guitarplayer.What would I bring? A guitar, an amp and a big fucking generator..
Klaus: A pretty girl, vaseline, an axe and apple.
Q: Any last words for your fans?
Mike: Buckle up and get to meet us on tour.
Gus: Call all your friends and throw them a party. Feed the Violent Divine album to your stereo and crank it up to pure insanity! You won´t be disappointed!! We hope to meet you out there soon!!
Q: Eat your veggies and buy our album!
Klaus: I hope you enjoy our new album and see you on tour!! The Love Revolution Tour
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