Göttemia is a really good punkrockband from Norway. I got their three lastest records from Laurits and it´s three brilliant records that all should have. The interview is done in may 2024.

 

Tell me the short or the long story how you did come together as a band?

Laurits: We started out of boredom, living in the deep forest in a small town near Värmland, Årjeng. The town is called Mysen, a city full of burglars and Amfetamins..

There were about three of us who liked music, everyone else listened to Eddie Meduza or Trance. It was me doing the bass, a singer called Christer (quit in 2013) and Roy on drums.

We had a guitar player sometimes, but he was more into Creedence..

 

It haven´t always been the same members? Tell me a little about every member, age, work and something bad about every one?

Laurits: Before we landed Rolph, we had about 12 guitar players. 

We have had two singers.. Roy was out for a year or two, in that period Magnus from Fork, Årabrot, Regn stepped in.

Ricky joined around 2014/2015.

Rolph: I joined around 2005?

 

Do you have any other bands on the side of Göttemia?

Ricky: I have a room filled with syntheziers and sequncers.

Laurits: I play keys in a band called Gringo Bandido, and do Bass and vocals in a band called Laurits Mosseby Orkester.

Rolph: I play bass with Roy on drums in a band called Good Time Barbeque Blues Band. Also guitar in a band called Freedumb. At the moment Freedumb is inactive

 

How is the punkscene living on in Norway right now?

Ricky: The youngsters are forming new punk bands everyday. Check out Blindtärm

Laurits: The punkscene seems quite good these days.. It seems like its a bulk of positive smiling bands and a more negative non smiling scene.

 

When you started to play, did you do your own songs at once or did you start with some covers, if you did which covers did you played then and do play any covers nowadays?

Laurits: We started out writing our own songs immediately. On our new album we have a cover of Four Tops, Reach out i´ll be there.. And we just recorded a cover of The Knife, Pass This On..

I like the covers where you take music with another sound and makes it fit into your own song. We¨ve also played Sergels Torg once.

 

I hear that you have influences of many style of punkrock etc? Favoritpunkstyle?

Ricky: I never understood hardcore or skatepunk.

Laurits: I ́ve never cared that much about genres. But I get much inspiration from newer punkbands, Pissed Jeans, Idles etc.

I like the once who seems to act as them self. 

Descendents as a example, so cool in a uncool way.

Dead Moon..

 

Foto:Daniel Lastad

I got three albums from you, is the earlier not possible to get in some way except Ebay etc?

Laurits: They are available through our bandcamp (Tonehjulet Kräftpest) and through most Norwegian record shops.

 

What does punk mean to you , is it only music or is it a life style?

Ricky: Love the punkmusic scene and its people. But my lifestyle consists of sweatpants, snus, beer and tv. Not very punk….

Laurits: It´s all around, doesnt matter if your a old lady listening to christian music, a 5 year old or whatever. It´s a energy. And not giving a fuck.  

 

Is there any good punkbands around in Norway right now?

Ricky: Blindtärm

Laurits: Blindtärm, Wepsebol, Svartedauden, Live Aids, Svarte Peeng, Pappasaft, Oslo Ess, The Good The Bad And The Zugly, Lucky Malice, Fork, Daman Shurek, Monotrons, The Christians, 

 

Do you have any Swedish favorites?

Ricky: Viagra boys, Ebba grön

Laurits: Allan Edwall. Cesars Palace, Leaders Off, Fanskapt, Kenta, Georg Riedel, De Lyckliga Kompisarna, Strängen, Fred Åkerström, Stefan Sundström, Vånna Inget, Vanligt Folk, Imperial State Electric, Bob Hund.

 

Have you been here and played anytime?

Laurits: As the tour booker of this band I´ve tried to book Sweden everytime I book a tour, but I find it superhard to get anything.. The rumour says Swedish people is a bit uninterested in bands from Norway, dunno if thats true. 

Rolph: Malmö, Vänersborg, Bengtsfors, Stockholm, Göteborg, Helsingborg, Karlstad

 

Is it many interviews? 

Laurits: Once in a while.. Check out Rassisme on youtube. 

 

How did the name came up? What does Göttemia means  Which is your favoritbandname alltime?

Laurits: My favoritte band name of all time is maybe , BOB HUND(!!), Amyl & the Sniffers, Dead Kennedys, NoMeansNo, . The band name came up outa us being 17-18 and thinking there was so many bad band names, we didnt wanna grow tired of it, so we picked a name that was so bad that we was tired of it from the moment we picked it.

It means Götte - Götteri - Godis & Mia (the name).  Götte also is a slang for the female genetalia. 

 

Could you feel that you have released a record if you only put it out digitally?

Ricky: Some may feel that. But we dont

Laurits: To me its important, doesn´t feel real before you have the fysical LP. 

 

Foto:Knut Oscar Nymo

Do you buy much records yourself? Do you have any recordstore left in your hometown?

Ricky: Yes alot.

Laurits: Yep.

Rolph: Some. We have a local  record store called Sjokkrock.

 

Are you listening to any other music than punk? Any band you really like but you “shouldn´t” like?

Ricky: Kid Rock 

Laurits: One thing I hate about punk, and other subgenres is all the narrow minded people you tend to meet everywhere. I listen to Carpenters alot. Old Norwegian cassette artist like Håkon Banken og Stein Ove Berg, Erik Bye.

 

Which is your personal Göttemia favoritesong and which is the audience’s choice?

Ricky: Mine is New Ass/More Guts. I think Total Eclipse of the Brain is a crowd pleaser.

Laurits: Favorites is Final Warning, Dig In, Look at you now, On & On.. Audience likes Slow Motion Suicide, Fat Shaming, Caligula.

 

Which is….

-the album which make you wanna do music and play yourself?

Ricky: Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegtables-DK

Laurits: Beatles - Revolver, Beach Boys - Summer Days & Summer Nights, Poison Idea - Feel The Darkness, Pissed Jeans - King of Jeans, Amyl & the Sniffers - Comfort to me.

 

-the album which is the reason that Göttemia sounds like you do?

Laurits: 

Velvet Underground & Nico

NoMeansNo - Wrong

The Mormones - Guide to Good and Evil

Camaros - Glad, Evil, Bad

Yardbirds - Having a Rave Up With The Yardbirds.

Sonic Youth - Goo

Rancid - Rancid 2000

Turbonegro - Ass Cobra

The Hives - Veni Vidi Vicious

Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks

Ramones - We´re Outa Here

Rolph: Dinosaur Jr - Beyond

 

-the album you have been playing/singing on, I mean any other bands classic record?

Laurits: I  sing some vocals with Fork, our very good friends that we have toured with many times, check them out, the album is called 1890 Antislum and the song is called Puste.

I will also recommend Gringo Bandido with the album Chief Police where i do the keys.

 

-the album you must have in the tourbus

Ricky: We listen to alot of Allan Edwall

Laurits: Whatever.. Have good memories of listening to The Byrds.

Rolph: Johnossi, over and over again.

 

-the album which was the first you ever bought?

Ricky: Spice Girls

Laurits: The first tape was Thriller the first CD was More Music 1.. 

Rolph: Im not sure, probably Metallica the Black album on tape when it came out.

 

-the album you´re ashamed of that you own but you like anyway?

Ricky: I love em all

Laurits: There is no guilty pleasures. I liked the bands JJ72 and Manic Street Preachers in the early 2000, they havent managed to keep up with the time.

Rolph: Hoobastank.

 

Foto:Veronica Van Groningen

 

How is it to live in Norway right now, political, bad economy, racists etc?

Laurits: The political right rices, the so called left keep on privatise and selling out. Racist wise it´s not like Sweden, but the far right is rising. On the economical side, prises rise all the time..

 

If you have the chance to rule Norway for a week, which have been the first thing you have been changed?

Ricky: The price of tobaccoo

Laurits: That every big desicion was up for voting. And stop privatising everything, there is no profit in quality service for the young and the old.

 

Do you think that politics should be in music? Which is your most political song?

Ricky: Yes it should! Untermench, Norway 2019 and Working Class

Laurits: I think so, Look at you now is a example.. Name 5 good bands from the political right, thats hard. Those people aint got any taste.

 

Best political band/artist?

Ricky: The Clash, Ebba Grön.

Laurits: Phil Ochs, Imperiet, Lucky Malice, Honningbarna, Gatas Parlament, Bøyen Beng

Rolph: Kanye West

 

You sing mostly in English, why not in your own language? Is it easier to write songs in English?

Ricky: It´s much easier. But i like bands that sing in their native tounge

Laurits: I tried shitloads of times but its hard. There is not many people who manage to make good lyrics in Norwegian. Theres so many times I wished I was Swedish, it´s a lot richer and more musical language. One guy who mastered to sing in Norwegian was a guy called Jokke, check him out, like the song Halv.

 

It feels like you are a really good liveband, is it sweaty on your concerts?

Ricky: Yes, and bad smelling

Laurits: I´m not happy with my own contribution if im not totally tired and sweat after a gig.

 

What the most craziest thing which ever have been taken place on a concert with Göttemia? 

Laurits: Must be somwhere in Czech Republic, or the Baltics.

Drunkass people dancing around.. One time we played at some kind of memorial concert for dead anti-fa guys. We was told that it was a big chance that neo-nazis was going to show up.

Guns, drunk anti-fas and some kind of militant vegan-police solving the drunkenness-problem with violence. 

Another time we played in the Basque, some kind of “midsommar”.. Total chaos, wich can be seen in our music video Style.

 

Which type of people comes to your concert?

Ricky: The best kind. All kinds. All ages.

 

Have you been playing a lot outside Norway?

Laurits: We have toured quite much, Norway is a very long country, so when living in the south east makes it more tempting to go outa the country.

Rolph: Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Holland, France, Spain, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland.

 

Please tell me a little about the following songs?

-Vulva, gateway to hell

Ricky: Just a classic I hate my life tale.

-Gulag/Living la vida Lockdown

Ricky: Killing boredom by trying new selfharm/sexual activities

-Yack

Ricky: Hating my adult life and wife.

 

Future plans for the band?

Laurits: Try to play a bit more in Norway and Sweden. We´re in the process of writing new songs. 

 

For yourself? 

Laurits: Keep on dying. Keep on trying. Trying to have a good time. Play/make more music.

Rolph: Im a cat-person, iI simply love those small artfull little dodgers, so cute, I own 8 cats now.  Perfect my Fårikål skills: 

Fårikål: (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈfòːrɪkɔɫ, ˈfɔ̀rːɪkɔɫ]) is a traditional Norwegian dish, and the country's national dish.[1][2][3] It consists of pieces of mutton with bone, cabbage, whole black pepper and occasionally a little wheat flour, cooked for several hours in a casserole, traditionally served with potatoes boiled in their skins.

 

I do beer myself and I really like beer. You haven´t any thoughts of doing a Göttemia beer, if you do it what have it been called and which type of beer would it have been? Or maybe you´re straight edge? 

Laurits: We are a beer drinking bunch, always been. Maybe a 6,5% Bock. Götte-Bock. Hell yeah!

Rolph: Göttemia Moonshine sounds better!

 

Wisdomword?

Ricky: Våga Böga

Laurits: Life's a piece of shit

When you look at it

Life's a laugh and death's a joke, it's true

You'll see it's all a show

Keep 'em laughin' as you go

Just remember that the last laugh is on you

And

Always look on the bright side of life..

Rolph: Fuck you! I drive a VOLVO!

 

Something to add?

 

Ricky:

Laurits: If you wanna book us, please take contact.laurits.mosseby@gmail.com

Rolph: https://northwildkitchen.com/farikal-norwegian-lamb-cabbage-stew