Rockezine.com interview with Laberinto on Oct 23, 2002

with Marco Toro Bernal & Gregorio on Oct 23, 2002

10 years ago a couple of talented musicians decided to leave their homeland Venezuela to try and make it in Europe. Convinced of their capabilities and frustrated by the lack of support from the local music business they thought this was the only way to make a living out of the band without compromising their musical ideas. And it worked. After ten years of hard work Laberinto have secured a position within the Dutch and European music scene. When they arrived in Europe they were illegal immigrants. The Dutch government however recognized their significance for the local musical culture and gave them a residence permit. But not without a Kafkaesque struggle with the governmental bureaucracy. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of Laberinto living in Holland there will be a big party with guest musicians and other surprises on the 6th of December in the Melkweg in Amsterdam. (Check out our homepage to win tickets for this very special evening!!) All in all reasons aplenty to ask the band a couple of questions. We meet drummer Marco Toro Bernal and bass player Gregorio in The Cave, Amsterdam’s only real metal café. Of course the anniversary is the first topic:
		Marco: We’re celebrating ten years of hard work in a country that is not really ours. Or, it was not ours; but now it feels like it is. A part of our career is here. That calls for a celebration. When you see all the records we did and all the other stuff, we think it’s really ok. We just want to celebrate that.
		Although the band has been living in Holland for so long, this country wasn’t the first choice.
		Gregorio: The first choice was no choice at all. Marco: The choice was Europe. What we said was ‘Let’s go to Europe’. But the first city we came along was Amsterdam and then we traveled around Europe. Before the band was complete we were all running around Europe man! We split up for a while. For six or seven months. And then we all got together here and then everybody agreed on Amsterdam. Everybody liked Amsterdam. We still believe that it’s a great city.
		The music business in Venezuela ignores anything that’s not commercial pop. The main reason for Laberinto to try their luck elsewhere.
		You know, we see a lot of people from our own generation, bands in Venezuela that have split up. Because there are no possibilities to record and so on. I’m sure if we would have stayed in Venezuela we wouldn’t have had the opportunities to do what we did over here. We left Venezuela for musical reasons. We all were ok, we all had jobs like everybody else. But we wanted to live from the music. In Venezuela you have to play what’s on the market. With Laberinto, when we were there, we were kind of popular in a small group of people who liked heavy stuff. It wasn’t very big. We played maybe seven concerts a year. In Holland in 1997 we did 75. That’s a big difference.
		Gregorio: I think it is the dream of any musician, when they see that in their own countries the possibilities have no meaning, to, like, go around for a change.
		There have been many highlights the past ten years.
		Marco: Well, everybody is already married with kids. We married in Holland to Dutch girls. So my daughter is half/half. Gregorio’s son is half/half. So, if people like it or not, we’re also from here now. But it’s also a highlight that we’re still good to go on. To make more records. Laberinto has been very good for all of us. Actually, the reason we are in this country legally is Laberinto. Gregorio: That’s one reason why we will always be loyal to this band. One of the many reasons. Marco: But they’re still fucking around though. That’s why I call it (Holland) the paper country. Every year you have to put so many papers together. Gregorio: Ha ha ha ha! You know, when you fill in one form, they start calling you up and sending you letters and shit. Marco: But so far we are ok. What they care about is if you make enough money every year. But that’s ok. It’s alright.
		Having families changed a lot for the band. Marco: A lot of things change. Because you want them to change anyway. You want to spend some time with your kids. In my case… you know, going out every night, have a drink… all those things; you stop them for a while. But musically I still do great; I’m even stronger now. My wife really supports me and that’s very important. Gregorio: All the women involved in Laberinto have the same feeling. They really support us and push us all forward. Even the kids! My son saw me play with Laberinto when he was one year old. He was dancing behind the speakers with his mother!
		Musically the band has gradually changed into a Latin-metal band
		Marco: In Venezuela we used to be a hardcore band. But before we came here we were already trying to mix with Latin music. It was not something we created here. We have demo tapes that we did there. One of these days we’re going to re-record these songs. That will be fun. Because over there a lot of people know the recordings but over here nobody knows them.
		Still there’s more to explore. All members of the band have side projects.
		Marco: It’s also money but it’s mainly because we want to play in different musical areas. I do salsa music, Latin jazz and stuff like that. I’ve recorded a lot but it’s another type of circuit. Most of the albums I did on a project basis are more into Latin music and a few were pop. There’s a woman called Anneriek who made an album and we all played on it. And I recorded for a band called Silicon Head, the bass player from Orphanage’s band. It’s a learning process. Every day you learn something new. Without knowing you add it to your own music. I’m also working on my own projects. Gregorio: It [doing other projects] influences you in a constructive way. We learn a lot from all these people we play with. I also play with many people. Marco: We also play Santana covers. We used to play under the name Santanico, but now it’s called Laberinto plays Santana.
		The past year Laberinto went through the record company troubles every signed band seems to get after a while. But the band is already looking ahead.
		Marco: We stopped for a while, well, we didn’t really stop, but we had some with the record company. A lot of conflicts. Those things happen and you have to figure them out first. And then kind of start over again. We have four new songs and now we’re shopping around. We are free at the moment. And there is some interest. We’re just looking for a budget to complete the album. If that doesn’t happen we’re going to release the four songs. In Venezuela Sony music wants to make a compilation with songs from all the albums. But it hasn’t happened yet. We’ve been talking for six months about it.
		Laberinto hasn’t played in their home country since they left all those years ago. But they are well known in South-America.
		Marco: We played in Columbia and we did a press conference in Caracas (Venezuela). Gregorio: And a lot of interviews. With the main television channels. But since we left we haven’t played in Venezuela. So it’s ten years! But we’re going to play at the Bat-Fest. That’s a big biker festival. Rob Halford is going to be there and a lot of other bands. Marco: Right now they are having really big festivals down there. There’s one we’re trying to reach, it’s called Caracas Pop, a huge festival. Gregorio: It’s a three day festival with 100.000 people.
		The plans for the future are clear:
		Gregorio: We’re focusing on two things right now: The Venezuela thing and the anniversary. And whatever may come of course!
		As mentioned before, the tenth anniversary will be celebrated in the Melkweg in Amsterdam on December 6th. It will be a special occasion.
		Gregorio: We’ve got a support band called Cheesy Victims. And we’ll have some special guests that will appear… and we want to keep it a surprise… Ha ha ha!
Check www.laberinto.nl for more info on the band . If you want to be part of the big party in the Melkweg click here to win tickets! (Walter de Korver)