VLADIMIRS
Brian from Vladmirs answers some questions about horrorpunk, swedish music and his own favouriterecords.

Please a little bit of history?
-Hello, Brian of the Vladimirs here. We formed in 1996. We were all in other bands at the time (Brian/Bad Samaritans & Squared Away), (Marquis/Thorns Of The Carrion), (Ash/Estuary & Thorns Of The Carrion), and (Doug/The Blame). We decided to do something more fun to take a break from our other bands and write about our other interests (ghosts,vampires,zombies,insanity...fun stuff). Marquis Thomas had some songs written and we loved them so we decided to record. It turns out lots of other people loved them too, and we thought "hey this could be big". We have been doing it ever since. The line-up until recently has been Marquis Thomas (vocals/guitar), Ash Thomas (drums), Doug Nevels (bass), and me Brian Day (guitar/vocals). Recently Ash left the band to pursue his other band Estuary. He has been replaced by drummer Eric Tuffendsam.

Please tell me a little about every member, age, family, interests,work
and something bad about every one?
-Well, Marquis is 23 (i think), Doug is 30, Ash is 27, and I (Brian) am 33. Newcomer Eric is 22. We all like some of the same things like music (record and cd collecting), food, beer, sex, movies, alien cover-ups, secret societies, religion, history, typical things. Marquis is into movies more than the rest of us. Doug is into tattoos. Ash is into metal, metal, metal the most. I am into collecting music and guitars. Eric is into computers and recording.

Of course you´re being compared to Misfits, comment)?
- That is not necessarily a bad thing, but the Misfits had only a little influence on us. We are all into a lot of other bands way more than we ever were into the Misfits. I don't think any of us has even listened to the Misfits in years. We just happen to have similar aspects. I don't think we sound that much like them.

Which other groups are you being compared to?
-The only other groups we have been compared to have been Motorhead (for our music, not the vocals) and Carnivore. Oh yeah, and once someone said we remind them of Concrete Blonde. But, i think that is quite a stretch.

Many people would say that you play horrorpunk, what about that
expression? How would you describe your music yourself?
-I would say we started off that way and we still have elements of that. But, we have evolved to where we also do songs that are more metal also. And our lyrics aren't always about zombies and such. We also get deep into the darkness of the human mind. More psychological, "'horrorpunk' of the mind". Like a 'Twilight Zone' episode or an old 'Alice Cooper' song. Of course we still have the fun "zombie" song from time to time.

How many records have you done, I have only Night Gallery and The odds are against us, which other records have you done and how can I get it?
-We have 5 cd's out now: Vladimirs (self-titled debut), So Fine Cocubine, Night Gallery, Hits And Near Misses, and The Odds Are Against Us. The first cd is out of print for now (but not for long) and the others you can get on Ebay, thru our website, or from http://www.bloodandgutsrecords.com
 We also have one 7" and have appeared on MANY tributes and comps.
 Blood And Guts is the label we recently signed to. They are great and very reliable. They have a great selection of music and music related items. By the time this interview comes out, they will have released a new Vladimirs cd entitled 'Scars Of The Vladimirs' which is a best of from the past 8 years. It also has one unreleased track. There are other places online to find our cd's also. With the release of our new upcoming cd 'Serpent Girl' fans should be able to find our cd's at their local stores and thru major distributors. And they can always send me check or international money order to: Brian Day 1911 Acorn Drive Cincinnati, Ohio 45231 USA. And I will send out the order myself.

Which type of people comes to your concerts?
-We have a mix from punks, skins, goths, horrorpunks, rockers, and metalheads. That is because we have a little of each influence in our music. Because we like all of that type of music.

Is there any good bands in your home country?
-There are tons of great bands here. Since the famous bands get enough exposure anyway, i will name some you may not have heard of: Nim Vid, Graveyard School, Eerie Ln., Blitzkid, Calabrese, Soulless, Guttervamps, Kill City, etc...

What is typical swedish? What do you know about sweden?
-I have a friend who has been there several times. He says it is great. So I assume it is very nice there. I know that a lot of great music comes from Sweden and you have some great concerts.

Have you heard any swedish bands?
-Yes, Yngwie Malmsteen is one of my favorite guitar players. As well as bands like Dream Evil, Entombed, Nocturnal Rites, The Haunted, Vintersorg, Casket Casey (also on Blood And Guts Records), and lets not forget Europe (I like their older stuff best). Great musicians. I have heard that playing a musical instrument is highly encouraged in Sweden, and that there is much financial support to learn/study music.

Which reviews have you got on the new CD?
-We have got some really good ones from people who can understand and appreciate the diversity on our new cd. But even the one who didn't really like it (one review) still did not say it was that bad. Our next cd 'Serpent Girl' is back to our old style as some may be able to tell from the 'Serpent Girl' track on the newly released 'This Is Horrorpunk 2' compilation, from Fiendforce Records. Mostly great reviews, that makes us happy. It seems like a lot of people like the more technical playing for a change. A break from the 3 chord punk rock that we usually do.

Do you care about reviews?
-Yes. We like to know that we are reaching people. We won't let a bad review destroy us. But it's sort of like someone saying that they don't like a picture that you drew when you spent a lot of time (and money) trying to get it right. Either way we have fun making it, we love it.

Which is the most peculiar review you ever have got?
-Well, one time after a show in New York I gave some kid with a 'zine a copy of our cd to review. He said he liked it, but he compared us to Murphy's Law (the old NYHC band). I don't think we sound much like them.
 


 

Your name Vladimirs, where does it comes from?
-Marquis came up with it. It is after the Count Vlad Tepe. We wanted something dark, not too serious, that captured the feel of the old 1950's greaser bands.

Is it important to have a name which sticks out? Which is the best
punkbandname?

-I think it is important to have a name that sticks out, but it is hard to come up with a good one that isn't already used. I think that Jody Fosters Army was one of the great punk band names. And a great band too.

How is a good concert with you? Is it violent?
-A good concert is when we get a good crowd where everyone is having a good time and getting along. It's okay to be a little rough, but we have seen it get out of hand too many times. We have seen our fans get seriously hurt in fights for no reason. And then no one wants to come to the shows because they think they might get hurt. That's not good.
 

When you do songs, is it important to have a lyrics which is about
something important or is it OK to sing about love(i know that love is
important but you know what I mean?)?
-I think it's good to have powerful, meaningful lyrics because it means you are writing about something important to you. But you have to have some silly fun songs too. Humorous songs are good to break the tension.

Politics and music, does it go hand in hand?
-Sure. But not so much for our songs. We leave that to the bands who are better at it than us. We focus on other things. But I think you should be able to say whatever you want to in your song.

Which is the best political band?
-Agnostic Front, C.O.C., all of the old punk and hardcore.

Which label have been releaseing your albums?
-The first 3 cd's were thru Reanimator Records. Now we are going thru BLOOD AND GUTS RECORDS. We have worked with labels like Spasthmatic, Dwell, and Valiant Death, and Fiendforce Records for other comps and tributes in the past. We made appearances on King Diamond, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, and Samhain tributes to name a few.

Please rank your five favourite records, five favourite concerts and five
most important things in life?
-Wow ! That's tough. I am a serious music collector and have thousands of cd's records, tapes, etc... It is very tough for me to pick favorites in any of those categories. Some of my favorite bands would have to be the older bands though, the ones who started it all. UFO, Alice Cooper, Scorpions, Deep Purple, Rainbow. But i like way too many to ever pick a favorite. I like them all for different reasons.
 In life, i think my family, friends, and beliefs are the most important things. I think that the rest of the band would agree with me.

First, last and most expensive record ever bought?
-Okay, now we are talking. I can't remember which was first 'Ozzy Osbourne-Diary Of A Madman' or 'Def Leppard-Pyromania' but it was one of those two that was my first. The last two I just bought last weekend were 'Bronz-Taken By Storm' and 'Streetwalkers-Red Card/Vicious But Fair 2 on 1'. The most expesive....Maybe 'Necros-Conquest For Death'LP ($30.00)or 'Buffalo-Volcanic Rock/Only Want You For Your Body 2 on 1'($40.00). A couple of 'Budgie' Lp's that i have, i paid about $30.00 each for.  But I have some in my collection that are worth way more than that. I just found them cheap because people sell them without knowing that they are rare. I have some very rare punk and metal items that I bought cheap, or bought from the bands when I saw them live.
 

Most embarrassing record in your collection?
-I don't think I have anything that is embarrassing, because if I have it, then I like it. I don't care what anyone else thinks. But, if someone was going to tease me, it would probably be for some of the old glam metal i have like 'Sleeze Beez' or lite stuff like 'Sade'.

What does punk mean to you, is it only a word or is it a lifestyle or
what?
-It is a lifestyle. And it is not always just about mohawks and hair dye. It is about doing things your own way, sticking to your beliefs when it's not cool to do that.

It have been a lot of terroristattacks around the world lately, are you
scared and what shall we do about it?
-Good question. I think it is terrible. Because the people doing that are being cowards. It is unfair to the innocent victims. I don't really know what we can do other than look out for each other. And watch your back and the guy / girl next to you. Keep our eyes open and hope to stop them before it happens.

Have you done any songs about this stuff?
-Not yet. I don't know if we will. I don't know if we would be able to write a good song about this subject. Maybe.

What about the bands future?
-The next full length cd 'Serpent Girl' is in the final stages of recording. We will release that thru Blood And Guts Records. And then go on the road again to support the cd.

Wisdomword?
-Everyone out there keep rocking. Go to www.bloodandgutsrecords.com
and buy some of the great stuff. Treat each other with respect. And as always...Stay Sick!!!!

Something to add?
-Thank you so much for doing this interview with us, we hope you enjoyed it. Cheers to Sweden !
 

 

http://www.thevladimirs.com