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| Making our way through the corridors of Carling Islington Academy, Raveonettes' tour manager Paul Fells assures us, "they're a really nice bunch." Franz Ferdinand, The Strokes and Beck have all played at this venue and peer down at us from the framed, signed photos on the walls. As part of their US/European tour, The Raveonettes are playing at Islington Academy with The Dogs, Queens of Noize and The Boxer Rebellion on the Jim Beam Tour. Rock n' Roll done the cool way. We are then met by an attractive figure clad in black drain pipe jeans, white shirt, skinny tie and black jumper. It is the unmistakable Raveonettes frontman Sune Rose Wagner wearing trademark Kohl heavy eyeliner. He is effortlessly cool and greets us with a smile and takes us to his dressing room where drummer Jakob Hoyer and new bassist Anders Christensen (aka AC) are hanging out. Guitarist Manoj Ramdas and co-singer Sharin Foo are loitering somewhere in the building. The band have been on the road for over 2 years since the release of their first album Chain Gang of Love. They are now on the road again promoting the follow up, Pretty in Black. The new album features perhaps the best song title ever, 'Seductress of Bums.' "If Beyonce were to hook up with ['60s balladeer] Bobby Vinton, this is what it would sound like," Sune says. "It was an attempt to do something modern but with a very nostalgic feel." "Denmark is small and can be quite narrow-minded musically," he says, "we never set out to be a Danish band. We wanted to be international from day one. There are a lot of Danish bands who are like, touring here is pretty good and you make really good money and you can get famous really quickly so why risk playing in a bar in Portsmouth to ten people when you get paid nothing, you know. We were just saying to everybody, well, f*ck that sh*t! We want to play to ten people in Portsmouth because that's exciting to us. That's like building up the band from scratch and that's what we want to do. It's the challenge and the whole idea of convincing people that you're good, you know. You can't really do that in Denmark as it's so different. I think we've inspired a lot of bands in the sense that if you really want to, you can actually go out and make it. It's not impossible." The band are certainly international. Manoj is originally from India and Sharin is of Chinese/Danish origin. Sune lives in New York, Manoj resides US/Denmark, Jakob lives in Copenhagen while AC and singer/guitarist Sharin live in London. So do they ever see home? "No, we're always together," Sune says. "We have no pets or plants. Our homes are dead when we go back." "The idea to work with Maureen was one of Sune's genius ideas," Jakob explains. Sune then tells us that Maureen has been a fan of the band for quite sometime so they caught up with her in the States and it went from there. "She came to one of our gigs on her 60th birthday and bought all her family along, like her kids and everything. It was great." The Underground/Raveonettes collaboration sounds like sweet music to every rock fan's ears. We somehow progress backwards (in true SSS fashion) to the epitaph question which earlier seemed to stump the band. "What would be on yours?" Sune asks Jakob. "Mine would be blank!" he replies. To which Sune adds, "I don't like thinking about my own death! It's freaking me out!" And with that, a roadie enters to summon the band for their sound check. Three revolutionary rock stars say their farewells and invite us down to the gig. "But don't come with any expectations," Sune says. He then recommends we come armed with Guinness and red wine for maximum enjoyment of the show. For The Raveonettes who have spent more than 2 years touring since their first album, worked with Ronnie Spector, Maureen Tucker and appeared on Jonathan Ross and David Letterman, the show has only just begun. Pretty in Black is released by Columbia Records on July 25 and is a double CD which includes a tour special and interview DVD with the band. So, don't be left in the dark. Special thanks to the band, Scott Cohen, Mandy Crompton and Paul Fells. Interview by Dee Sekar LIVE REVIEW + AUDIO EXTRACTS FROM INTERVIEW BELOW Dee's photos Jen's photos |
PART 1 - THE RAVEONETTES INTERVIEW
| All images, words, site design Copyright © Soma Soma Scene 2005 unless otherwise stated All Rights Reserved |
| Danish Delights teach the world how to rock: An interview with The Raveonettes |
Having listened to Sune's music for over 10 years, I tell him that I was a big fan of
Psyched Up Janis, his first band. "Really?! That's weird!" he says. For those unaware,
Psyched Up Janis were a fantastically original 3 piece Indie band in the 90's that
unfortunately, were massively underrated. Surprisingly for a rocker, Sune is noticeably
humble and rather shy. He drifts into quiet moments but you can tell his genius mind is
working a frenzy. What is this man thinking?
I tell Sune that I quoted some of his lyrics in my high school yearbook epitaph and ask
him what would be written on his. "The world's lousiest lover!" he exclaims. Really?
"No." He then laughs and apologizes for having a "blank" day. "I'll get back to you on
that one!"
Psyched Up Janis were fronted by Sune and with songs such as 'I Died in My Teens'
and 'Shudder,' Sune demonstrated his acute ability of writing and creating emotionally
rich songs, reminiscent of the late great Cobain. Sune was Europe's equivalent.
However this Nordic songster disappeared from the music scene when the band called
it a day after 10 years together. Sune packed his bags (after a mini adventure in The
Tremolo Beer Gut), left his native Denmark and moved to New York "for inspiration." He
then met up with old friend Sharin and formed The Raveonettes which was "a natural
progression for me."
Psyched Up Janis, his first band. "Really?! That's weird!" he says. For those unaware,
Psyched Up Janis were a fantastically original 3 piece Indie band in the 90's that
unfortunately, were massively underrated. Surprisingly for a rocker, Sune is noticeably
humble and rather shy. He drifts into quiet moments but you can tell his genius mind is
working a frenzy. What is this man thinking?
I tell Sune that I quoted some of his lyrics in my high school yearbook epitaph and ask
him what would be written on his. "The world's lousiest lover!" he exclaims. Really?
"No." He then laughs and apologizes for having a "blank" day. "I'll get back to you on
that one!"
Psyched Up Janis were fronted by Sune and with songs such as 'I Died in My Teens'
and 'Shudder,' Sune demonstrated his acute ability of writing and creating emotionally
rich songs, reminiscent of the late great Cobain. Sune was Europe's equivalent.
However this Nordic songster disappeared from the music scene when the band called
it a day after 10 years together. Sune packed his bags (after a mini adventure in The
Tremolo Beer Gut), left his native Denmark and moved to New York "for inspiration." He
then met up with old friend Sharin and formed The Raveonettes which was "a natural
progression for me."
We then discuss how music has changed since the dawn of the Internet. "I always
download lots of songs. I think the Internet is great. I'm sitting at home and all of a
sudden I want to hear a song and I just get it! It's wonderful." At that point the door
opens and in enters an extraordinarily beautiful blond. It's Sharin. She wanders in,
looks at us, seems a bit confused, politely says hello and then wanders back out
again. Later Jo and I agree that we had met the most gorgeous woman in rock. She
is stunning.
I mention to the boys that Shirley Manson from Garbage recently complained about
the lack of girls wanting to take up the Rock Goddess mantle. "That's cos women in
rock suck!" Sune says, luckily for him, out of ear shot of Sharin. "I don't think there
is a lack of women in rock, just a lack of superstar attitude. I respect Debbie Harry
(Blondie), Karen O (The Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star). They've
all got something special." The guys all agree that Courtney Love ranks up there
with the best of them. "I think she's great," Sune says. "She's so f*cking weird. She
does her own sh*t and doesn't give a sh*t. She's cool."
download lots of songs. I think the Internet is great. I'm sitting at home and all of a
sudden I want to hear a song and I just get it! It's wonderful." At that point the door
opens and in enters an extraordinarily beautiful blond. It's Sharin. She wanders in,
looks at us, seems a bit confused, politely says hello and then wanders back out
again. Later Jo and I agree that we had met the most gorgeous woman in rock. She
is stunning.
I mention to the boys that Shirley Manson from Garbage recently complained about
the lack of girls wanting to take up the Rock Goddess mantle. "That's cos women in
rock suck!" Sune says, luckily for him, out of ear shot of Sharin. "I don't think there
is a lack of women in rock, just a lack of superstar attitude. I respect Debbie Harry
(Blondie), Karen O (The Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star). They've
all got something special." The guys all agree that Courtney Love ranks up there
with the best of them. "I think she's great," Sune says. "She's so f*cking weird. She
does her own sh*t and doesn't give a sh*t. She's cool."
The band have toured extensively in the US, UK and Japan and tell me about their
fans. "Japanese fans are so dedicated. They're very, very great. Really cool." Ah,
so lots of female admirers camping outside their hotel? "No, we hoped they would
but they didn't! We sat there and waited for a week but nothing happened!" Sune
complains. Quite difficult to comprehend considering the boys are handsome,
trendy, young rock stars. I reassure them that Jo and I would have happily camped
outside in support. "You wouldn't have regretted that!" Sune tells us. "We are
feisty young men! Especially after being on the road for so long." So go on girls,
grab your tents.
I ask Sune whether different venues affect their performances. "To some extent,"
he says. "There are two venues in San Fransisco and Cleveland that we love.
They're really grand and decadent. We feel like we're playing at a 1950s high
school prom." The band's current live set contains mostly new tracks from Pretty
in Black. However they also include some covers such as 'Come on Everybody'
and 'My Boyfriend's Back' by The Angels. I ask Sune whether he will do acoustic
renditions of any of their songs. "Sharin and I do acoustic sets nearly every day for
promotional purposes but never with the whole band line-up. This album is a bit
more acoustic but playing live acoustically is boring!"
fans. "Japanese fans are so dedicated. They're very, very great. Really cool." Ah,
so lots of female admirers camping outside their hotel? "No, we hoped they would
but they didn't! We sat there and waited for a week but nothing happened!" Sune
complains. Quite difficult to comprehend considering the boys are handsome,
trendy, young rock stars. I reassure them that Jo and I would have happily camped
outside in support. "You wouldn't have regretted that!" Sune tells us. "We are
feisty young men! Especially after being on the road for so long." So go on girls,
grab your tents.
I ask Sune whether different venues affect their performances. "To some extent,"
he says. "There are two venues in San Fransisco and Cleveland that we love.
They're really grand and decadent. We feel like we're playing at a 1950s high
school prom." The band's current live set contains mostly new tracks from Pretty
in Black. However they also include some covers such as 'Come on Everybody'
and 'My Boyfriend's Back' by The Angels. I ask Sune whether he will do acoustic
renditions of any of their songs. "Sharin and I do acoustic sets nearly every day for
promotional purposes but never with the whole band line-up. This album is a bit
more acoustic but playing live acoustically is boring!"
Standing behind giants: The
Raveonettes
Bassist AC and Sharin
| The coolest man in rock, Sune Wagner |
Who are The Raveonettes?
AC- Bass
Manoj- Guitar
Jakob- Drums
Sharin - Guitar/Vocals
Sune - Guitar/Vocals
Why you should listen to them:
They are at the forefront of
contemporary music and have a
unique brand of boy/girl vocals
with lots of guitars and bags of
style. They have a jazz bassist
and drummer on board and are
not afraid to experiment.
Influences:
Comparisons have been made to
Jesus and Mary Chain and
Blondie. They've also worked with
legendary Blondie producer
Richard Gottehrer. More like Kurt
Cobain paying homage to Elvis.
Generation X's Sid n' Nancy.
Are they any good live?
The thinking man's band. Pure,
upfront rock - no hanging around.
These guys get on stage and
perform. Don't go expecting a
knees-up crowd sing along to all
their hits. They're too cool for that.
Want to know more:
www.theraveonettes.com
AC- Bass
Manoj- Guitar
Jakob- Drums
Sharin - Guitar/Vocals
Sune - Guitar/Vocals
Why you should listen to them:
They are at the forefront of
contemporary music and have a
unique brand of boy/girl vocals
with lots of guitars and bags of
style. They have a jazz bassist
and drummer on board and are
not afraid to experiment.
Influences:
Comparisons have been made to
Jesus and Mary Chain and
Blondie. They've also worked with
legendary Blondie producer
Richard Gottehrer. More like Kurt
Cobain paying homage to Elvis.
Generation X's Sid n' Nancy.
Are they any good live?
The thinking man's band. Pure,
upfront rock - no hanging around.
These guys get on stage and
perform. Don't go expecting a
knees-up crowd sing along to all
their hits. They're too cool for that.
Want to know more:
www.theraveonettes.com
The Lowdown:
Sune's musical inspirations are grass-root pure rock n' roll bands with a touch of
the contemporary. "I listen to The Velvet Underground and lots of electronic bands."
I ask the band what they're currently listening to. "We forgot to bring our CDs with
us," Sune says. "so we're basically just listening to our own stuff. Mostly B-sides."
Any favourite Raveonettes tracks? "All of them!" he quips. Sune then adopts a
slumped, relaxed pose on his lounger chair while the rest of the band munch away
on a random diet of cigarettes, carrots and wine.
the contemporary. "I listen to The Velvet Underground and lots of electronic bands."
I ask the band what they're currently listening to. "We forgot to bring our CDs with
us," Sune says. "so we're basically just listening to our own stuff. Mostly B-sides."
Any favourite Raveonettes tracks? "All of them!" he quips. Sune then adopts a
slumped, relaxed pose on his lounger chair while the rest of the band munch away
on a random diet of cigarettes, carrots and wine.
Sune during the interview
The band's dressing room is crammed with large suitcases, towels, tomatoes and
lots of mirrors. They seem like a pretty healthy bunch but have a penchant for
drinking, which becomes evident when asked what they do in between shows.
"We drink lots of red wine and Guinness!" new boy AC remarks. AC is a tall,
handsome blond who resembles Nicky Wire of the Manics. I ask them if they have
visited the Guinness Factory in Dublin. "No, but that sounds so cool," AC says. He
then turns to Sune and says, "Let's go to Dublin!"
Guinness fans Jakob and AC
In between drinking and rockin', Sune tells us that he has a keen interest in
photography. "I used to work as a photographer's assistant. I've documented a
lot of the band and have been taking some shots on tour." The band's first
album was heavily influenced in look and sound by 1950s rock n' roll, film noir
and Hitchcock movies. Would the band want to venture into the world of films?
"I would love to act in a Danish movie," Sune says. "There's a Danish director
called Eric Klausen and I would love to work with him. He's an old Socialist and
his films are social commentaries with a twist. The working class struggle
against the upper class. Very clever films."
photography. "I used to work as a photographer's assistant. I've documented a
lot of the band and have been taking some shots on tour." The band's first
album was heavily influenced in look and sound by 1950s rock n' roll, film noir
and Hitchcock movies. Would the band want to venture into the world of films?
"I would love to act in a Danish movie," Sune says. "There's a Danish director
called Eric Klausen and I would love to work with him. He's an old Socialist and
his films are social commentaries with a twist. The working class struggle
against the upper class. Very clever films."
AC tells us that he would like to do film scores and soundtracks at some stage. He is also the only married
member of the band and his wife is currently a producer at The National Film School in London. I ask the
guys what film best represents the band if they were converted into a visual. "I guess anything by David
Lynch or John Waters," Sune says.
member of the band and his wife is currently a producer at The National Film School in London. I ask the
guys what film best represents the band if they were converted into a visual. "I guess anything by David
Lynch or John Waters," Sune says.
Psyched Up Ravers
When asked which bands they would like to see cover their songs Sune replies, "Primal
Scream doing 'Twilight' would be cool." Sune describes this song as "the Cramps in the
future. A lustful, seedy story of debauchery and decadence." He then suggests The
Rolling Stones doing 'The Heavens.' Jakob agrees. The shaven-headed cute drummer
then suggests, "The Velvet Underground doing 'Red Tan' would be awesome!" Having
recently worked with legendary Velvet Underground drummer Maureen Tucker on
Pretty in Black, this is no surprise choice. The band are ecstatic when they read an
article I show them in which Maureen speaks highly about the band. Sune reads it aloud
to the eager ears of the rest of the band and then exclaims, "That's so cool! She's such a
beautiful person." And a rockin' grandma we all agree.
Scream doing 'Twilight' would be cool." Sune describes this song as "the Cramps in the
future. A lustful, seedy story of debauchery and decadence." He then suggests The
Rolling Stones doing 'The Heavens.' Jakob agrees. The shaven-headed cute drummer
then suggests, "The Velvet Underground doing 'Red Tan' would be awesome!" Having
recently worked with legendary Velvet Underground drummer Maureen Tucker on
Pretty in Black, this is no surprise choice. The band are ecstatic when they read an
article I show them in which Maureen speaks highly about the band. Sune reads it aloud
to the eager ears of the rest of the band and then exclaims, "That's so cool! She's such a
beautiful person." And a rockin' grandma we all agree.
The band read Mo's
compliments
compliments
Sune, Jakob and AC
Copyright © Dee Sekar 2005
Copyright © Dee Sekar 2005
Copyright © Dee Sekar 2005
Copyright © Jo Macdonald 2005
Copyright © Jo Macdonald 2005
Copyright © Jo Macdonald 2005
Copyright © Jo Macdonald 2005
Copyright © Jenny Hall 2005
Copyright © Dee Sekar 2005
The Great Danes
| Read about the eclectically-influenced, The Indie Soul Movement |
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