We will start by posting the interviews we've done for the past issues... and then we will continue uploading articles, mainly by theme. (interviews, recipes, diy crafting, etc)
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They’re not your typical hardcore band. Playing for ten years they started as a hardcore punk band with some thrash and skate punk elements but now, with “Dark Poetry”, they’re experiencing with a dub / acoustic / surf rock sound. Vodka Juniors formed in Athens in 2000 and since they’ve toured Europe several times and most recently they did an exclusive Romanian tour.
1. How come you decided to make a tour only in Romania?
O&K: Paul BHCB had the idea and emailed us about it. All the capitals and big cities in Europe are very similar. The exciting part of touring abroad and not playing Athens everyday is to meet new cultures and play the strangest, smallest, most distant places. We enjoy gathering weird experiences. The only way to do this is to go somewhere and spend at least a week going up and down the country. We’ve played one off shows in other countries and its ok. But this is different because in Romania now we have a new home.
2. We all noticed that your merchandise was for free, how did you manage this?
O&K: We sell drugs. Also we work really hard during the rest of the year and instead of buying cool amps and guitars we invest all the money in making our stuff as accessible as possible to everyone trying to keep our band and money separated even if it’s really difficult. The downside is we can only tour for a couple of days per year, but on the good side these days are usually an emotional bloodbath. You must come to see… and ask for drugs.
3.How was the tour in vampire land?
O: It was brilliant. Everyone treated us like they knew us for years like brothers you know…
K: It was a bloodbath…
4.Was there any concert that you really really enjoyed?
K: We enjoy every concert, especially the worst ones. This is not a diplomatic answer, it’s the truth. Every single person back home in Athens asked the same question and we gave them the same answer. All the bands that want to tour Romania asked us where they should play and what they got for an answer was: “you need to play everywhere”.
5. Did you dislike any concert?
O: What’s wrong with you? NO! We loved EVERY SINGLE SHOW!!!
K: Well I didn’t really like the Cinematic Orchestra show yesterday.
6. When you played in Romania, you played both Dark Poetry songs and older songs.How come there is such a big difference between Dark Poetry and the older albums?
O: They are pretty mellow and different than our usual style but this is what came out… At first we wanted to release it under another name… but we thought wait… FUCK IT… that’s us... this is VJ. Now we even cover the Dark Poetry songs so we can actually play them live.
K: The music is a reflection of us and we are quite schizophrenic and I guess all people are like this. However I don’t believe there is so much difference between the records. There are musical differences but in essence they all talk about the same things and express the same kind of emotions. Dark poetry might be mellow but it has more rage and anger then all the other albums together!
7. Do you have any future plans (new albums, tours)?
O: At the moment we are preparing our annual big show in Athens on the 23rd of December. In January we will start touring Greece intensively until the end of August. At the same time we will start practicing for our new album, can’t fucking wait for our new album!
8. Any projects, other than Vodka Juniors?
O: Nope VJ for life all the way…We all got each other and nothing better to do…
K: I guess every album and every tour is like a new project, we try to push things to the limits each and every time like if it’s a completely new thing.
9. Any plans of touring Romania again?
K: Yes on our next tour, as soon as the new record is out. More places this time and a visit to the mountains, with Tuica and friends.
10. What's your opinion on the Romanian punk scene?
O: I think it’s alive and kicking. People are passionate, they put a lot of effort to their work and they seem to love what they are doing… i am bit jealous!
K: I liked Stuck in a Rut. They play that 625-style thrashcore that I always wanted to play. They need to come down to Athens. I‘ll call their manager.
11. Do you find any difference between our scene and the Athens/Greek scene?
K: Greece has the universities that have an asylum and no authorities. People can setup shows and cultural events and organize networks between them. This is something that is really cool. It’s easier to set up shows than Romania. I think that’s the main difference. In Romania everything seems more constrained so this is why it is so important that you people don’t give up. On the other hand the people are very much alike. It felt like home.
12. How about that gasoline... Many people claimed the streets in the last few years.
O: It’s getting pretty expensive! People are reclaiming the streets, people are fed up, people are angry, tired and exhausted. Reclaim your life!
K: What the song suggests actually is that sometimes when things don’t work there is no point in trying to change them. Just destroy them and start from scratch.
13.Did you join them too? Are radical politics popular in Greece or people are just fed up with what's happening?
O&K: It is too complicated to simply analyze here, we can do another article on what is going on in Greece (and maybe everywhere soon). There are too many sides and too many things at stake. One thing that is simple is that no matter the motive, people in Greece generally have some good inbuilt reactive forces from time to time. But someone needs to die before they are triggered. Still things are not as romantically perfect as perceived by the rest of the world. The majority of Greek people still enjoy being occasionally fucked by the government they elect and go on with their lives. Mediocre people with no purpose. There is a solution, stay in parallel world.
14. Anorexic girls still make you wanna puke?
K: Yes but not because we hate them. It’s a message against the message that is spread by the media and the magazines etc. Anorexia is a psychological disease and these girls are just victims. It’s the people spreading those messages that we want to puke, terminate, destroy, send to another planet, feed to the animals, crucify and leave to rot.
15. How do you feel about penguins?
O: We love them they are a very unique kind...i wish they could fly though.
K: Penguins will take over the world. There’s nothing we can do about that, so we better start liking them.
16. Thanks a lot. Love you all. Is there anything else you want to say?
O: INIMILE NOASTRE SUNT PLINE DE PASIUNE VA IUBIM!, Your Bastard brothers from Athens Greece!
K: No… “Leave Me Alone”
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