My Amon Amarth interview is posted now, WOOT

[Squeak]

Since I couldn't get to the San Francisco gig or Santa Ana, I wasn't going to be able to do my interview with Johan Hegg as planned. BUT, thanks to their AWESOME tour manager, he put my webmaster Archie on the list for Santa Ana instead so he could take some pics in my place. He had told us that I could do an interview over the phone, and Archie was gracious enough to let them borrow his cellphone so I could do that. I was also able to hear AA and COB sets in their entirety over the phone. So all in all, I was quasi-there. hehe Anyhow, I did the interview at 930pm on Saturday and transcribed it by 4am the next morning. LOL I'm actually happy with the way it turned out as I wanted to ask him not-so-normal interview questions. If you would like to see it, please go to www.swedishmetal.net, scroll to the bottom and you can see the link in the LATEST INTERVIEWS box. Hope you guys like it and if you want, let me know.

 

[Tomasz]

Since I couldn't get to the San Francisco gig or Santa Ana, I wasn't going to be able to do my interview with Johan Hegg as planned. BUT, thanks to their AWESOME tour manager, he put my webmaster Archie on the list for Santa Ana instead so he could take some pics in my place. He had told us that I could do an interview over the phone, and Archie was gracious enough to let them borrow his cellphone so I could do that. I was also able to hear AA and COB sets in their entirety over the phone. So all in all, I was quasi-there. hehe Anyhow, I did the interview at 930pm on Saturday and transcribed it by 4am the next morning. LOL I'm actually happy with the way it turned out as I wanted to ask him not-so-normal interview questions. If you would like to see it, please go to www.swedishmetal.net, scroll to the bottom and you can see the link in the LATEST INTERVIEWS box. Hope you guys like it and if you want, let me know.

thanks for your effert

 

[The Bringer]

Johan is such a great down-to-earth guy. See, I told ya they were testing the waters for a full-set tour of North America later on!

Good to see that he's a sport about all the opening slots on American tours.

 

[VikingSF]

I particularly liked what he said about caring more about being known as a good man to his future children than about being famous. That kind of sincerity is what makes Amon Amarth great.

 

[Squeak]

Ah cool I'm glad you guys like it. I also agree, VikingSF - That question and my first question are ones I ask in every single interview because I get such a wide range of answers. I was genuinely surprised by his response to that one, but it is a very cool answer indeed. And yah The Bringer, I am also happy that they are always such good sports about being opening or almost opening bands. I've seen them quite a few times here and they always seem like they don't mind. They're just happy to be here, as they say. Wish more bands would be like that because as I say in the interview, I know it's DAMNED tough to tour here compared to Europe.

 

[VikingSF]

Good question about LOTR, too, Squeak!

 

[The Bringer]

Well I don't know how often they tour Finland... But I would really like to see them, or even travel to Sweden and see them play.

 

[Blutaar]

Nice interview thx!

 

[horror cosmicx]

I never realized all the shit european bands had to go through when touring in the u.s.

 

[Squeak]

I never realized all the shit european bands had to go through when touring in the u.s.

PRECISELY! And that's just the tip of the iceberg. I know quite a bit about the visa stuff for getting bands from overseas to play here. You should see what it's like trying to get a band over there to come here for a one-off show and not having anything go through a label but having to figure it all out yourself! But I have seen lately quite a few bands that have had issues with visas and the fans getting all pissed off about it and me trying to explain a little bit about the BS they go through and the fans not believing me totally. So, I decided instead to shove it in a couple of interviews ya know? Make the fans REALLY appreciate what they do to tour here. And it's not just the visa crap either, it's the lack of accomodations here too. Touring in Europe is COMPLETELY different from touring in the States.

 

[VikingSF]

In Europe the venues provide more amenities?

 

[Squeak]

Yah most of them provide a lot more, even the hole-in-the-wall shit places. At least the majority of the time, if you have "meal" written down on your rider, you normally get something at least semi-decent - not just a buyout (where they give you money for whatever the food might cost and you can go somewhere else to buy it) or spaghetti with some canned (Prego) sauce on it. Or they at least give you towels. Or a decent amount of drinks/water/etc. And a LOT more venues there have showers than they do here. Stuff like that. You are generally treated with a lot more respect over there. Also, if your rider says you request certain specs (specifications) for sound gear, monitors, etc you generally get that in Europe whereas here, you may or may not. Lots of different things.