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| Running With the Devil |
| Everyone's favorite musical quandary, Hanzel und Gretyl, recently went out with the notorious Genitorturers in support of HuG's latest masterpiece UBER ALLES. |
| Writer: Hannah McLamb |
Jan 06 96 |
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Everyone's favorite musical quandary, Hanzel und Gretyl, recently went out with the notorious Genitorturers in support of HuG's latest masterpiece UBER ALLES. On their pass through Fayetteville, NC the tricksters of HuG sat down with Choler's Hannah McLamb to talk about the record labels, music festivals, and the return of metal. Here's what went down on the HuG tour bus (which was in the author's eyes one of the cleanest, most pristine she's ever seen) at Fayetteville, NC's Jester's Pub.
Hannah the Wicked: Why did it take so long for HuG to get a new album out?
Vas Kallas: Our record label slowly, slowly went out of business and left us hanging in the galaxy with no idea what to do and we tried to get signed to a new label, but couldn't because we weren't released from the old label. Then, the guy disappeared. It was terrible - he sued us and then we sued him. It took awhile - it took like five-years of this nonsense before we were free and clear to move forward with music and we had to give up a CD of music to get off a label that doesn't exist. It was a terrible, terrible thing.
HAN: I can imagine so - what a prick.
VAS: I mean come on, really - it's not like we are HUGE rock stars with lots of money. We are an underground band.
HAN: Maybe underground, but I regard you guys as pioneers.
HuG: ::laughs::
HAN: Really! Many people do - think about Transmissions from Uranus. HuG did some stuff on that album that was quite unique and hadn't been heard before. You listened to it and thought, "Hey, this is kinda cool! Wait - what the fuck is this?
HuG: ::laughs::
HAN: And everyone, EVERYONE thought you were German.
HuG: ::Big laughs::
VAS And still do!
Rob Loopy: Yeah - and especially now!
VAS: And some get VERY upset when they find out were not German.
HAN: Yeah - I've heard it. I spoke with Das Ich about a year ago and we were talking about the whole industrial genre of music and they asked me which artists I listened to that were industrial. So, I named a couple of bands and HuG - even though I knew you were based out of New York.
LOOPY: And what did they say?
HAN: They kind of laughed and said, "Oh…. Them."
JOHN: ::really good German accent:: "Scheisse! I DON'T like them!"
LOOPY: I'm not surprised. ::shakes head::
HAN: You guys came to North Carolina a few years back and played in Charlotte in support of Transmissions.
VAS: Oh yeah.
HAN: I didn't go - but everyone I knew kept talking about this fucking great German industrial band who had this weird space thing going on, but were an extremely high-energy stage band. When I found out you were from NY and started correcting people they were like, NO FUCKING WAY. They speak German. They are German.
HuG: ::laughs::
HAN: The new album, Uber Allies, was it waiting in the wings ready to go? Were you just patiently sitting on it waiting for the chance to record?
VAS: Yeah - basically we just had to finish up a few lyrics, write a couple of riffs and go in there and record then mix it. So it was basically almost all there.
HAN: How long would you say it takes HuG to put together a new album?
LOOPY: Three years!
HuG: ::laughs::
VAS: Three years of arguments, stress -
HAN: Yeah - I remember you guys do argue quite a bit.
VAS: Yes! We DO fight a lot.
LOOPY: But it's all good-natured fighting.
VAS: "Out of chaos comes big dancing stars" - how does that saying go?
LOOPY: I don't know. Who said it?
VAS: How does it go? "Every dancing star comes out of chaos." Some Nietzche guy or some shit like that.
HAN: Yeah. I can see that. I've read some articles about the Swans and they said a similar relationship existed between M. Gira and Jarobe - and it shows in their music. It's very passionate.
VAS: Exactly.
ANNA K.: Every band fights a lot during the creative process. There are so many wishes and important things that have to go together. You have different visions of things and you fight. Then, you end up with something in-between - which makes the band unique.
LOOPY: And the strongest person wins.
HuG: ::laughs::
VAS: More like the hardest punch!
ALL: ::laughs::
HAN: The new album is very different from Transmissions.
LOOPY: Yes, for us it is.
HAN: Why did you all decided to creatively go in that direction?
LOOPY: We just thought everyone would be expecting another wild eclectic, crazy blend of stuff -
HAN: More Sumeraian chanting?
LOOPY: Yeah! And were like, we want to keep everyone guessing. We wanted to make a more powerful, straightforward record with just a few eclectic elements.
HAN: Cool. Do you feel due to the solid nature of this album it sounds harder live?
VAS: Definitely.
LOOPY: Yeah, all of our stuff usually is.
HAN: That is what I am REALLY interested to see. How it sounds live with your older stuff.
VAS: You've NEVER seen us live???
HAN: Nope, I have never seen you live.
LOOPY: Oh - this is going to be fun!
HAN: ::slipping in to gushy, starry-eyed fan mode:: Really? I am SO excited!
VAS: We love de-virginizing people.
HAN: Come to think of it, I have never seen the Gentitoturers live either.
JOHN: ::laughs:: You're in for a ride tonight!
HAN: Almost everyone from where I get my tattoos done are coming to see the show. They saw the Gens a year ago. They are all like, "She sprayed a douche on a guy!…. she pierced a guy! You have got to fucking see it!"
LOOPY: Well, she's got a few surprises tonight for you!
HAN: ::blinks - regains composure:: HuG has toured with some very interesting, notable artists - VooDou, Marilyn Manson -
VAS: Yeah.
HAN: How was it going out with Marilyn Manson during his heydey?
VAS: It was great because it was like the fifth show we had ever played live and it was infront of a thousand kids opening for Manson. That really pushed us into the limelight of that genre of music - it really helped our career and it was awesome. We blended really well with them - it was awesome.
HAN: I can imagine that touring with Manson during that time would just be a trip.
LOOPY: It was.
VAS: Yeah, you know he was friendly for about a minute, then he became a "rockstar" - not like the Genitorturers, they are very friendly. Those guys were not as friendly.
HAN: With new album departing so much from Transmissions did you all worry about losing any of the fan base you had built?
LOOPY: I think we thought it might happen. I don't think we were worried about it But when you do something different you wonder if a couple of people might drop off because they wanted to hear another Transmissions or Ausgeflippt.
ANNA K.: I think a lot more dropped in though.
LOOPY: Yeah.
VAS: I don't think we lost any fans at all, I think we gained fans - and you know as music changes, people grow up and people's taste in music changes. I mean, five years ago Transmissions from Uranus was a different genre - techno and all that was kind of popular then and now it's - well, kinda not. You just go with the flow of the universe and it's all good.
HAN: I've heard Transmissions called lots of different things - I've heard it called "space dub" -
LOOPY: Right. I've heard that.
JOHN: ::laughs:: Space dub?!?! What's that?!?!
HAN: I've even heard people compare HuG to Renegade Soundwave.
LOOPY: ::laughs:: Really!?! Now that's interesting.
HAN: People love to pigeonhole music. With HuG it's hard to do - especially with your harder sound. How has the response been on tour to the new material so far?
VAS: It's a good tour. We went back and forth - should we do this tour? Okay, let's do it. There's been lots of people at the show every night and it's a good blend of genres and people coming to see the bands. It's great - I think it's a really good package.
ANNA K.: I think it is going really well.
VAS: Yeah, considering how I hear other tours are not as packed we have good numbers every night - so were happy about it.
ANNA K.: I actually think we are winning over lots of people who have not seen us before -
LOOPY: Lots of first-timers -
ANNA K.: There are people who have never heard of us and they are like, "oh my god, this is the best show I've seen in years - thank you so much for being here."
HAN: I've noticed from the people I have talked to that not many of them have heard of you. People I talked to before the show would say, "Yeah, I'm going to see the Genitorturers," and I say what about Hanzel und Gretyl? They are awesome - you are going to love them.
VAS: That's the thing - that's why we wanted to do this, because we wanted to expand our audience.
JOHN: There was this girl crying last night -
VAS: What girl?
JOHN: The girl with the tattoo, she said "thank you for coming - you were incredible."
VAS: That's it - they can't believe they've never heard of us before.
LOOPY: And our merchandise is like vanishing, we have none left - practically.
HAN: Awesome!
LOOPY: It's gone very well.
HAN: Have you encountered any HuG "superfans" yet - fans that have HuG tattooed on their bodies and are "uber" obsessed?
LOOPY: I haven't seen any Hanzel und Gretyl tattoos yet.
VAS: Actually - I saw someone had the round, watch-like thing that was on Ausgeflippt -
LOOPY: That's right! I'm sorry - there was this guy in Portland who had a Hanzel und Gretyl tattoo - he had the design without the logo.
HAN: So no "machines good people bad"?
LOOPY: Nope - it was that design -
VAS: With no writing -
HAN: Band worship rocks. Have fans and audiences changed? Many things have happened to alter our society since the release of your first album and your first tour. Are you seeing any differences in the attitudes of audiences? Are people more reserved?
VAS: Depends on where you are. Definitely in the big cities everyone is sitting there with a freaking attitude. Like LA or NY city - they just look at you like you have fifty heads on you - they look at you like they could do it better than you and can't believe you - eh, whatever.
HAN: Let's talk about your obsession with Wagner.
HuG: ::laughs::
HAN: What's the deal with that?
LOOPY: I don't think any of us knows too much about classical music - but Wagner is just the epitome of Germaness and as far as music goes, it just fit to make a phony Wagnerian psycho-opera from the future - it's been like our motif for this one.
VAS: Yeah - we totally Germanized on this CD.
HAN: Wagnerian psycho-operas rock - awesome. How big could you see the whole Wagner psycho- opera growing to be - stagewise?
LOOPY: ::mischievously grinning:: You're about to find out.
HAN: Oh really?
VAS: We would love to do a bigger production.
LOOPY: Yeah, we need like columns and you know, humongous curtains -
VAS: That would be nice.
HAN: I could totally see you guys doing that -
LOOPY: We are putting on an arena show in very small places.
VAS: Yeah - without a lot of light.
HAN: A big HuG stage production would rock. When I first started getting into the German industrial genre, I noticed that German bands did that a lot - the whole drama thing with the gigantic programs, costumes, and theatrics - I honestly feel that would come naturally for HuG. It would simply incredible to see you guys do a show like that -
ANNA K.: We will eventually.
LOOPY: We will get there -
VAS: Once we get the big budget, we can get the big crew, the big trailers - everything.
ANNA K.: I would love to do that. With this band and this music you can do anything.
VAS: Oh yeah, definitely. Hell yeah.
JOHN: We could take up collections at shows and everyone could donate $20.
HAN: You could get someone to stand around with a collection plate -
LOOPY: Support our art and our vision!
HAN: Let's talk dream concert. If you could do a gig anywhere and have it be anything, what and where would it be?
JOHN: Fayetteville. With Metallica and Slayer opening up for us.
ALL: ::laughs::
VAS: Dream concert. ::insert Vas Kallas' patent-wheel's-are-a turnin'- look:: Jesus.
LOOPY: Since we are from New York - I would like to play Madison Square Garden, of course.
VAS: I would like to play a big, big show. I've always wanted to be on a tour where there are thousands of people out there - that would be cool. I would like to play Greece, Berlin -
LOOPY: Yeah, really - we really need to play in Germany.
VAS: I would like to do festivals - I've always wanted to do that.
ANNA K.: One of the big European festivals.
HAN: Like the Procession Tour that William Faith did with Das Ich and Rosetta Stone.
VAS: They don't have festivals here - it doesn't come off.
ANNA K.: It's not the same - in Europe basically every country has one or two big festival and people come from all over Europe. People travel around for weeks to hit all the festivals, I mean they are huge - 1000s of people and when you come on the stage, people go crazy.
HAN: I lived in Stuttgart for about six months and I remember hearing about them -
VAS: Stuttgart - I lived there.
HAN: It's a fun place.
VAS: Nice little art community - great place to be.
HAN: Definitely. Can I ask you a question about the whole Lupie thing - the Lupie alter ego -
LOOPY: Lupie thang? What is this "Lupie thang?"
VAS: ::speaking in a slow, Hannah-the-Wicked-like Southern drawl:: You know, that "Lupie thang."
HAN: ::dies laughing and turning really red:: Oh no. Moving on. What about this Lupie and Vas cartoon I've heard rumors about? Lupie would make a great cartoon character.
VAS: Oh, we ARE a cartoon. I'm just waiting for someone to step up to the plate and say here is the cartoon - I did it. Everyone keeps talking about it, but no one is doing it.
HAN: Well, you guys were on the Mortal Kombat soundtrack -
LOOPY: Yup - the second one actually.
HAN: Were you guys aware it was going to be on there?
VAS: Our record company sold the rights to the song - they made the money, we didn't.
HAN: That sucks.
ANNA K.: I wish they had of done it anyway - that way we could sue them.
LOOPY: Exactly.
VAS: Well they did give us publishing -
LOOPY: The cartoon, though, is forthcoming - so watch out for it.
HAN: What about collaborating with other artists in the future - is there anyone HuG would like to collaborate with?
LOOPY: ::looks at HuG bandmates:: You guys.
VAS: Writing music?
HAN: Or touring -
VAS: Oh god yes - anybody who brings in a million people to the show. We were going to tour with Cradle of Filth and Type O Negative, but that fell through.
JOHN: It just fell through.
VAS: Any big tour that will bring in thousands of people.
ANNA K.: Like Rammenstein in Europe.
VAS: Rammenstein would be great.
LOOPY: Certainly would.
HAN: Hey, what about Wumpscut?
VAS: Wumpscut?!?!
HAN: ::smirk:: Yeah. Why not?
LOOPY: I don't think Wumpscut would take us.
VAS: Isn't that just a guy and a smoke machine? That's not gonna work.
LOOPY: Well, they are label mates with Rammenstein, but were more of a metal band format.
VAS: We do better with a metal audience than with shall I say a Pigface audience - even though there is a little crossover there. I like the songs that they have - they are artsy and that is interesting stuff - but live it's messy.
::phone rings summoning drummer Jon to do a sound check::
VAS: John and his opinions are leaving.
HAN: Wow - he is very quiet.
LOOPY: Oh yeah? He's not THAT quiet.
VAS: Wait until after the show when he's had a couple of jack and cokes and he walks around slapping everyone in the butt. You're like "get away from me!"
LOOPY: You gotta watch out for him.
HAN: I see. ::dies laughing::. Lupie -
LOOPY: Yes?
HAN: I want to talk about your goggles.
LOOPY: YES! ::puts goggles on::
HAN: How long have you been wearing them?
LOOPY: Strangely enough, I wore these five or six years ago. But don't worry - I have some new and improved goggle ideas I will be displaying this evening.
HAN: That rocks.
LOOPY: I have to have the goggles or I loose all my special powers.
HAN: You guys really are fun - and you know so much and seem so educated about the world -
LOOPY: Ha!
VAS: Educated?!?! Well, I am a college graduate believe or not. He's not.
HAN: As far music goes with themes, motifs, and lyrics there are multiple levels to your music.
LOOPY: Yeah. There's a lot of layers to it - I guess. I don't know if it all comes together to make anyone specific statement - it's pretty crazy.
HAN: Does HuG have a statement? Like maybe an artistic statement?
LOOPY: I don't think so.
VAS: Artistic statement….
LOOPY: We are always baffled by this question.
VAS: Just express who you are -
LOOPY: Deviate. Deviate from yourself, deviate from everyone else. Find that little, tiny place where the cracks and the holes are - where nobody else dwells and go there -
VAS: And shut the door and hide -
LOOPY: And make yourself happy.
VAS: And follow your destiny.
HAN: What are your top five albums of all time - or who are your top five artists of all time?
VAS: Oh my god! Slayer - Reign in Blood!
LOOPY: Really?
VAS: But that's just me.
LOOPY: Name two songs except for -
VAS: You know - all of them.
LOOPY: Angel of Death - okay, what else?
VAS: I named one. Now you name one.
LOOPY: You could throw Slayer in there. Certainly Kraftwerk, Brian Eno - for me -
VAS: And old, old, old Ministry -
LOOPY: Ministry -
VAS: Old hardcore punk shit. There are so many different influences. So many different genres and years. We're so old, for god's sake. It's like I have been listening to music since 1910. He came from the 80's new wave world and I am sure you did too, - the same genre.
ANNA K.: At the same time I really didn't bring anything to this album, so nobody gives a shit about my background.
VAS: We adore you doll, don't worry about it.
LOOPY: Actually, her ::Ginger:: musical background is far more illustrious than ours is. She is formally of Drain FTH. She's done extensive touring with large, large audiences with humongous convoys of tour buses. She has condescended herself-
VAS: Demeaned -
LOOPY: To being with us for a little while -
VAS: In our own little world -
LOOPY: ::points to Ginger:: The real interview is right here.
VAS: I was a total punk rock chick - the mohawk, beat people up in the streets. I'd go to England and hang out with the English Dogs, GBH, and the Exploited - that whole scene. Then, there's the whole German thing - German music - all that noise stuff, that whole world and then metal.
HAN: I freely, and proudly, admit I like heavy metal. I love Slayer - Reign in Blood was one of my first cassette tapes.
VAS: They created that music - Slayer and Metallica.
HAN: You know, they get a bad rap. Metal gets a bad rap; metal gets made fun of a lot.
VAS: Bad rap? Who makes fun of Slayer?
ANNA K.: Every band on this planet if asked would give Slayer as a huge influence. I don't know one band who does not like Slayer.
HAN: I don't know - this younger generation of kids, some of them want to bag on metal as a genre.
LOOPY: There have been so many generations and Slayer's stuff has gotten so reprocessed over time.
ANNA K.: And metal gets ridiculed by the media - they see the stereotype - leather-clad King Diamond looking version - they think that is metal.
VAS: It's a different genre of metal.
ANNA K.: And kids see that a lot.
HAN: There are even different genres of Metallica. I so love Creeping Death and Blitzkrieg.
VAS: Oh - all early Metallica - the best. The new stuff? Crap. They should just stop. Go home and count your money and stay home.
HAN: God. What happened to them?
VAS: They got RICH! They should step into our shoes - ::points to Lupie's footwear featuring uber thick soles:: especially these shoes - and then write a song about it.
LOOPY: We look forward one day to being rich like Metallica.
ANNA K.: And having the videos -
LOOPY: Were moving in that direction.
HAN: Then you can be on Lolapalooza!
ALL: NAH!
LOOPY: I really don't think they would have us.
VAS: We could do a Hug-a-palooza -
LOOPY: A German-palooza -
VAS: An UBER-palooza -
ANNA K.: A HugFest -
VAS: An Uber-Hug-Fest! Oh, a Scheisse-fest!
LOOPY: Scheisse-fest!
ANNA K.: It could be really big - like the Oktoberfest!
LOOPY: We should do a Scheisse-fest!
VAS: We should put it together - the Oktober Scheisse-fest!
LOOPY: Hannah thank you for spawning this!
HAN: No problem!
VAS: We will get ALL the bands WE like and go on a THREE-month tour.
ANNA K.: In Oktober.
LOOPY: Just Oktober?
VAS: I don't know - we will make Oktober 60 to 90 days long.
HAN: I really want to try to get Martin Atkins to do a PigFace style production of Moulin Rouge. I think I pitched that to him a couple of years ago during an interview.
LOOPY: And how did he receive that?
HAN: I think he thought it would be great.
LOOPY: Did you copyright, trademark that idea?
HAN: Dammit. No, but I should have. You know, our time is running out.
ALL: Awwwww.
HAN: I wish had more time to talk to you guys - you're the shit.
ALL: Awwwwwwww.
HAN: Honestly - HuG, the Swans, Led Zeppelin, Slayer, PJ Harvey - NiN - you are what I listen to when I get really mad or upset. Good driving music.
LOOPY: Awwwwwwwwww.
VAS: That is so precious.
LOOPY: Yes, thank you for that.
VAS: It is. You know, we sit here and we write this music and all these people are so touched by it. It's just like - you can't put a price on it.
LOOPY: When I listen to us, I GET upset.
HAN: WHY?
LOOPY: ::shrugs:: Oh, I don't know.
VAS: He puts himself down. I don't know - Ausgeflippt is okay. I can't believe we actually write this stuff.
HAN: Aren't you just amazed sometimes that your life has taken the course it has?
VAS: Yeah.
LOOPY: YES!
ANNA K.: Definitely.
HAN: Do you ever sit around and think, "How the fuck did this all happen?"
LOOPY: Yes! Especially when you get out here on the road.
VAS: You know, I wouldn't have it any other way. I couldn't sit at home and pull a 9 to 5 - I'd shoot myself. I'd rather have the chaos.
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