THIS IS AN INTERVIEW FOR THE PDX FANZINE (PORTLAND / USA) IN SEP 2008: --------------------
WHO WAS IN THE BAND AND WHO PLAYED WHAT ?
The RATTLESNAKE MEN was a trio: GOCKEL (guitar, backing vocals (90%), lead vocals (10%), ALI (bass, lead vocals (90%), backing vocals (10%) and MICHA (drums). --------------------
WHEN AND HOW DID YOU START ?
In January 1985 ROMAN (vocals), GOCKEL (guitar), ALI (bass) and MICHA (drums) were founding a band called BURN CHIKANE. BURN CHIKANE made a
dark indie-rock-sound like JOY DIVISION or PLAY DEAD. But ROMAN left the band in April 1986 cause we (ALI, GOCKEL and MICHA) wanted to start a band
with another sound - a little bit faster and with more punk-influences, and ALI and GOCKEL had to sing cause we didn't found a new singer.
So the date of birth of RATTLESNAKE MEN was in April 1986, and we splitted up in February 1992 after nearly seven years. --------------------
WHAT WAS THE BAND NAME MEANT TO YOU ?
The band name meant to us, that we were playing punk songs which were influenced of rockabilly-sound. We also described our sound as "ULTRASNAKEPOGO",
but fanzine writers and other people described our sound as FUNPUNK. We only thought, that RATTLESNAKE MEN is a good band name! --------------------
WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO START A BAND OF THIS SOUND WITH THE CURRENT TREND OF D-BEAT ?
We don't know what D-BEAT means, but we didn't create a special sound! --------------------
WHAT OTHER BANDS HAVE THE MEMBERS BEEN IN ?
1981 ALI and GOCKEL started DREIDIMENSIONAL (3-D) until 1984, They were 13 and 14 years old, when they began. Sound: Avantgarde, Noise, Punk.
There are some releases. 1984 MICHA started his first band ANTI-PERFECT until 1984. Sound: Crust Punk, no releases.
1985 ALI, GOCKEL, MICHA & ROMAN started BURN CHIKANE until 1986. Sound: Dark Rock, no releases.
1986 ALI, GOCKEL & MICHA started RATTLESNAKE MEN until 1992.
1992, after the split, ALI started a band called SLICK. Sound: Noise, Grunge, and they made some EPs and two CDs.
GOCKEL & MICHA started GERM ATTACK in 1992. Sound: Melodic Punk and many releases.
And now in September 2008 ? ALI plays bass in another band: TEAM TYSON; MICHA & GOCKEL still play at GERM ATTACK. --------------------
WHAT RELEASES DO YOU HAVE OUT SO FAR AND ON WHAT LABEL ?
THE RATTLESNAKE MEN made two vinyl-LPs (SAHARA TOUR '88 (1988) with 10 songs & KILLJOY (1990) with 12 songs)
and a 12" (KUTTES PARTY (1989) with four songs. The label called TIARA TONTRÄGER. Besides we released two songs on compilations
(SUCHT - A Berlin-Compilation (1987), the label called SANFT & MUTIG and BERLIN PUNK ROCK 1977-1989 (2002), the label is WEIRD SYSTEM)...WHAT DID YOUR LYRICIAL CONTENT CONSIST OF?
When the music for a song was ready, someone of us started to write the lyrics for the song, and we had three topics: 1. Songs about love, girls and relationship
(Love Song, Bye Bye Boy, I Met A Girl etc.), 2. Songs about social and political themes (Society, Human Failure, Killjoy etc.), 3. Fun & nonsense (My Red MZ,
Trucker, Chainsaw Massacre etc.) --------------------
WHAT DID YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE WITH YOUR BAND ?
We never wanted to be rockstars, but we hoped that we could play in every club (in Germany) and 500 people would come to see us. But very often we played concerts
for 20, 50 or 100 visitors. So we achieved nothing, no fame, no money - but we met very nice people at the concerts all over Germany, and now we have 26 songs on vinyl
and a nice memory of this time. --------------------
WHO ARE / WERE YOUR INFLUENCES AND WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO NOW?
Our influences were and are the bands and music what we're listening to: All kind of music with guitars and handmade from Poppunk, Rock, Noise, New Wave, Grunge,
Punkrock, Crust Hardcore etc. From really sweet and soft to really raw and brutal stuff: There are only good or bad songs ! --------------------
HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR SPARE TIME ?
There's not a lot of spare time, that's the reason why it lasted for six weeks to answer your questions! --------------------
DO YOU HAVE ANY FUTURE PLANS TOURS / RELEASES ?
We think there will be no RATTLESNAKE MEN Reunion and no re-releases of our records. --------------------
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE MUSIC SCENE ?
There are many good bands today, but too many "punkbands" signed at major labels. We prefer and like the "Do-It-Yourself" thing and the punk-attitude, so we support only
that stuff or buy releases from independent labels. --------------------
LAST COMMENTS ?
For further informations look at these MYSPACE profiles:
www.myspace.com/therattlesnakemen -----
www.myspace.com/GermAttackBerlin-----
www.myspace.com/teamtysonband..
I made my layout with the Myspace Background Maker . Get myspace layouts , graphics , and flash toys at pYzam .
