Last updated 31.07.06
 |
Alex: So, first question is - how much different you feel here since you first Moscow visit in far 1992?
Doug: Now everything is quite standard, all changed to common level, the kind of the shallow aspect gained by every big city in the world, you know, luxury vehicles, billboards everythere, that's make Moscow be like any other city. Last time we saw a lot of Russian cars, buildings that were quite crap, but now via our trip from airport we saw reconstruction of the city, innovational buildings, now it feels much more like Europe, now it's much more familiar place than we came the last time.
Alex: So you like it?
Doug: Of course!
Bon: Yes, I mean, it's really good to feel sense of re-new... When we first time came here, it was in pretty bad stay, old systems were pretty much deceased, a lot of things around were down, but you know, the flip side, of what's been this place, is that it had some of it's own identity, in a small way some of its identity starts to get lost. And that's this bigger question you always have about commercialization...
Alex: Don't worry, Moscow is big city! [laugh]
[everybody laugh]
Bon: Honestly, all we see underneath it all: there is a lot of renovation, there is a lot of history here, I believe we're taking care of, I quite exciting to have another cosmopolitan city, like Berlin or Paris, or London... it's quite exciting...
Alex: You are already whole month together on tour... Doug, Bon, how it's to perform together again?
Doug: Feels great, that's really good, I think, when we rehearsed in Los Angeles, we established the way of working really with going back how we were first started the band, when people in the room were happy making their music together. Probably it's better than it ever was, better than in the beginning. So we had really enjoyment working together, being together. Added to that mix is the fact that we met thousands of people that were really happy to see us together, so it's a good thing for anybody.
Bon: The things how they were ended before have feeling of incomplete, they were abrupt, so this is a good way to bring a sense of completion to everything, now all feels much more fulfilled. Yes, it's really great fun, to see so many people happy that we're back.
 |
Alex: Doug, did you receive massive fan feedback all these years? Are your fans really happy now, to see you as NE frontman again?
Doug: To be honest, perhaps if one looks at web-sites or blogs, that was there... but because I was playing with Fixmer/McCarthy, I got more sense of making music within similar genre with NE. Definitely fans that would come to see F/M as a way of getting close to me, we did some cover versions of NE songs. You realize that if you read any music magazine or newspapers, their reference being made by other bands, DJs, producers, people we met over the years of playing F/M they have said quite categorically reasons why they made music what they've done. So it all works for the reason that they wanted to use Flood as producer just to receive the same sound as Nitzer Ebb had, in the UK and Europe it's became a big thing. It does crush your mind that people have been influenced by your old band!.. That gives possibility that new audience and old one still wants us as well.
Alex: Is there a big difference between F/M shows and NE concerts?
Doug: Yeah, as performing side, as I perform as singer, I perform the same. Ridiculous to be completely different, when our actual style approach is relatively similar. But I think the style of F/M is much more kind straight-head club, it's much free at the way that we're working in studio and on stage, it's quite loose, you know, sometimes it's identical, sometimes we go with a little tension with track, it comes out to sound really horrible live. The way Bon and I always enjoyed playing was structured. In a way of approving yourself, you can produce a show, that is consistent, is not necessary to repeat exactly every performance, the aim is to deliver the same feeling to different audience.
Alex: Quite interesting, Doug, are you involved in new Recoil album?
Doug: I saw Alan (Wilder) actually last week or a week before... I can't tell too much... he decided to do the similar approach of work with different singers, and he went to America to work with one particular singer, and it worked so well, it ended up being more or less an album, album around one performer, I think there is room maybe for one other performer, I think it's gonna be a woman, because he is used to this guy. The quality of Alan's work is outstanding!
Alex: High quality!
Doug: Yeah, really high quality!
 |
Alex: Bon, do you like interpretation of NE tracks which was done at recent «Muscle and Hate» tribute?
Bon: I heard couple of the tracks, yeah, I mean, it's pretty good, you know, I think what came out was so close to «Body of Rework», focused on remixed done by such artists like Black Strobe.. So I don't listen it too much, but what I listened it was pretty good.
Alex: Bon, as I know, you are living in LA last years. What originally pushed you to move from England to America?
Bon: There are more opportunities for work, really, all is simple. Los Angeles is entertainment capital of the world, a lot of stuff done there..
Alex: Very open city, a lot of music, musicians..
Bon: Yeah, a lots of different music, a chance to perceive different music via concerts, TV shows...
Alex: How often you fly back to UK?
Bon: Once a year maybe, no so often, too busy.
Alex: Are you active Internet user? Is it possible to catch you at any forum? [smile]
Bon: Yeah! The best place to reach me is MySpace page for my band Maven, also webpage run by record label. So there're two places I check most often. Also German Nitzer Ebb web site and forum.
Alex: Your web-site in Germany is great, excellent design, webmaster is cool...
Doug: Yeah-yeah!
Alex: By the way, Doug, are you active in Internet too or not?
Doug: Yeah-yeah!
Alex: And what your favorite websites?
Doug: My favorite websites to go through... 7 years ago it was a real fun to go different places... but now a kind of more specific, it's normally to check recommendations, I check what happened on Nitzer Ebb site, I check Recoil web site, and general news sites as well.
Alex: Do you use P2P systems to grab music?
Doug: No, I buy it!
 |
Alex: What's your favorite song from set that you are playing live on the current tour?
Doug: I think at the moment, not least because it's the end [laugh] of show we play, not every time, but we do... «I Give To You»... it's my favorite ever NE song to listen, to play live. It's feels a kind of crescendo to end the show... Also at half of show I like to play «Blood Money», a great track to play, it has good feel for us. For some reason there are certain songs, when you perform them you're concentrating, you're not shouting out everything, you're looking all the time through what you know how to make a song... «Blood Money» just flow, it's easy to play...
Bon: I still really enjoy «Getting Closer», 'cos we have a chance to sing it together, and a lot of fans are really like it, it really gets people going.
Alex: A question regarding Kourtney, how do you think she bring to your show something special?
Bon: I think we can talk all the day about that we musically inspiring a lot of bands, we didn't actually plan to have a female drummer, it was just something that came out. So we talked about it and thought it was a good idea. On reflection it would be really great, if in result a lot of young girls would be inspired to do music or to do their own bands. It's much better than it was but it's still things are hard for girls to break through. Hopefully we'll provide more inspiration for girls to do a stuff.
Alex: I hope in case of your band, most of your fans are still looking at your frontman, not at your woman [smile]
[all laugh]
Doug: Funny thing! We came to very minimal approach to our show, with years complete performance was Bon and me, all the drummers we've had have brought something. Personally we never felt they were at the same level in performance as us, but Kourtney really brings something, feels that she is adding energy to stage, I think she is very unexpected asset we have to this tour.
 |
Alex: Tell something to your fans, which will be at your tomorrow’s concert for sure?
Doug: We are back in Moscow, Russia and we are very happy to be back, we hope to see many of you as possible at our tomorrow’s show, at upcoming show we can arrange to come back Russia as well, thank you for your continuous support!
Bon: We delight to be back in Russia, after many years, and very much looking for to play for some old fans and hopefully a lot of new fans in Russia!
Alex: I wish you good luck and amazing show!!! Thank you very much for interview!!!
 |
[ © 2006 shout! - all right reserved. Interview was taken by alex davie face-to-face with Nitzer Ebb just a day before first ever NE concert in Moscow. We thanks Russian Synth Community and Gala Records for their help! Photos by alex davie and peddy. ]
