Bodies

Bodies
Posted Sep 19, 2007.


BODIES are:
Clint Hell (lead vox)
Nick Cee (bass'n'backing vox)
John L. Undell (guitar'n'backing vox)
Hans Gee (drums)

www.myspace.com/bodiessweden
bodiessweden.proboards74.com
We are also present on a few other communities in Sweden and the UK, such as www.allears.se and www.wildplum.co.uk . We’re working on getting our very own place in cyberspace, but we need someone to help us and that bloke hasn’t had time just yet.

We a lot of readers from the U.S. Could you tell us a little about the
music scene in Sweden?
Clint: Well, in Stockholm at least, it’s very vivid. Lots of good bands to go see on basically any night of the week. A few of our friends are great, so I recommend you lot to check them out: Part-Time Posers, Sonic Negroes, Sonic Farm are only three of them really worth checking out.
Nick: There..s a lot of very, very good bands all over the country. It..s a pity that there..s not enough venues and sometimes audience for all of them.


Do you have any upcoming shows?
Clint: At the moment we’re at a stand still, as Nick is going over two Japan for two weeks early October. We’ll be out gigging again early November, starting at a local club in Stockholm called Pub Anchor. But no date is definite until next week.

Do u have any tours in the making?
Clint: Not really. We’d simply love to go, but it has to be viable for us. Not make heaps of money, we just need to cover our expenses. Unfortunately, that is the hard part for any band at our level. As we’re basically a DIY band, we don’t really have the contacts either, so it takes about a year to get a tour for two weeks together… If anybody could help us, we’re naturally interested. Contact us on myspace, if you see a way to get us over or down to central Europe or wherever. We would, as I mentioned, LOVE to go!

What about a tour to the US?
Clint: Again, that’s just SO expensive and we simply do not have the money. We would love to come, and would appreciate any help we can get.

What inspires most of your lyrics?
Clint: I guess that one’s for me, as I write all the lyrics. Basically, it can be anything. Mostly, it is injustices, double standards, things I see as wrong, people that behave like a-holes… Sometimes love, but usually the bitter side of it.
Nick: Sometimes love? Which song? Clint gives me and John a lot of lyrics and then we try to compose music to it.
John L: I wrote most of the lyrics of our forthcoming hit Guantanamo, though.


How many people in the band right now are the original band members?
Clint: That would be me and Nick. And, depending on how you count, John L. John joined the original line-up really early, but left after a few years due to lack of time. Hans Gee joined when we were searching for a new drummer. I knew him from way back, but actually had no idea he was playing the drums. So. We asked. And he said yes. Me and Nick have known each other since day one of the band (going on 14 years now). Me and John L and Hans all come from the same neighbourhood. We hung out with different crowds, but our crowds mixed, so we got to know each other as teens. And now we’re all in a band together. It’s really important to us to play with mates, as we’re only in it for the fun!

Do you have any advice to starting bands?
Clint: Just do it! Have fun, don’t take it too seriously and enjoy every minute of it. Try to stay mates. If you can’t get any gigs – arrange your own. Rent a place and get your friends to come see you. We’ve done it a million times.
Nick: Rehearse and always play from your hearts.
John L: Tune in, turn up, kick off…

What is the best thing about Punk Rock?
Clint: I just assume you mean the real thing, now. Not bands like Good Charlotte or such? To me, they are all ok pop bands, but they have absolutely nothing to do with punk. Well, apart from the hairstyles and looks, perhaps. Sorry. I’m ranting. The best thing about punk rock to me is the feeling that anything is possible. You want to try to make a video? Go ahead, try! Want to play the guitar? Do it. Sit down and strike a few chords and eventually you will get better. Want to write a book? Fine. Get a computer or a typewriter and start writing. That’s punk to me – You wanna do it, go ahead and do it. Anything is possible!
Nick: Yeah – the DIY thing. You..re playing with your friends and nothing is forbidden…
John L: Everyone..s given a chance to express themselves without obligations or musical backgrounds.

Any funny/interesting stories?
Clint: That would just have to be when a former member, Johnny-O on guitar, was so drunk that he couldn’t strike a chord and left the stage after only half a tune. Or when we played to over 1,000 people and afterwards, the Sergant at Arms of a certain “motorcycle gang” came into the dressing room and pointed at Nick and said :You! You’re nuts! Then turned to me and said: You’re even worse. Then he said: Anyone got a mirror? Or perhaps the time when Ego T, guitarist who just recently left the band due to lack of time, had some candle shots after a gig. Or when he dropped his pants and played naked. Or when Johhny-O and Nick both performed in dresses wearing Wellingtons. Or… Ok, so I’m boring you now… Sorry. Nick, you got anything else?

Nick: Yeah – at one of our last gigs, you Clint, were singing from the men’s room with the door closed. You should have seen the audience’s faces when he disappeared… Still singing your heart out!


What do you think about UFOs?
Clint: The band was a real bad thing. Other than that… I’m really not sure. I’d like to think we’re not alone in this huge universe, but I haven’t seen anything to prove it that hasn’t been ripped to pieces. It’s something like God, you know? I haven’t really seen anything to prove it, and then again I haven’t really seen anything to disprove it. I am an agnostic, I think, both when it comes to religion and UFOs.
Nick: Don..t think so much about them.
John L: I want mine candy apple red with magnesium spokes.

What religion are you guys and does it effect your music?
Clint: In Sweden most people are protestants, and we’re all Swedish. Sweden, however, is a VERY secularised society. So none of us would label ourselves religious. To me, I don’t see that it affects our music at all. I think being a part of the western, secularised world has more affect than religion.
Nick: Clint..s right. Our band and music has nothing to do with religion. I was married and christened my kids in the church and that’s it.
John L: My religion is called common sense.

What do you think of vegetarians?
Clint: Cool if you want to, but be really careful to eat properly. Your body needs protein and you can, you don’t have to but you can, end up in serious trouble if you don’t provide the nourishment your body needs. Personally, I think meat is delicious.
Nick: It..s all up to them.
John L: Keep up the good work , stay off my meat.

What do you guys do for work right now, other than playing music?
Clint: I’m a copywriter at an advertising agency. And I know it sounds like a total sell-out, but I love the creative work behind the scenes. And I love writing. Other than that, I think advertising and commercials are rather uninteresting. Some of it’s good, but most of it is really crappy and pollutes the world.
Nick: I got my own advertising agency.
John L: I am my own too. I work with demolitions and such.

What were some of your favorite bands growing up?
Clint: I’ve had SO many favourite bands. I’ll list a few: David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Sisters of Mercy, Ministry, Sweet, Kiss, Motorhead, Saxon, (early) Iron Maiden, Metallica, Damned, Mission, Joy Division, Cure, Killing Joke, New Model Army, Sex Pistols, Clash, Ramones, New York Dolls, AC/DC, Hunters&Collectors, Phoetus, Flesh Quartet, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Ebba Grön (Swedish punk act), Sator (Swedish act), Bauhaus, Fear Factory, Rolling Stones, Ozzy, B.B. King, Albert King, Robert Johnson, Danzig, Beatles, Billy Idol, Generation X, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Marillion, Yes, (early) Genesis, Peter Gabriel, the Police, Psychedelic Furs… I’ll stop there, ‘cos I think I got the most bands down.
Nick: The British punk scene, Ramones, Dolls, some garage, Who, Kinks and a Swedish band called Ingemar Nordströms etc.
John L: Ramones, Tuff Darts, James Last Hammond Party, Split Enz, Lizzy, ZZ Top, Damned, Piss Dolls, Spinal Tap, STICKies, The Residents and of course a little bit of the fantastic German combo The Scorpions…

Out of those bands what have influenced your band the most?
Clint: The 77-punk movement in Britain. Definitely.
Nick: Yeah The Pistols is the answer.
John L: ”This one goes to eleven”

Do any of the members of the band play in any other bands?
Clint: Not really. Not since Ego T left the band. He was in three bands, so he had a hard choice to make. He’s in Part-Time Posers (great band), and Sonic Farm now. We mock about to have some fun and get some more inspiration, but not in other bands on a steady basis, no.
Nick: I sometimes play together with a friend from my old band. Just a few times every year.
It..s not a real band but those times we really have a good time.
John L: Im..m not really in another band but I like to play with anyone anytime. Just for fun and to try new things.

What is the title of your latest cd?
Clint: Our latest CD is called S.I.L.F. And the tracks on myspace are from our two last CD's.

Could you tell me a little about it?
Clint: It took us a weekend to make at Acetone Studios. Saturday and Sunday, to be exact. Then we did a little additional mixing for about 5 hours on the week nights, the following week. S.I.L.F. holds 6 songs: Sicken, Drive, Fall for you, Sweet Pain, Loser and Knockdown.
John L: (I think Ego T had a big time hangover)

I know it takes a lot of promoting to get your band where it is today, and i wanted to ask if you have any promoting secrets that you would like to share with our readers?
Clint: There are no real secrets. I devote about two-five hours a day to being on the net, taking part of different communities (primarily myspace and the Swedish allears). Be there, stay in touch with people, befriend any magazine that is present on the community (but make sure you check their site first, so you know if you would actually be noticed by them, AND they want YOUR attention as much as you want theirs – always remember that) and play live as much as you can. Oh. Don’t forget to rehearse and create great tunes.
Nick: Great tunes is the secret. And of course to get people to hear you over the internet. I know that Clint puts a lot of time promoting the band through Myspace and All Ears.
John L: Get good, get out and play people’s arses off.

What do you think of Big Smile Magazine?
Clint: To me it’s punk as f-k! I love it! Misspellings? Who cares? Love of music? Tonnes! Does it show? You bet! Know how to make a mag? Who cares – we WANT to! Put it on the web? We’ll get some help or learn how to! In short, Big Smile is everything in the zine biz that we are in the music biz! I cannot do anything else but love you guys! =D
Nick: Great reading with lots of interesting bands. But personally I prefer reading on paper.
John L: ”If you want to spank the plank some low down blues to high tech jazz – Big Smile says is right”.