THE NEXT INTERVIEW HAS BEEN SENT IN VIA EMAIL BY SKULDA, WHO PLAYS BASS AND SINGS IN THE POWERSCREAMO VIOLENCE BAND sheeva yoga; it's gonna be printed, in czech language, on his own zine...whose name actually I couldn't remember (sorry mate! later I'll add it!).
So, i've asked him if I could use it for this sort of webzine.
I met him and the rest of SHEEVA YOGA in 2008, while playing in Ostrava (their hometown).
We shared the stage and that night was sooooo fuckin' impressed in my mind, even if I was using just 1% of my brain (yes, I was in one of those so called "holidays from a str8 edge lifestyle" trip...).
I got so fucked up at his place that i remember i made some videos with my small camera, just by accident!!!
That's it; answers are from me and Marrabbio.
Filo and Doner are lost somewhere around Europe, that's why they couldn't write down any kind word...
1.) A standardly boring beginning - introduce a little DBW, write us something about your biography, discography, and also try to say something about a biology of your band members, a size of your feet, bank balance of your bank accounts, favourite toys in your childhood, etc.! ;)
PULCE: Well, the core of the band started around...2004? 2005? 2006? And there were only FILO (drums) and MARRA (geetar). Then Tadzio joined on bass, but due to many projects (THE END OF SIX THOUSAND YEARS and SKRUIGNERS) he had to quit. Then Guasco joined on vocals but it wasn’t the right choice (he sounded too brootal and evil, we’re just a bunch of jerks) so after all i joined on vocals and DONER on bass geetar. The rest is story.
My feet are 8 size, my bank balance is between 1100 euros on each month’s the 15th, and 100 euros the 17th. In fact, i need only a couple of days in spending all my money in rent, taxes and the rest...vinyls, of course!!!
When i was a child i used to play a lot with MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, my favourite one being obviously Skeletor (and by the way, soon i’m going to get a tattoo of „Castle of Greyskull“ on my leg).
It’s funny that when i finally have reached the adulthood, one of my favorite bands become MOTU from Germany (exactly Masters Of The Universe, it’s really funny isn’t it?).
MARRABBIO:I think someone will reply to this one better than me so continue reading. I can only say my bank balance is not so balanced ( Pulce! You still owe me €120! Fuck you! ) and i dont need to know the size of my feet cause i’m a hippie and i dont have shoes. One toy since my childhood and forever: bike.
2.) I know that Pulce plays in THRASH BRIGADE and SSWIISSH. Have I forgotten some of his other projects? And what about other members´ projects?
PULCE: I USED to play with them. Both have split definitively a couple of years now. I joined GIUDA on drums less than one year ago, even if i’m not much addicted to crustcore/stenchore/punkmetal whatever you want to call that noise; at least it’s a fuckin lot of noise with some good people. Plus, being the band of Mr. Mila, Mr Borys and Mr. Koppa from Agipunk label/distro/tourbooking, i reached the status of mafia leader of the italian scene together with them! Ahahahahahahaha! (it’s a fuckin‘ joke, you reading nerds!)
MARRABBIO: I also play in Idiocracy
with the previous singer from Thrash Brigade and we are into powerviolence/fastcore/grind...
3.) You had a tour with AGATHA in Spring 2008. They play something completely different than your band, not speaking of they are a "girl band". What about reactions to this tour? And what about some differences of opinions with them in a van?
PULCE: Well, that tour with Agatha has been awesome for many reasons, but even disatrous for the consequences that it implied...personal consequences, mainly.
I will not annoy you talking too much about that, anyway.Marra knows better, ahahahahah.
MARRABBIO: We are friend with them since a lifetime, and they are definitely like a bunch of drunk truckers so there was no problem at all in sharing the van with them! The whole tour ruled, and we never had fights on anything.
4.) Why did you release the one-sided LP? Didn´t you have enough stuff or you wanted that nice pentagram?
PULCE:The first cd out on SOA had always been dreamed and projected as an Lp, a two sided one, but as an Lp. When we got the chance to finally kick it out as a vinyl release, we were already bored by the original layout, so we decided to do something completely different. At the same time we didn’t want to record newer stuff, being it mainly an old release, so we thought about adding only three songs from another recording (the one from the split 7“ w/Comrades), that due to not enough space on the 7“ were left behind... I think it’s our best release, so far.
I fuckin‘ love vinyl Lp’s, it was a dream coming true.
MARRABBIO:Both! We were into re-releasing on vinyl the cd stuff so we did it as it came! Dont you like the pentagram? Hail satan.
5.) Recently I read the Al Confino´s people report in one Czech fanzine that there are some fascist squatts in Italy, is it true? Do you know some of them? What do you think about it?
PULCE:The entire situation in Italy is pretty fucked up right now. If it’s possible, i suggest you to boycott italian products at all, since our government is supporting the return of neo-fascist movements (being itself represented by fascists). There’s a new group called CASA POUND which is opening new houses every month in a different town, the situation is really alarming.
The main problem behind all this shit is that, as history teaches and repeats itself, when there’s an economical crisis, racism and rightwing opinions/mentality come back in full force. Add to this situation that in our country medias are controlled by Mr. Berlusconi for the 95% of them, and that it’s mentality has won; i was talking with Doner about this issue some time ago. What we understood is that the main problem is not only what we should do NOW, but it’s in the future, in the future of our sons, daughters and even grandsons because we will need at least 2 generations if not 3 to eradicate the mentality Berlusconi and his fellows have spreaded in our country. Don’t forget that to reach this point he started is slow, dirty job in the 70’s...so we are pretty fucked now.
Which is this mentality? People following Berlusconi believes in racism, in easy money, in the fact that is normal to find an help in mafious organizations if you need, that is normal to exploit other people’s work for their own need, that there’s no law above any of them...since thay are in full force and they can decide to change the law anytime they want. Yes, we’re living in a mediatic dictatorship, where people is not protesting because too committed to watch government tv shows. Yes, it’s sad and unbelievable, but it’s all true.
MARRABBIO:It is, they’re not so many but it is fucking true. Fascism is taking place day by day in today’s society and it seems it is tolerated by authorithy and laws.
6.) This fanzine is specialized in fastcore and power-violence, so recommend us something in this rank from the "lowland Padana".
PULCE:I will speak for the entire Italian scene, since in the only lowland Padana there’s not that much going on: Idiocracy from Milano is Marra’s new project, total powerviolence worship; Mastic from Milano/Novara is Doner’s other platform and it’s grindcore/powerviolence.
Some of my favorite bands from Italy are: OSS, TASTE THE FLOOR and WHAT? from Roma, CxOxSx from Vicenza, TERROR FIRMER from Modena/Bologna, ED from Bologna, LxExAxRxNx, HAEMOPHAGUS, SHOCK TROOPERS from Palermo...
Actually the entire punk/alternative scene is full of „hc rocknroll influenced bands“ since the new trend in recent years is going back to the rock formula.
I have nothing to do with it at ALL.
MARRABBIO:Mastic! And Idiocracy of course. Except for lowlands padana we have some excellent bands such as OxSxSx!, ED, Taste the floor, Heil Hidiot and more here and there... we just played with some of them at the annual Fast Fest which this year was amazing! People flying everywhere! „Thrashcore and circle pits, long hair short hair it all fits!“
7.) This question is the same one for all the questioned bands/people in this fanzine - do you know a crazy project of John Zorn called Naked City? Do you like it or not?
PULCE: Ehehehehe! Yes! I got the „Torture Garden“ Lp, since i was mad about grindcore in early 90’s (as still i am) and also i love to listen to different weird jazz/experimental/avantgarde stuff.
I like most of John Zorn’s projects, but i don’t know what the other guys in dbw! think about it...
What about PAINKILLER dude? They rule!!!
MARRABBIO:I know about that but i never was into it... i definitely nor like or dislike it, just it is not my cup of tea. I prefer Spazz.
8.) Sometimes you talk in a little bit negative way about speciál topics in your lyrics - f.e., you´re from Milan but two songs on your LP are directly against your City, and you rip quite hard into your hometown in ("Bologna has got a Better scene, too bad I Live in Milano" and "No Lyrics, No Fun"). Please, try to speak more about it. Where is that shitty problem of Milan? And was it like that always?
PULCE: Milano is the economical empire of this country; here’s where Berlusconi comes from. So, here is born the fucked up mentality we were talking about some lines above...I’ve seen this town getting more and more selfish during the years...Let’s say that Milano has always been somehow a wrong place, but nowadays it’s THE wrong place. I mean, if you’re going for an holiday in Milano, there’s no meaning for you to visit this city.
I was born here and i used to love it. I can’t say i HATE it, but i can’t stand it anymore. Sadly, because this is supposed to be my home, where my roots are.
MARRABBIO:The problem is that Milan is becoming more and more the ‘city of fashion‘ and it will host the Expo2015, so government is evicting squats, putting more police on the streets and so on (and this is what it is doing all over italy... repression in the name of ‚security‘ is what they preach)... they want everything to be clean and fucking expensive and the fact that squats themselves have worked for many years in a policy of making a ghetto doesnt help in getting young people involved in this kind of activities... so there is no new people defending the ghetto anymore. So we’re pretty fucked. I dont know so much about Bologna except for the fact there really are good bands and good friends there... for the rest it sucks to me too... everything sucks! Fuck it!
9.) You have the lyrics called "Last Night I dreamt about Jeff and Athena adopting me", so do you prefer a production of Six Weeks to Deep Six to 625 or what? Do you know a 7" of Knucklescrapper ("Max Ward is not the Bastard")? Is there something more behinds this than love for Californian fast bands?
Pulce: Hey and what about MAX WARD the band? That’s the epitome of nerdism!!! Aahaha!
No, i just thought that sometimes is cool when the title track has absolutely nothing to do with the lyrical content. I completely appreciate the work of sixweeksrecords, but man do you know that at home i got a special box exclusively for 625thrash records? That’s the real shit dude! I’m in love with all Max‘ releases, both his own bands and label ones. The attitude is super cool and positive, and that label helped me in discovering new bands from crazy countries along with old releases from the very old past.
Some of my favourite: PROTES BENGT lp and the BARBARIC THRASH cd/7“ compilation series. RAD! (and yes, OBVIOUSLY i own the KxSx 7“ you quoted).
We even have a song about me trying to find out the SPITFIRE cd on 625 (called „bored youth“) and another song where we quote 625 being part of a network of thrash friends from all the world („death before work a.k.a. the thrash connection continues“).
So 625 wins over SIXWEEKS: 2-1 ahahahaahah!
MARRABBIO:Six Weeks totally rules, but behind that title there are lyrics that have nothing to do with the title itself... only Pulce knows why!!!
10.) Not speaking of that song I told higher has a little anti-religious hidden meaning (I don´t know if I understood it well). And than I think you say your anti-religious opinions in other ways, aren´t you? How much a catholic influence falls on people in Italy? Czech Republic is the most atheist Country in the World, so such people like religious bigots are as scarce as hen´s teeth here.
PULCE: Is it a joke? Are you living in the most atheist country in the world? If that’s the truth, i’m moving up there as fast as i can!!! I absolutely HATE the religious bigots mindfucked we got here in Italy. The Vatican is dictating it’s own set of rules, no problem if there’s a rightwing or leftwing government. We got a song called BOMB THE VATICAN, and i think there’s no need of explanation since it’s all so obvious. Maybe is too much obvious, to the point that sounds nonsense. Organized religions sux, and we are facing the everyday bigotry of it.
They have the money, the power, the fear of the people they control.
They should be stopped NOW.
I think i’m not making a good picture of my country in this interview, anyway this is the reality.
MARRABBIO:You joking? Here the church is the master of puppets, and the puppets are at the government, afraid to do anything that could upset the religious power. Catholic gangs have full of privileges in universities and rule the official cultural environment applying censorship everywhere. Thats why in italy we have a lot of bands singing about how much christ sucks.
11.) Still in the same connection with foregoing question - don´t you think that American bands are sometimes overrated to the exclusion of better bands from Europe, Asia, and other World´s bands? (and I think this fact considers in extreme HC style two times more)
PULCE: Well, sometimes it’s fuckin‘ true; but as i read on mags like Short Fast & Loud, the same happens for americans with foreigner bands. So maybe it’s just a mentality, a wrong one, that is common in every part of the world. You tend to give not much credit to a local band, preferring to „idolize“ a foreigner one, maybe just for the sense of an „exotic feeling“ that a foreigner band gives...I don’t know.
Most of the bands i love come from U.S.A. or Japan, and i have to admit that an average italian band most of the times cannot be compared to them.
There’s also a cultural difference in the way we live music, that is not the same for other countries. Just think about the „basement factor“: in u.s.a. it’s easier to start playing music in your parents‘ garage, so a kid can reach a better technical skill in less years than an average italian guy, who has to pay lots of money for a practice room and, never forget, prices for musical instruments here are way more expensive than in the states!!!
So, i think all these factors weigh upon the final result. I hope you get what i mean...
MARRABBIO:Its a matter of geography, if you could cut a europe-sized slice of America you’ll find as many band as we have, so i think its much more a matter of visibility of a whole scene that is easily connected by language and culture than countries in europe are. It is sufficient to think about me and you, we live in different countries, we speak different languages, we have different cultures and traditions, but we are both part of Europe having much more differences that a guy in Texas and one in Minnesota could ever have!
12.) Another lyrics "I´d like to eat bio, but my wage is not enough" - I think it´s a good shot! Do you have that moneymaking business with all those BIO products which are pretty fucking expensive in Italy as we have in our Country? Do you try to get around these fuckers who have 300% profit from those BIO business? Or are you forced to buy something from them with gnashing your teeth?
PULCE: Yeah sure, and i think it’s a shame. If i’d be the world’s boss i will put many fuckin taxes on animal products and i will let bio/vegan stuff be very very cheap.
Sometimes i buy this vegan/bio stuff, trying to find it as cheapest as possible, but it’s not that easy! The thing that makes me sick is the fact that there’s always a money discrimination factor: only who has money can have good food, and the rest of the people has to eat crap.
Fuck it, steal that stuff if you can and don’t forget to keep your mind and your body always in good shape eating vegan/vegetarian stuff.
MARRABBIO:Fuck yeah... bio and vegan-specific products such as seitan and tofu and so on are fucking expensive here too... As we live in a country where you can still get a lot of vegetables and cook without buying specific vegan products we can avoid to take part to this businness but sometimes you have to deal with it. This song is also an attack to all the people like vegan kids wearing nike and so on... A friend of mine used to work in a vegan restaurant where all was fucking expensive and nor the owner or the people working inside, except for her, were vegans nor vegetarians... they used to eat giant steaks before the opening, and the customers were often fancy ladies wearing furs. What the fuck does that mean? I dont want this kind of ideas and lifestyle being vehiculated by those hypocrite rich scum as a nice expensive evening among their capitalistic lives. Fuck them!
13.) There is the article about German ultra-left-wing terrorism in 70´s in this issue of our fanzine. You had a lot of problems with terrorism in Italy in that period too, so what do you think about Brigate Rosse, and other leftism storm troops in 70´s?
PULCE: I don’t have a strong opinion about terrorism in the 70’s, because i never read too much stuff about it. I can only understand that there has been a point in this country’s history in which the Left was going to put the nation on fire, and a mass proletar revolt was going to happen...
MARRABBIO:Basically Brigate Rosse were saying fascism in italy was not really over, and wanted to destroy capitalist and imperialist power of the multinational corporations... not so much to say beyond this, i wasnt even born and i dont know how it was to live in italy in the seventies, they did kidnappings, shootings and killings of some right-wing parties personalities, judges and cops. There are still some misteries around their actions (like their famous one: the kidnapping and killing of Aldo Moro, someone says he was released by the BR and then killed by the government secret services to make him a martyr). Even the other left wing armed troops took distances from them cause they acted in a real radical way, with no compromise at all. Their story is really interesting but i think its impossible to have a strong position on them, they were just a response to a social situation that we cannot understand right now so easily, for sure not if explained by me!
14.) The same theme - a lot of Czech bands including me and our band had a little shock on tour in Italy when we saw a lot of Communist symbols in your Country. From streets´ names to some squatts´ propaganda. You know, we East-Europeans are quite depressed from 40 years of Bolshevik authoritarian system. What do you think about it?
PULCE: Communism in italy has never been applied in total. We can debate a lot about what communism means, about what has been called communism in some parts of the world (like China, for example) and the fact that „real“ communism has nothing to do with it.
I used to be a very radical left wing dude when i was younger, and i got some teachings from my dad who was a supporter of and old communist party here in italy during the 70’s and the 80’s (the now disappeared „Democrazia Proletaria“ party).
Has communism failed? Has capitalism won? I’ve learned only one lesson in all this: the world is divided in exploiters and exploited, and i know i’m on the exploited side. I try with myself, my words, my beliefs, my actions to explain other people that is not by supporting the exploiters that the world will change. So i think communism, and mainly socialism, are a very good starting point but it’s really hard to develop them in a humanly respectful way.
I understand your shock in seeing so many communist signs while touring here. I can only try to explain that for us it was very different, and those signs for a lot of people (mainly in the 70’s...) meant hope and progress. Not anymore, sadly.
MARRABBIO:Communism here is something a lot of people look at as the ultimate libertarian utopia. As i consider myself kinda anarchist, is easy for me to state that any kind of government and especially the totalitarian ones are pretty the same shit but we have a lot of squats with those symbols cause on the paper it seems they have good intentions on libertarian issues. Anyway of course i’ll never vote for the communist party, and the squat/commie connections are far away from the main political life of the country. Italy was so shocked about fascism that a lot of people looks forward for its opposite, but just in its theorical form that i think is far away from what you have experienced in Eastern Europe. People from anarchist squats and commie-oriented ones are kinda similar and you cant find racism, sexism or authority inside them, we cannot say the same about the fascist ones. In two words i think some people are fascinated more by the communist strong opposition to fascism than by its real meaning and the totalitarian ways in which it is usually applied.
15.) Hey Pulce, you´re not as young as you look, so don´t you think that you´re in the age to go in some other "fun" than frisking on a stage, screaming to mike, beating to drum membranes, etc.?
PULCE: Ehehehe. I don’t feel so much old as maybe i am (32 years old is pretty much for the hc scene – even if today we have bands playing since late 70’s with 50+ years old people playing, UK SUBS anyone?), and sometimes i feel a bit jaded or distraught.
I was talking about this age issue with my girlfriend some days ago, and since she is not at all from the „scene“ we were trying to analyze my love for the music on a different perspective and the fact that maybe while getting older my passion would fade away....One of my last sentences has been „Do you know that this is never going to happen?“ eheheheh.
I can’t see myself doing a normal life, just working and staying home watching tv (impossible, since i don’t have one). The fact is that actually this is part of me, playing music/setting up shows/writing reviews/buying tons of records it’s part of my life (15+ years i’m in it!) and i can only follow this path. The only problem in growing up/getting older is that the more you go on, the more you have to keep a discipline in your lifestyle. So i have to exercise everyday to keep myself in shape, eating good food and drinkin‘ no alcohol or other shitty drinks. Whereas my goal is to keep on playing and touring, i have to keep myself this way to surpass the test of time.
MARRABBIO:Actually Pulce is not as OLD as he looks, really he is like 30 and looks like 60, he even wrote a song in which the tells his back hurts because of his physical age. We hope to pay is retirement selling dbw merchandising.
16.) If you have a feeling to say something more important than I already asked you about, ask yourself a question and answer it. You know yourself at your best and a bit of schizophrenia might help you. ;)
PULCE: „Suppose you have to leave for the rest of your life and moving on an isle, what are the 10 records you’ll take with you on that isle?“
Hey dude, is it a joke? If i’m moving to an isle, how am i suppose to listen to music if there’s no power supply?
( i have always hated those questions on stupid musical mags).
MARRABBIO:lets do a different game: each member asks another one something, ok? I start.
to Pulce: where are my 120 euros?
to Doner: have you ever been to Katovice?
to Filo: does she sells sea shells on the sea shore?
