Asta Kask does not really need any closer
presentation because they have been on for 40
years now and are coming soon on a jubilee tour.
Micke was so kind and talked a little with me
with about this and then they have released
their new Ep at Gaphals too. Febryari-2018
40 years as a band ... does it feel unreal?
-Yeah, of course. 40 years is a long time.
The strange thing is that it does not feel. We
still have so much fun.
What's the big difference to playing music today
if you compare when you started, I mean
everything from gigs, making music, promoters
etc?
- Clearly that's a big difference. The
songwriting is harder today.
In any case, it is a damn process for me to get
my lyrics foreward.
You can not be angry with the same things as
when you were 15 years as well. But then the
texts can not be about aching old bodies and
impotence problems.
We are trying to keep everything around as much
as possible today. We do not have any management
or record companies to slave under. We own our
own products today and only use one booker
today.
It would be untenable if we booked everything
ourselves and handled gages etc. We know .... we
have tried.
No, I see no direct difference in the
musicplaying in the 80's and today.
Perhaps it's a bit harder to get everything
together logistically when we live in different
directions.
The gig is the same and in some cases the songs
😉
What's the fun of playing live?
-We really love to play live and would not do
this if it felt the least hard or boring.
Since 2003, we have made 3 times as many gigs
than in the 80's. We have also had the honor to
go to other countries and tour. Clearly we like
3 weeks in the USA on the west coast instead of
being home and working. Or during dull November
days, go around Japan or Colombia with a beer in
your hand.
😉
Which is your worst gig ever?
-Oh…. I can not point out someone who's extra
bad.
Perhaps some of the first gigs in the 70-80's
where we were drunk on stage or just fucking
nervous. We have the foot in several styless so
we mix fresh from big festivalgigs to small
crowded rock clubs. We like it. If we end up on
strange gigs today we think it's fun ... .anyway
afterwards.
During the United States tour, we said no to
Punkock Bowling in Las Vegas because we already
said yes to a place in Phoenix.
Once in place, there were 8 paying and no stage
and the gigmoney was Whiskey or drugs. We
laughed at it then. But for us each gig is
equally important. We give the audience
everything even if there's just a guy there. If
he has paid entry, he will receive what he
wishes.
But of course we have come to freaky odd places
sometimes. I remember a Germany tour where the
Austrian bookkeeper was scarcely not aware of
the places he booked. Often our tour bus was
bigger than the venue.
But as I said ... we like it.
The new record contains strong texts and treats
a lot of racism? Is it important to touch these
things in song lyrics? Is it hard not to have
pointers in texts?
-It was probably not planned that the new disc
would have such a red thread textual, but it
became just like that. We are so damn angry on
the normalization of racism and that, for
example. sits old nazis in parliament.
They can eliminate it anyway. But we had our
fights with Sweden Dumocrates already in the
80's. Then other uniforms was worn.
The fact that the texts address racism
vulnerability and humanity feels very close to
us today. Rather be called Political correct
than dumb runner with the stream.
Pointers? Yes, maybe it would be necessary
sometimes.
What do you think about the election this fall?
Will SD(Swedish Democrates) increase or
decrease? What do you think will be the most
important question?
-Unfortunately, SD is getting more room in the
election again. The citizens begin to lick a
little brown and normalize the panic that is
spreading.
I really did not think 6 years ago that the
Swedish people could be so dumb that they voted
in Nazis in the government. I was really shocked
that people are so ill-advised today.
"Touch the pot", I say thank you.
Why was it just a vinyl of the latest album? You
release a lot of other vinyl now too. Will it be
on Gaphals too?
-The reason is so simple that no CD is sold
anymore. The format is out so out and nobody
wants it. Now you do not sell records at all.
Everything is streamed and downloaded.
We still want to make physical records for those
who are still buying and collecting them. The
digital songs are not in anyone's collection in
15 years. We ship with a download link in the
vinyl so you can burn a CD to your car stereo.
Yes, we have chosen to work with Gaphals as they
feel alert and they´re cool guys who burn for
what they do.
We'll give it all out on our own K.A.A.P but let
them take care of the distro and the spread. We
are a little too old and lazy for it.
You go out on a 40-year tour, is it something
you look forward to and what do you think will
be funniest on it?
-In the name of honesty, I can admit that the
40-year-old was not our idea. We would do a tour
for the new full length, which was planned. We
failed to get enough material and then chose a
4-song Maxi EP while waiting for the remaining
songs. So we have little more to do on this
planet
Now Dadde has been in the group a whole lot of
years, it works well, I understand?
-It works well with the new guy.
Dadde came in 2004 and has played longer in Asta
than any other drummer have. Even more recorded
discs with Dadde.
He is a good injection for the guys. And then we
get some cool tattoos of him sometimes.
😉
Do you have any other bands on the side? if you
have which bands are you playing in these days?
-You may probably have Daddy, who has some other
bands today. We others have only a few different
constellations today.
How has the punk changed during the 40 years
you've played?
-It's been a damn rollercoaster all the way I
think. From being just a genre of punk to become
so complicated that you need a dictionary today
to sort out all.
It was easier earlier but for that it did not
say was better.
When punk came into our lives, it was an ADHD
medicine for all angry kids. We were helped into
a good life that developed us into thinking and
critical DIY people.
You're still a band that, unlike other "older"
punk bands, which attracts new and young
audiences too, or how is out there when you
play, are they just old people of our age?
-We are extremely grateful for that. We often
have 3 generations in the audience. The younger
ones at the top clearing and screaming for the
songs on "En för alla ingen för nån" disc. It
was sometimes their ticket in to Asta Kask.
In the middle, the middle age punks stands with
their arms crossed and rocking a little bit when
we play Ringhals Brinner.
At the back, the parents to them at the
forefront of the time when it started. It's
great fun to meet all of these after a gig where
everyone has their memories of Asta Kask. Some
from 78 and some from 2016.
Which is the most odd band you've played with at
any concert so far, I mean a band that is far
from your musical?
-Oh there have been many. But the mix is
what's
fun.
Can´t come up with anything now.
But there have been wizards and 20-men bands
like in Japan and Colombia.
How do you do when you writing songs, is it just
one who makes a song or how does it work for
you? Do you always sing the song the one who
have done the song when performed or how do you
do?
-We often have an almost finished song when we
get to the rehearsalroom. Everyone makes their
personal touch and PLOPP then it becomes an Asta
Kask song.
Whoever writes the song sings it of course if
nothing else is wanted. Therefore Bonnie's
obesity of songs on the last discs.
I'm really slow about writing songs today.
Are there any new good punk bands in Sweden that
you want to mention and highlight so that more
people can hear just that band?
-There are plenty. I love new bands and really
want to follow them up from the start. We do not
want anything more than a young band playing the
shit of us and putting us in place.
I get new favorites all the time.
Right now I'm really love Trubbel, The Baboon
Show and The Dahmers.
But also bands in Demo mode.
Five discs that must be included in the tour
bus?
-In fact not important at all. We would like to
have a little quiet on the bus.
Sleep like old guys or just talk crap. We listen
more to fucking odd songs when we travel.
When and where did you have your first concert?
How did it go and which songs were played? Is
there any of the songs left on the repertoire
today?
-It goes all the way apart. Since we changed the
set, I can not choose a concert. But we did
quite a lot in the parks with the early Asta
Kask.
400 raggare and a punk band. You can figure out
how it went.
Certainly there are songs left from that time on
the set list.
Fänrik Fjun was probably one of the first songs
from 78.
We learned a lot of course of course but also
want to convey what we are today too.
There are always questions you would like to
have in an interview ... .If there's somebody
you never get but want .... if so, ask it and
answer it?
-I've probably got all the questions in the
world. The one stranger than the other. But I'm
terribly happy and surprised when any interview
has good research and becomes personally
interesting.
There were a lot of fanzines in the 80's who
wanted to have us interviewed.
After answering the same interview 100 times
times, one was sad.
We made a preprinted answer sheet and sent that.
It always sued
Not of insufficient interest from us, but it was
thought that the questions could be a little
more fun for us and for those who read the
fanzine.
Many foreign bands make covers on your songs. Do
you have any favorites of these? Is there any CD
/ LP collection with your songs made by other
bands?
-Japanese are damn good at making Asta Kask in Swedish.
Takahschagummi(excuse spelling) makes really good covers with good Swedish pronunciation.
Rasta Knast actually made their own career with our songs and our logo.
Sometimes when we have played in Germany some younger people can come out and say that it was good, but why are you just playing Rasta Knast songs
Recently, a band from Ecuador released a Tribute
EP in Spanish.
They failed to translate so they wrote own
texts, I think.
We have been looking forward to making any
collection of this. We had a link on our website
for all collected covers. I do not know if it's
left anymore.
A little fun story is when we first played in
Bilbao Spain.
At an official dinner party with fans and organizers, it turned out that an older guy had a confession. He had come to his rehearsal room in the 80´s and presented anew song he have made. The spng was Psykiskt Instabil firmly rename to Civilizate.
They played it for many years and it was their
HIT.
When the internet came, everything was revealed.
Now we have recorded Civilizate in Spain and took our song back
😉
When do you come to Gothenburg and what bands do
you have as support?
- April 14, we will visit Pustervik in GBG. What bans who plays more I have no idea unfortunately. It has not been our thing to fix.
Future plans with the band after the tour?
-After the tour, we will drive some summer gigs in Sweden that is booked. Can not handle it unless it is not clear.
We will continue to work to write more songs to
the album.
We have some loose threads on a couple of
overseas tours to ..
We drive on as usual.