ZSA ZSA GABOR´s comes from Austria(I thought it was Germany). Their label sent me a really good record and I was knocked ….Here have Mots answered a lot of questions and that was done in october-2018
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Please tell me a little bit history of the group?
-All members of THE ZSA ZSA GABOR'S played in different bands for some years. In 2013 some bands didn't worked that good anymore and decided to start a band of members from our little hometown St. Pölten (Austria). First it was only a rehersal project, but we played some live gigs and it worked really good together. After some months we recorded our first demo. From then it was clear that we would take the band seriously. Meanwhile we look back on 3 studio albums and some singles. We play regularly gigs in Austria and foreign countries and we still have fun together.

Please tell me a little about every member in the group right now, age, family, work, interests and something bad about everyone? Earlier bands? Other bands on the side?
-All members of THE ZSA ZSA GABOR'S have regular jobs, punkrock is our hobby. Hurricane Hari - singer and guitar player - works at the IT branche, ZZ Gabor - drummer - works at Vienna's Badeschiff - a Club on the river Danube and Mots T. Sux - bass - is managing a small guesthouse in St. Pölten. Hari and Gabor had a 77-streetpunk band called EXEED EXCESS and Mots played at SKEPTIC ELEPTIC, a 77-garage band. Mots is also playing at the femele-fronted Punkrockband DEMENZIA KOLEKTIVA.

I can hear much different influences but mostly 77-punk and Rancid and that type of bands etc? Favorites from the past?
-Ui, there are so much influences, we are all punkrock nerds. we love this kind of music. There was so much good music in the past and our songs are a homage on this great bands such like COCK SPARRER, RAMONES, THE CLASH, SEX PISTOLS and so on. But we also like bands from nowadays, such like THE BONES, RANCID, STREET DOGS, THE BROILERS.

Zsa Zsa Gabor´s are you satisfied with the name? How did it came up? You weren’t afraid that some other band would be named like this? Who was she? Which is the best bandname you know?
-Yes, we like our band name. It is a special name - we know, but we choose this name instad of equal names like Backseat Loosers or something like that. Our name is unique in the punkrock scene and we don't know an other band with this name. Our drummers name is Gabor and here the name comes from. Mrs. Zsa Zsa Gabor is a hungarian actress, who performed in Hollywood. She had Glamour, she was rich, because she married only rich husbands. And she sloped a police officer! There is nothing wrong with this person, but her name sounds really cool.

What´s the best thing with playing live?
-The best thing IS playing live. When you perform your own songs and the crowed sings the lyrics, it's wonderful. We write our songs very melodical and hymnal, so that everyone can sing from the first refrain. We also like to play in cities, where we dind't played before, to meet new people. And of couse we are party animals!

And where is best to play? And the worst place?
-The best place to play live is nowadays in Germany. The scene is realy big there and there are many live locations, even in small cities. In Austria it is hard to play nowadays. Many Rock clubs closed and there are not so much punkrock promoters. The only place, where the punkrock scene is big, is in Vienna. Many live shows are happing there and there are always enough visitors. In our hometown St. Pölten we play once a year and that's enough. But we also have there our fans. We also love to play in Czech Republic, there is also a big Punkrock Scene.
We don't know the worst place - we play everywhere people like to hear Oldschool Punkrock.

How is to play this sort of music in Austria right now? Which types of bands do you have concerts together with?
Our band is located in Austria, so we play some shows in Germany and it is always great there. Oldschool Punkrock is some years famous and some years not. It depands on bands, which are getting big. Such like THE BRIEFS - they turned 77-Punkrock into the 2000.
We have some friendship with german bands like THE HIGGINS, THE BLACK TAPE and SCOBBEN and we also play many shows with DEGRADACE from Czech Republic. In Austria we play together with our homies DEAD CITY RADIO - great political hardcore punk.

How would you describe your music in three words?
-PUNK ROCK MUSIC

What does punk mean to you, is it only a word or is it a lifestyle? You have a song Forever Punk which I think should be the national anthem to all punks around the world?
-We wrote the Song FOREVER PUNK to express exactly this lifestyle. We all have regular jobs, some children and family. but the punk accompanies us all our lives and the basic attitude has not changed since our youth. do not let anything dictate, question everything, live your own life. Fuck all the Nazi scum.

How do you see on downloading, mp3 and that stuff?
-There is nothing wrong in downloading or streaming music. This is the way, how you can explore new music. For a small band like us it has only advantages. We can make promotion in the internet worldwide and it is easy to communicate with promoters. But 2 of us are also viny junkies. We love this format. We sell our own music on all possible formats.

How is it to live in Austria right now? Politically? Fascists? We had an election in Sweden where the rightwing party got almost 20 %
-Austria is a rich country, the same like Sweden. Life can be ok for most people, but some people have no chance in our business society. For them, a strong welfare state is important. This is exactly where our middle-right government repeatedly decides cuts. That makes us angry. In addition, it is consistently rushed against refugees and citizens of foreign origin. This mood affects to the population and stirs up more and more conflicts. No easy time right now. We hope there will soon be a change of government in the social direction.

Is there any good bands from Austria now? Is the punkscene/hardcorescene big? How is it in your hometown?
-Yes, we have a scene in Austria. Here are some important band you should check out: REVEREND BACKFLASH, 2ND CLASS SUBSTITUDES, ANSTALT, RUIDOSA INMUNDICIA, DEAD CITY RADIO, BLOODSUCKING ZOMBIES FROM OTHER SPACE, EVEL & THE TRASHBONES, DEECRACKS and many more. In our little hometown there are mostly normal rockbands.

What do you know about Sweden?
-Mots: I was on holidays in Sweden. I liked it - very nice country.

Have you heard any good bands from Sweden?
-We know hundreds of good bands from Sweden. This band are very important for the whole European Scene. We love THE HIVES, THE BONES, VOICE OF A GENERATION, HARDCORE SUPERSTARS, HELLACOPTERS,....

Your lyrics, who does them and what influences you? Is it easier to do lyrics now or was its easier to do it when you was younger? Not so much in German which I really love when german sings in?
-Gabor and Mots write most of the lyrics. The influences are our live, political affairs, punkrock in general, our experiences of touring with a band.
Mots: For me it's easier to write lyrics nowadays. The themes are a lot more angry than they are in the youth. In German it is easier to transport more profound topics. And it's also a language that sounds very harsh and perfectly suited for angry punksongs.

Is there any subject that you never will write anything about? What is the most peculiar you have written about?
-Mots: For example, I will not write a love song. That's not important for me. There are already thousand songs about this. I love to write about extraordinary experiences in life. I also love songs about experiences during touring life. But also anti-fascist songs I find totally important in our time.

Politic and music, does it goes hand in hand? Which is your most political song?
-Politic and music do not necessarily have to be combined. Why? There are good rock bands that have no political statements at all. Also OK. We decided to write also political songs because our society just screams for it. At the moment it is simply important to take a clear stand. There is so much going wrong in the world. Punk rock must shout out clear statements, as it formerly made THE CLASH.
The most political song on our last album is "Keep on Fighting" - a combative Streetpunk song written by Gabor.

Best political band/artist?
-THE CLASH are unreachable.

Do you think that music(lyrics and so on) can change anyones life, I mean people who listens to music?
-Mots: I can only go out of myself. When I first heard the Sex Pistols, it definitely changed my life. I think you can influence young people who do not know in which direction to go.

Your cover on your CD looks really nice, is it important to have a record cover which shows people which type of music you play? Your favorite recordcover? Who does your covers?
-Yes, the cover is important. It can be crucial whether a buyer decides or not. In general, the punk look is extremely important. We want to express with our graphics that we are a punk band. We always develop the ideas for our covers in team work and then photograph them. The graphics production itself then makes Mots. So all DIY.

Is it important to get out physical records of your stuff? Why or why not? Vinyl, CD, cassette, what do you prefer if you could choose whatever ? Why Mad Butcher and is it a good label? Have you done anything more than Black Roads Blank Thoughts?
-Physical records will be always bought at live gigs. People like to have a memory of the band, they heard live. For us the perfect format is vinyl, but we also have CDs. We don't have Cassettes. We had no need in this right now.
Mad Butcher is the perfect label for us. It opens up new possibilities and new contacts that we would not have otherwise. Besides, Mike is an extremely nice guy. Black Roads Blank Thoughts is the first album on Mad Butcher Records. The other 2 records we released DIY.

Please tell me a funny thing which have happened during your career and under some gig?
Or if you have been to any other bands concert where something really weird have happened?
-Mots: I spontaneously remember an experience with my old band SKEPTIC ELEPTIC: After some really hard gigs in the Czech Republic we were touring in Germany. Shortly before the concert, I had a fainting spell caused by extreme lack of sleep. I was taken to the hospital where I received an infusion that fumbled me so that I could not sleep all night. When I arrived home after 2 weeks of tour, I woke up at night and thought the floor would swallow me up. I wanted to jump out the window. Luckily, my girlfriend grabbed me and stopped me. Crazy!

How does your audience look like? Which people do you miss on your concerts? Which -is the biggest band you ever have played together with?
-We mostly have mixed audience. It depends on the location, where we play. We played gigs with really great bands such like THE VIBRATORS, LOS FASTIDIOS, TOTAL CHAOS, BAMBIX; THE ARGIES.

Please rank your five favoriterecords, five favoriteconcerts and five most important things in life?
-Mots: That varies constantly and to minimize to 5 albums is not possible ... I try to list some classic albums, that influenced me the most.
ADICTS - Songs of Praise
BLONDIE - st
CLASH _ London Calling
DAMNED - Damned, Damned, Damned
DIE TOTEN HOSEN - Reich & Sexy
EATER - st
RADIO BIRDMAN - Radio Appear
RAMONES - st
ROLLING STONES - Sticky Fingers
SCHLEIM KEIM
STOOGES - Raw Power
SOCIAL DISTORTION - Wight Light, White Heat, White Trash
SEX PISTOLS - Never Mind The Bollocks
But there are also hundreds of actual records, that are very important for me.

Favorite Concerts:
Radio Birdman, Distillers, Duane Peters (he is now a sucker!) & The Hunns, District, The Revolvers

Important things in life:
family, relaxation, holidays, touring with bands, live concerts

First, last and most expensive record ever bought?
-Mots: I don't buy expensive records. The highest prices were about 30 Euros.

Is it boring with interviews? Is it much interviews? From outside Austria?
-Interviews can sometimes be exhausting and time consuming, but they are still important. As print fanzines get less and less, interviews are getting less and less. Unfortunately ... For me, print fanzines are still an important part of the scene. And recently, there is again a really good one in Austria: Chelsea's Choice.

If you could choose five bands from the past and the history and nowadays and both dead and living bands to have a concert together with your band. Which five have you been chosen?
-RAMONES, RANCID, CASUALITIES, STREET DOGS, BLONDIE

Is music a good way to get out frustration and become a nicer person outside the music? Or is it better to kick on a boxing ball?
-Music is definitely a good thing to reduce frustration and hatred. Music also helps to be happy. It welds friendships together. Music builds up so many memories of experiences that you can not forget through music. Music is a damn important part of our lives.

Which is the most odd question you ever have got in an interview?
-This one.

Which is the question you want to have but you never get. Please ask it and answer it?
-Your interview already covers many aspects. Sometimes it would be more important to me to respond to certain lyrics more. The songs may seem very striking, but many are very subtle and have emerged from certain important situations.

Futureplans for the band?
-Touring, touring, touring. And we will record our 4th album soon. We have collected many demo songs, nearly 20. Now we will finish this songs in the studio.

For yourself?
-Love and harmony

Wisdomword?
-Sorry, we lack the wisdom ...

Something to add?
-Check out our songs on https://zsazsagabors.bandcamp.com/. Maybe we are able to come to Sweden one time - this would be great!!!