Onze laatste liverecensie.
Onze laatste albumrecensie.
Ons laatste interview.
Onze laatste video.
Where and how did the three of you actually meet?
Chris: "Leon saw that Ampie and I were talented and out of work. Ampie was doing clown
shows for cash, and I was removing rubble with a pick-up. So he promised us, if we join his band,
he'll make us rich and famous. He said that he was only looking for sexy guys. Mmm... I don't know if
that's a compliment to us though? So, we thought: What the hell, might as well give it a try! The
rest is history..."
Leon: "After almost four years, I am still getting to meet them. They have funny snores.
They wear funny clothes. And they smell funny sometimes."
At the moment, Boo! are in Europe. You've been playing some small venues and festivals as well. How
is the touring going so far? Can you surprise us with some juicy details?
Chris: "It'll be at least our fifth or sixth visit to the region. Europe has been very
good to us in the form of an intelligent audience with a commitment to what stimulates them and gives
them pleasure. Stories? From Europe? Well, there are many. The one I like is when we went through the
German customs, and they didn't believe Ampie's keyboard was for real. So they wanted him to plug it
in and play. He plugged it in, but before he switched it on, we all closed our ears and took a step
back. The officials seriously thought for a moment it was a bomb! Then there was this time in Hamburg
when a girl threw her panties at me on stage. I was very flattered, except I could have made sails
for a tall ship from all that fabric! And it landed on my microphone!"
Leon: "The last time we were there it was really great. Actually every time it just gets
better and better. We really hate London - it smells - and didn't think much about the Dutch society
at first. After a few trips now it has embraced us strangely enough, and I kind of miss it. Is this
weird or what? We are always so busy on the road that there is very little time for a juicy story. I
did smoke on a Delta flight the one time, and they almost through me off."
What's the main difference between playing in your home country and Europe?
Chris: "The main difference between playing Europe and home is when I speak Dutch or
German at home no one understands me. Also, the crowds laugh at completely different things. So it
normally takes a while to slip back into Euro-mode. Also, in Europe we play faster because the coffee
is so much better, and it's colder too!"
Leon: "South Africa has a very low ceiling. You outplay your self very quickly there.
South Africa has many European influences so it is not that hard for us to adapt. Also the audience
is very similar in attitude - far superior to that of the States. I found a comeback to live music in
Europe more. South Africa is still stuck in DJs and raves."
All of you perform in drag. What's the idea behind this?
Chris: "No, we don't all dress in drag, just me. I've been moving towards a more
androgynous image lately, rather than make them think: "That's a girl!", I now want them to think:
"What's that?" And then: "What am I?""
I don't know many bands from South Africa. How would you describe the South African music scene?
Chris: "The South African music scene is in an appalling state to say the least. Why else
would we leave such a beautiful paradise for a life of almost gypsydom? The South African music scene
is seriously lacking support from government and radio stations. Add to that the low self-esteem of a
country that for years was told by the rest of the world that it sucks major ass. The consequence is
that everything from overseas is viewed as superior. Then you have an industry that motivates its
talent to set their sights abroad!"
Leon: "The South African music scene is small. Actually, we discussed it the one time and
came to the conclusion that the South African music scene is like a woman's orgasm. You never
experience it, you only hear about it."
Musically, your "Monki Punk" is a refreshing amalgam of ska, reggae, punk, pop, and lots of other
80s influences. I might be wrong, but there's certainly some kind of 80s revival going on in Europe.
How do you feel about that?
Chris: "I don't like being compared, basically because I know that I have never aspired
towards sounding like anything other than what we are by nature. However, the fact is that we were
kids in the 80s, and I agree 100 percent that there's an 80s revival happening. It's all part of the
familiar cycle! And yeah, I love the 80s! So, I guess there's no getting away from it."
Leon: "Good. We will join forces."
Are you influenced by traditional African music as well?
Chris: "As for traditional African music, it didn't have any more to do with what we've
arrived at in terms of our sound, than did for instance the 80s. But it is certainly a part of our
culture and upbringing, so there's no escaping that either."
Leon: "I personally think that we are more influenced by the country than the music
itself. South Africa is a very passionate country, and it is difficult to explain. We love it there.
Being South African and being white from Africa means that you view the world with very different
eyes. We have a saying: "Living in hell and loving it!" When you've been to Africa you'll understand
the passion."
Apart from these influences, is there anything else that influenced you a lot?
Chris: "My favourite music has always been Jimmy Swaggart, ABBA, Tchaikovsky, and Harry
Belafonte."
Leon: "Candyfloss, cigarettes and coffee."
On your latest album 'Seventies, Eighties, Nineties, Naughties' there's a lot of experimenting
with new sounds. Do you think it's more important to discover new music than to write "the perfect
song"?
Chris: "Thanks, I'll take that as a compliment! As far as sound and perfect songs are
concerned, like I said: We don't try to imitate. In fact, probably the most conscious aspect to our
music is that in making it we should stay true to what we are. In the States we have, for instance,
met some people who said they can do things for us if we change this and that, but we couldn't see
how to stay true to ourselves in doing that and subsequently declined their offer. This is not to say
we won't change! We have in the past and will do so again, but only if it allows us to be true to
ourselves. I think the drive for the perfect song is inherent. I approach each song as if it were my
first and last song ever. So basically all of the songs that I write get performed, because they're
so well thought through and take a long time to reach completion, although that final burst is! normally
a speedy process! My personal opinion is that it's about the song..."
Chris, you write the lyrics. How about your songwriting process? Do you improvise along with the
music?
Chris: "I write the music and the lyrics. We arrange these elements together, and Ampie
Omo and Princess Leonie add their magic touches that give it that inimitable - even by me! - sound
and musical flavour that can only be Boo! We are completely dependent on each other to be Boo! In
many bands you could change a member, with us it's impossible."
The official Boo! homepage looks very creative. Visitors must travel around on Tapooni island in
full flash and find lost videos, see what treasures are in the treasure chest, avoid the dangers of
the volcano, and, of course, there's the usual latest news on Boo! How important is the internet for
the band?
Chris: "The internet plays a huge role in the evolution of Boo! Without the internet we
wouldn't have been able to establish the contacts, as an independent entity, to get us overseas. The
internet is the future, computers are - hardly an original statement, but true!. We even sing it in
our one song 'Mud'. The internet has taken an entire planet and squeezed it into this 30 x 25 x 4 cm
box, through which I'm replying to you. That suits the compact, mobile nature of Boo! The monki
punkers use gorilla - oops! that's guerilla! - tactics to get around."
Leon: "Very important. We are doing this interview over the internet for example. We can
track our fans from around the world with a single button. Setting up global gigs independently like
we do makes a big difference. You were able to get an idea about us by simply going to our website."
One last question: What did happen to your guitar player? Could it be that he hanged himself with
a guitar cord?
Chris: "Could be, but my guess is that he said "No way I'm gonna play in a band where
everything revolves around the drummer!" Actually, guitarists like to be doing something, and
seriously: What is there to do for a guitarist in Boo!?"
Leon: "Guitar player, what is that? We have enough ego in this band."
http://www.kindamuzik.net/interview/boo/boo/360/
Meer Boo! op KindaMuzik: http://www.kindamuzik.net/artiest/boo
Deel dit artikel: