Rockezine.com interview with Wowbeggar on Feb 02, 2003

with David Berghoef & Marlon van Gent on Feb 02, 2003

After releasing their debut EP “So..!?!” Wowbeggar thought it was time to give their debut some deserved attention. In the local metal bar in the beautiful village Ede, we talked about their debut, Brainshake and many other interesting subjects…
		Because a lot of people are unfamiliar with Wowbeggar, could you tell us something about the history of the band? Marlon (guitars, backing vocals) and David (guitar) met each other three years ago. They soon started talking about forming a new band. Shortly after David’s brother, Vincent, joined the band, but it took almost two years before they found the right people. Most band members had already played in other yet insignificant bands, before they joined the final Wowbeggar line-up.
		Wowbeggar is a strange name. When I firstly saw the name I thought it was some kind of Hammerfall band. Who came up with the name and where does it stand for? The name Wowbeggar is from a book called “Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy”. Wowbaggar (A instead of E) is an alien who has (because of an accident) eternal life. The creature wasn’t happy with this situation at all and started insulting everyone he met, just to kill time. Wowbaggar became Wowbeggar and the band was born.
		You’ve released your debut EP “So…?!” independent. What are the reactions on the album so far? Any reactions from interesting labels maybe? The album is produced by Danny O’Really (Biohazard, Deicide, Osdorp Posse) and ourselves, but Danny was more engineer than producer though. We got some good responses, but reviewers compare us with a lot of different bands ranging from Tool to Korn. We really don’t see why we sound like Korn, but we have to live with that comparison though.
		Besides some nice reviews we haven’t got any reactions from labels yet, but they are very reserved to signing new bands because of the developments in the present music scene (record sales going down etc.).
Reviewers compare us with a lot of different bands ranging from Tool to Korn.		When I listen to the album I really hear some Frozen Sun influences. Were they a big influence on the band or is this just coincidence? I had never heard of this band before, so I listened some of their stuff last week. Both Frozen Sun and Wowbeggar seem to explore the more intelligent side of rock/metal, so that’s the best explanation why we sound a bit like them. When we started this band it wasn’t our intention to sound like them or anything, so it’s just coincidence.
		What bands or musicians inspired you the most? We are intending to have a sound of our own, so we don’t intend to copy anything, but every person is influenced unconsciously by the bands he or she listens to. So this means we’re influenced by bands like Tool, Deftones, Mudvayne, Meshuggah, Nirvana and Primus. We try to write intelligent songs with a good rhythm section and clean and catchy vocals, so that explains the Tool influences.
		Could you tell a little bit more about the lyrics you wrote? What things or events influenced the writing process for example? Reuben (vocalist) is influenced by the every day things, such as love and relationships. The lyrics on our album are described best about the life after a relationship.
		For bands like Wowbeggar it’s kind of difficult to earn yourself a living with music. What are your daytime jobs and how do you combine them with being an artist? We have regular jobs such as courier and just perform as much as possible. Our bosses already know that we’re into the music business, so they just have to deal with it! (laughs)
		A lot of bands are a bit negative about the Dutch music scene. They dislike most of the media, critical audience, Mojo as the hypocrite monopolist etc. How do you as an artist see the Dutch music scene? The Dutch numetal/crossover scene is a bit boring. Too many bands simply copy their American colleagues without adding anything themselves. Although there are some exceptions such as Brainshake, Taste Of Insanity and Blindsight. Besides that there isn’t much attention to the underground scene, because too many venues play safe.
		What do you think of a music channel like the Box? They broadcast a lot of alternative video clips. So if you have got a stable fan base or just a couple of fanatics it will be possible to let your video clip be seen by a lot of people. The Box is a great medium, but to make use of this wonderful medium we first need to make our first video. (laughs)
The Dutch numetal/crossover scene is a bit boring...		You haven’t toured a lot yet, but could you share some of your touring experiences so far? We toured a lot with Brainshake. Both Brainshake and we arrange shows, so that’s cool. Our best touring experiences are a show at Waterfront, Wantijpop (great sound, nice food and a lot of people!) and our CD-presentation at Bibelot.
		If you could choose 5 bands to tour with. Which ones would that be? Definitely Mudvayne. Besides them probably Tool, Ill Nino, Machine Head and Chimaira and probably the rest of the Roadrunner bands.
		Hopefully you’ll be able to tour with one or more of them in the future. Are there any things you’d like to share with our readers? Please visit one of our shows to experience the real Wowbeggar vibe! To buy our album, please visit: 4Tune Shop, www.wowbeggar.com, or visit one of our shows.
		(Dennis van den Berg)