KOHOUT PLASI SMRT
The Czech band Kohout Plasi Smrt have a hard name to say but absolutely not any difficult music. Straight punkrock with czech lyrics. The interview was done in january 2009.
History about the group?
-Start of the band: 1996, since then there have been 10 people in the band, different players have been coming and leaving. The drummer have been the most unstable position, two times have guitarists have being changed. We have played punk rock for the last 9 years. Through our existence we have played over 500 gigs, in countries as Czech, France, Germany, Poland, Spain and Slovakia..
Please tell me a little about every member in the group, age, family, work, interests and something bad about every one?
-Matej is the vocalist. He is 26 years old and he works as a builder. He has one wife and 1 and half children. He likes music and beer :-).
Krtek is the bass player and the second vocalist. He is 34 years old and he has 1 wife and 1 child. His work is related to building too. He likes his family, music, books, beer...
Honza studies at the university and he plays the guitar. He is 21 years old. His interests is music, sport, drinking and relaxing.
Wilda plays drums and studies at the university too, he is 20 years old. He likes hard core,screamo and metalcore music.His interests is to play in all the other bands he has, car building and racing.
What do you mean by „something bad“ :-), we can only say, that most of us are alcoholics, but it isn’t that bad yet.
How is it to play this sort of music in Czech republic nowadays?
-This music is in Czech regrettably alternative or rather minority kind of music. Usual number of people on our gigs is up to 200-300, which means, that bands like us play mostly for fun, there is no way to earn money for the living by playing music like this. Only a few bands attracts more people. We have bigger audience on festivals. Ska music is quite popular.
How had it was if you have played this sort of music we say about twenty years ago there?
-There was a communistic regime in Czech twenty years ago, so punk, metal and similar kinds of music were repressioned. Notwithstanding there were some good bands in here. After year 1989 many new bands came into the scene. Some good, some…less good :-).
Did The Czech republic become a better country after the east was free and you become an own country?
-We were always our own country through the years of the Cold war, but after getting rid of the influence of the Soviet Union in 1989, many changes arrived and most of them were positive. People have definitely more personal freedom now, we can play music without repression, we can say what we think, this is better, only now we are under the influence of other subjects, like USA, NATO, EU..., maybe is it similar in Sweden now.
Is it many good bands coming to play in the Czech Republic?
-Yes, every year comes several good bands, for example Exploited, Deadline, The Casualities, The Offspring, Slayer, Metallica, Cavalera Conspiracy,Soulfly,KoRn,Mastodon,Neurosis, Cult of luna
Which is the biggest band you have played together with?
-We have played on festivals where Exploited, Deadline or Soulfly have played.
What does punk mean to you is it only a word or is it a lifetstyle?
-It is primarily the posibility to express our opinions, ideas, to play good music, have fun on gigs, and to get to know interesting people. We have made a lot of good friends in punk subculture.
You only sing in your own language, not any songs in english or so?
-Only in Czech language and we not intend to sing in any other language, because even when we sings in czech, it is difficult for people to understand the lyrics on live gigs. English sounds shitty when you aren´t a native speaker and neither of our singers is that.
Whats the best with singing in your own language?
-We play mainly in Czech and it is good if people understand and sing the lyrics.
Have you done anything more than Dusevni Vyluka? If you have how can I get it?
-We have done two official CDs and three promo records. If some people want to have them, they can write us an e-mail and we send it to them.
It feels like if you mix a lot of styles in your music but that you always have punk as a ground? What other styles do you like?
-We all listen to guitar music, but every member likes a little bit different kind of music. Punk rock, hard core, thrash metal, folk music...
Is there any good bands in your country nowadays? Any old favourites?
-Yes, I think, there are good bands in every country. Old favourites are mostly dead :-), or not playing anymore.
What do you know about Sweden?
-About Sweden? Sweden trio :-), black metal, Lindab, Puma Sweden, skiing, Volvo, cold weather, nice countryside, polar circle, big people with blond hair called vikings.:-)
Have you heard any good swedish bands?
-Best bands came from Sweden. Bands like: Millencolin, Cult of luna, Burst, Katatonia, Meshuggah, Entombed, The Hives….and Europe of courseJ
What does the name Kohout Plasi Smrt means?
-The cock scares the death, but it’s not meant to be taken literally, because it’s a name of a poem.
Your lyrics, what are they about?
-About life, problems, fun, politics, people, friends...there are loads of motives.
Please rank your five favourite records, five favourite concerts and five most important things in life?
Krtek:
Records: Rancid – Rancid 2000, Leftöver Crack – Fuck world trade, Slayer – South of heaven,
Rancid - Indestructible, Kreator – Extreme aggression
Gigs: Slayer, Exploited, Deadline, Cavalera Conspiracy, every show of our band :-)
Important things?: My family, my friends, my band, my work...
Honza:
Records: Some Metallica album, some Offspring album, Rage against the machine – Tha battle of LA, NOFX – The Longest line, Korn – Untouchables; gigs: Metallica, Flogging molly, The Hives, The Offspring, The Locos; life: Friends, sport, music and definitely some other things…
Will:
Records: whole KoRn discography till the album Take a look in the mirror (after this album they play shit!!), Katatonia – the great cold distance, Deftones - whole discography, and many many other band is tons of good music to listen.
Concerts: KoRn(200? I can´t remember), Cult of luna, Ektomorf, Neurosis @ Brutal assault 2008, Soulfly @ Trutnov 2008
Life: the most important things in my life were in 1988 when I was born, and then a moment when I started to play drums
Matej:
Records: Some DOORS album, Jethro Tull - too old to rockandroll and too young to die, some Queen album, Czech folk singers, and some punk bands too :-).
Concerts: All where I have been and all where I played.
Life: birth of my son...I´am too young for some experience :-).
First, last and most expensive record ever bought?
Krtek: my first record was Metallica - ...and justice for all, maybe 20 years back, last was Rancid – Indestructible and this was most expensive: 7 Euro and it was an illegal copy :-).
Honza: Only record I ever bought was of one czech punkrock band, which I don’t listen to anymore, everything else I own are illegal copys.
Will: Last and most expensive record I bought was The Ocean - Precambrian
Matej: first:Nirvana unplugged, last: Plastic People of the Universe – czech underground band. Most expensive: M.Jackson - HiStory 45 euro.
Most embarrassing record in your collection?
-Krtek: Some would be a black metal from Kuala lumpur.
Honza: Afroman.
Will: Demos and promos of local bands
Matej: Some record by Meatloaf which is my mothers.
What do you think about Facebook, My space and all those stuff, is it good for a band of your caliber?
-Yes, people can listen to music from the other side of the world through this stuff. For bands like us, which are not supported by any worldwide label, this is almost the only posibility to get our music abroad.
Where do you stand when we talk about mp3 and downloading?
-No problem. Download our or any other music as much as you like, we do it as well.
Is it good or bad for a band of your size?
-Mp3 and downloading is good advertisement for bands of our caliber. CD is now only promo.
Futureplans for the band?
-Play wherever it is possible, some foreign shows, new video, new CD
Futureplans for yourself?
-Krtek: endure
Honza: to have fun
Will: make good music for peoples´ pleasure
Matej: survive
Wisdomword?
-Don’t take life too seriously
Relax, you live only once.
Something more to add?
-Thanx for the talk
Bands webiste: www. myspace. com/kohoutplasismrt