Interview with Thijs van der Broek (John Wayne Shot Me)Interview with Thijs van der Broek (John Wayne Shot Me)Tell us, what has pushed you to create your band and to play music in general? (And it would be interesting to know a history of the name of the band. By the way, have you heard a song by pre-MDC "John Wayne Was A Nazi"?)
Sure we know this great song. We're totally not nazнs so that could be a reason for John Wayne to shoot us. "John Wayne Shot Me" is also a song by the obscure belgian songwriter Lionel Solveigh. That's where the name comes from. I like playing music and i started out by recording songs by myself on a 4-track cassette. Because i was alone, i could do whatever i wanted. I sent some of my recordings to labels and magazines and the response was quite good. Because of a good review i was asked to play as support for the american band Fuck. I said yes and formed a band. We practiced four or five times and did our first concert. That was fun so we decided to continue.
You mean Fuck, that recorded "Pretty....Slow" and "Pardon My French"?
Yes, that's them. great band!
What were your musical preferences that time and how far have they changed now?
I still like old lo-fi/indie stuff... daniel johnston, early guided by voices and pavement... recently i discovered old country stuff like the carter family. i also love grandaddy and jonathan richman.
For me John Wayne Shot Me, Blimey, Austin Lace are perceived as one big company of people which have "moved" on independent music, with suspicious
(-he-he!) similar views on life (- as far as I can judge it from your
songs) and on music. Tell us about this "circle", and whether it is like
the "club only for devoted"?
we all are devoted to music that's for sure but there are a lot of differences. Blimey and austin lace are both friends of me but they don't really know eachother. Austin Lace are quite successfull in belgium, they're almost mainstream, while blimey is pretty arty and more and more underground. we're also pretty underground but our music is less abstract then blimey's music sometimes is.
What was the basic idea of the "Let sleeping Monsters Sleep" release? Are they yours favourite songs? How many negative reviews have you received on this disk? (It is not pleasant when your sacred cows deform up to unrecognizability).
The label wanted to release let sleeping monsters sleep as a single and we thought it would be funny to record some covers for the b-sides. Some of the originals are personal favorites but not all of them. Some people didnt like it, but most reviews were pretty were pretty positive. My favorite cover is our version of napalm death's song "Common Enemy".
For the "fashionable" and "modern" band you are not so productive (for 7
years you have only 2 sound albums). How can you explain it? What else do
you do except for music?
We also released a split album, some 7" singles and some tracks for compilations, but it's true that we're not ultraproductive. For us, playing in this band is a hobby. We all have our jobs and studies and we live in different cities.
Are you interested in events occuring in the world? It is difficult to name your songs socially or politically directed, isn't it? What is your opinion what is going in Europe and the world?
I am very interested in that, i watch several news bulletins a day, i read the papers, watch background programs on tv etc. I just don't use this in my songs. I have always felt that small things in your personal life have more impact then large political events. That's why i try to keep the songs small, direct and personal. I don't really believe in progress. I think a lot is happening in the world and the motor is capitalism... there has to be be progress, because new stuff has to be bought all the time. I don't think this is truly progress, because i don't think it really makes people happier. 10 years ago noone had a mobile phone for instance and i don't think many people really missed it. Now you're expected to have one, at least here it is like that. No extra happiness, no extra quality of life but we are using the resources of the earth a lot more. This scares me a bit.
As I have understood, you have the richest experience of performances almost across all Europe. How much does the "stages" of different countries differ? What kind of public visits your concerts (I imagine some accurate students in glasses...)?
We played in a lot of diefferent places. On big festivals but also in small squats. I like this combination. It's true that we get more audience in cities with a lot of students. I guess that goes for most bands though.
What's your attitude to DIY? What do you think about modern punk-HC-movement and its rapproachement with modern politics? Is it actual for you?
We are very DIY. I like this way of working. It made us go all over europe and meet a lot of great people. I like it that bands with these spirit help eachother. I have friends in so many countries because of this. When they want to play in Holland or Belgium i help them with booking, a place to sleep etc and they do the same for me. It's the old "support the scene"-thing and i like it. I think that was the same in the old hc scene. I don't know much about the modern punk-HC-movement and their political views
Tell us about 62 TV Records. What's its publishing politics? It is more business or hobby?
They are music lovers but it's their job, so it's also business. They used to have a lot of weird bands on their label, like Bosco and Blimey. Now we are the only underground band left. Bands like Austin Lace and Girls in Hawaii are popular in the mainstream.
Do you think wether with the change of the band's status the participans change also? What does change them? Money? Glory? Higher position in society?
I know Austin Lace really well. They haven't really changed because of their relative success. They're still great guys and true friends. They do become more selective in where they want to play though. They have gotten used to playing for a lot of people in good circumstances, so they have gotten a little bit spoiledin a way maybe.
What are your preferences in cinema and literature?
I like all films by the coen brothers and i also love Lola rennt. I am very unpatient and unconcentrated so i have trouble reading books. The others in my band read a lot more, mostly dutch literature.
How do you see the situation in Russia? Can you tell anything about Russian music/culture?
Russia is an interesting country for us. Everybody knows of the political problems there, with the private oil companies and the kaukasian regions. Besides the stuff in the news i don't know too much of your country though. I have several world atlasses and i look in them a lot. I am always surprised that there are so many very large cities in Russia and the Ukraine that are totally unknown here, like your city, Samara, Ufa, Perm, Kazan and many more. I always wonder how it would be there and what made these cities so large. When it comes to music I must admit that i only know Messer Chups, and i don't even think they are really russian. They are from an ex-soviet country i think. Russian music is very unknown here. Are there any Russian bands that i really shouldnt miss?
And at last, you can add something from yourself, if you want.
Just thanks for the interview and i hope to play in your country one day!
Contact: http://www.johnwayneshotme.com
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