Rockezine.com interview with Brainshake on Feb 19, 2003

with Eric & Plip on Feb 19, 2003


		Last week you opened for Mudvayne in Amsterdam. Could you tell us something more about this happening? Sure! When we received the telephone call, we went totally crazy! Our first support gig for a ‘major’ American band! A dream came true for us, really. When we arrived in the Melkweg last week we got to see Mudvayne’s sound check and everything around it, nervous stage managers, swearing roadies, pissed off sound and light engineers. The usual stuff and stress that happens before a show. We learned a lot that day, how things go when a band tours around the world and the whole thing turns into some sort of an enterprise. The show we did was great, we didn’t have too much space on stage, but still it was great. The audience reacted to our music, so we were really happy afterwards. We didn’t have a chance to meet the Mudvayne guys; we only talked to the singer for a really short while. He’s a nice guy.
		You’ve just got a new guitarist (Jerome Bohg). Could you tell something more about Marcel leaving and about his replacement Jerome? Marcel had a really busy schedule. He was busy with his school, his job, he just bought a house and he couldn’t really catch up with the things that were happening to Brainshake anymore, he was just too busy. So together we decided that it was best for him and the band to leave. We are still close friends; we really didn’t have an argument or whatsoever. He’s at peace with his life and decision right now and is already working on a new underground project. You will definitely hear from this guy in the future, I’m sure of that! About Jerome: he’s an excellent guitar player and a close friend. We already knew him from his former band Celldust (R.I.P.), so we were certain he could do the job right away. He actually learned the songs from Gently Destructive in two weeks! I mean: Respect! We’re really happy with him, he fits in perfectly
		4Tune Records is founded by Agresión. How does it feel to be on their label and what possibilities does this bring along? We see it as an honour. We always looked up to these guys and we really appreciate what they did and are still doing for us. 4Tune is an underground label supporting underground bands. They provide a lot of freedom for us, they’ll practically never tell us what to do and in what manner. They help out when needed and they are really enthusiastic and involved with the band and the music. We’re happy they picked us up; we’re now part of a small family that is working hard to get the underground known and respected. We tour a lot with Agresión right now; they have a loyal fan base. We’re busy convincing those people of our music, which is a great challenge.
		You’ve already done a lot of shows. Could you share some of your craziest/weirdest tour experiences? Well every show is crazy, basically. We’re just a bunch of crazy guys who love to have a lot of fun. We drove a lot of other bands crazy, believe me :) But the first thing that comes to my mind is a place where we’ve been and never want to go again; the B52 in Eernegem! That place was a toilet! The smell was so horrible that we almost had to puke.The village was like a ghost town that reminded us of the movie Dawn Of The Dead. We where wondering when the zombies were coming to eat our brains!!!
		Musically you seem to be influenced by bands like Faith No More and Morbid Angel. Besides these two what other bands/musicians inspire you the most? We all listen to a wide variety of music; our musical taste differs per member. But the artists we all like are Deftones, System of a Down, Soulfly and Slipknot. Besides these artists all our individual musical preferences have had their impact on the music, so you can’t really put your finger on one particular important example to us.
		I have to compliment you with your website www.brainshake.nl, because it looks great. Who was responsible for the design? That was me, Eric, and thanks for the compliment! I think the visual aspect is really important to a band. I built the entire site in the style of the CD-artwork. It reflects the music and makes people curious.
		Could you tell something more about the lyrical aspect of the album? Where does Gently Destructive and songs like Lockjaw and Spine stand for? Gently Destructive is about contradictions. A song like Lockjaw handles the topic freedom/freedom of speech. Spine is about Hollywood stars. Plastic life.
		Nu-Metal: term of abuse or just one of those annoying journalist inventions? Just annoying journalist inventions. But you have to call it something but Nu-metal has a negative load that’s created by the press. I still don’t understand how bands like Linkin Park, Slipknot, Papa Roach, Killswitch Engage can all be put under a term called Nu-Metal. In Holland it’s the same we are considerd to be a Nu-Metal band and so is Smogus! I just don’t get it.
		What are your future plans? Maybe some nice foreign tour offerings? We are working hard on our Video for Sleep Messiah that should be out in March. No, their haven’t been any tour offers but we are planning to go on the road trough Europe with Wowbeggar and Taste of Insanity. But nothing is sure yet.
		Good luck with your musical career. Are there any things left unsaid? Thanks for this interview and your interest in Brainshake! And we would like to thank the fans for their support!
(Dennis van den Berg)