THE SKREPPERS
2006


"Pain in the right Place"

Suiciderock: You`ve just done some shows in Germany on your "Pain in the right Place" tour. What was it like for you so far?
Reinaldo: It's always fun to be on tour with the band. And there is more and more Skreppers fans in Germany everytime we come over. Everything went always fine for us, there's booze and good food at the backstage of every venue and good Hotels (or least "interesting" places). Really really nice people everywhere, and good looking girls. What more do you want. Can't wait for the next tour.

Suiciderock: A new guitarplayer joined your band, Pax. How did he find his way into the band?
Reinaldo: We were looking for a new bandmember, we were searching for the "person" or more like "brother" for the family which is almost 20 years old. So what we needed was a good but personal player. A crazy person. The one gotta be A REAL MAN, gotta be a good drinker (means: you need to drink a lot but don't get too drunk to handle your stage act.) He should be good looking, he should have a driving licens that allows to drive a truck, money, he had to be in the army (Finnish) Army.).Furhtermore he had to be open minded for new ideas in every level. And that's exactly what we got in PAX AMERICA.

Suiciderock: How is he doing so far?
Reinaldo: He's just what was missing in our band, if you can say it that way. First time we'll feel as a whole BAND. He`s absolutely a great guy for The Skreppers. And accidentaly he shows to be a good guitarplayer, too, which is always a plus.

Suiciderock: Let`s talk a bit about your new album. "Pain in the right Place" has recently hit the stores. Can you tell us what the recordingprocess was like?
Reinaldo: Quite normal as we have done lately. First we made lots of demos from 50 to 100, not all songs were ready but we had the riffs, ideas and A and B parts. Maybe some lyrics. And the names. Or we might have just a name for a song. And then, we just check out a good name for it, and I the lyrics for it in addition. We will always do one or two punk songs, one or two slow ones, one or two psychobillystyle songs, few middle fast rock songs and maybe two weird ones. And then we have the material for the new album. We`ve found out that it's good compilation to listen, different kind of songs, just the opposite what band is doing today. We usually record the songs as live as we can to make it sound more "rough and real”.

Suiciderock: Your album titles are always "very special". You had "Hedonist Hellcats" in 2002 and "Call of the Trash" back in 2004. Now your new record bears the title "Pain in the right Place" as already mentoined above. Who had the ideas for this titles and who is responsible for the lyrics?
Reinaldo: I have done most of the lyrics, but we all check them out or got the ideas for and Hiili always does the lyrics for one or two songs as well or fix few of mine to fit in to his mouth. Those "very special" -album or song titles are just normal to us. We make songs about something different than other bands. I have always wondered why those other band's make SOOOO boring titles??? Do they have a boring life? If we have two years in between every album, so we have 700 days were usually something happens, something "special" to make at least the 14 songs to for the newalbum, so...am I right or am I right?

Suiciderock: Where do you get the inspiration for songs like "I`ll be someone else tonight" or He`s my sister" from?
Reinaldo: As I said, I noticed when my idea is little bit strange or different that I have done usually, then I know I'm quite close to a new Skreppers song. "Someone else" was the tune first and song title separate. I liked a lot one old Finnish song about lost love where its said: "I loved her much, sometimes I loved you more, but can you be her to me a while" or something like that. That line fascinated me for the last 30 years. The main idea was to be on the opposite of the singer and tell to him/her the "I love you so much, that I can be someone else to you tonight". BUT what always happened, the content change when I start working, somewhere come some new ideas and old ones start to look a like crappy or boring. So I create the idea of the future (which we also have one futuristic/space/science fiction - song on every album) were a guy don't know is he the robot or human or maybe a hybrid of both. But he wants to love someone and is ready to do anything to get love tonight. So it's not so futuristic anymore, isn`t it?
“He's my sister” was Hiili`s idea. Perfect name to cause confusion and a paradox mixing feeling, And like this songtitle could be a teaser, like: "What the fuck is this?" "I wanna listen to this, what does it mean?".
That's what makes ME listen to the song. "Sister" is about loyality and friendship. You can't trust anybody, but you have to trust somebody to be a whole human, you know. Lyrics are quite surrealistic (cause Hiili has cut-out every second line).

Suiciderock: The new single will be "Psychoschitzo". When is it supposed to be released and why this song as first single?
Reinaldo: You know that there are "single" songs, and we thought that this is the one from this album. Fast and strange melody and rythym. The lyrics were first more about psychopaths, cause I just read the book about those "funny guys". Robert D. Hare: Without concience. I can recommend that book, it`s the most frightening book I've ever read and that's says a lot. But when I start writing the lyrics, my schitzo mind came on the stage, so the Psycho-Schitzo -song, came about. It`s the western society, which is Psychopathic (no one care about but themselves) and you gonna be schitzofrenic 'cause you cant trust anybody and you feel lonely. That was the main content of the album lyrics. Actually our first single were really close to be a cover song of Falco's “Rock me Amadeus”, but when we tryed to play it we noticed that it is so crappy that it didn't work out. We thought that could be a good "joke" but luckily it didn't work.

Suiciderock: There is also a song with a German title called "El Bimbo ist ein Mann". where did this idea came from?
Reinaldo: This was once again Hiilis idea, but what I know about this is: the Song was first named: Arthur", about an old "friend" of Hiili who was called "El Bimbo" which means "stupid" somehow, but it was also a old German Eurovision song contest song. They made a finnish cover version out of it in the 60's which was a hit, that all people of my age remember. And of course we like to lick German asses cause they have been so friendly to us.

Suiciderock: "Don`t feed the Evil" is actually a cover from a Finnish band, called Bendover. Is there a special story why you covered this song or did you simply like it?
Reinaldo: Bendover's guitarist Mehdam was our substitute guitarist during our second tour though Germany ('cause Kalle was in hospital), and we liked the song (Bendover was in same record company with us, UDAI RECORDS) and so we made it slower, and this time it worked somehow. This is our first cover song we have put on the album. On the gigs we have played fews: Cramps: I can't find my mind, Madonnas: Like a Virgin and Eddie Cochran's; Something Else with different lyrics, called Something Smells. This (Don't Feed the Evil) was a good "End" for the album. Don't you know that good albums have the "end songs"...hey this Canadian whisky is good, I recommend. Crown Royal 1.75 litre, 40%...whoo iii...next question.

Suiciderock: What do you think about bands who get famous because of a coverversion?
Reinaldo: I don't give shit about other bands, unless they are my friends. Anyway The Skreppers are about ENTERTAINING, we try to give something special to the people, others usually gives something usual and easy middle of the road stuff...ha? We are artists and we do what we want, other bands have to do what they must do. It's more about honesty, if you do it honest it's ok. Don't worry be happy, and who cares. If your life is just and only full of rock or pop music, have a break and go on living your normal life. This is not a competition or sports. This is just one and little part of entertaining...so just laugh all the way to the Bank...and pay your bills.

Suiciderock: I read that the original idea for The Skreppers came already in 1988. Who had the idea to form the band?
Reinaldo: I think it was Hiili or Disney (our first drummer). They (I was not in the band at this time) had a lot of different "serious" bands you know. And so they needed one "therapic" –band (it's amazing how much we need therapy today, in the old days people only needed one bottle of "Koskenkorva" -Finnish vodka. Did you ever happen to taste it?, it has really got therapic effects) were they can play what they REALLY want, so they created The Skreppers were everybody plays instruments which they can`t handle. So that was the beginning. So here's a free tip for all you rockers to make your life easier : Make your first therapic band and play what you want, and everythig starts to work. Okay?

Suiciderock: Your music is defined as "Trash Rock". How would you define it and what makes the sound of The Skreppers?
Reinaldo: Hiili has chosen the artists for this band, from his point of view. And I don't know if he knew the result that comes out, but I can tell you it works. When you have fun and at the same time you appreciate what you are doing and your bandmates show some professionalism, you can do something different than all the others, and that's our point... or am I too drunk?

Suiciderock: The beginning of the bands musical direction was grounded on glam rock and rockabilly. Why did you change this style?
Reinaldo: We didn`t change anything... we just play what we can. Glam..are we like Glitterband, Sweet or Slade??..NO. 'cause that's glam. Okay New York Dolls were glam but punk before. And we were never a Rockabilly band, we maybe were a little bit of Psychobilly or something like that. We always like to use different styles and maybe mix them together. If someone say: Don't touch this, we'll touch it.

Suiciderock: I read some critics for your elder albums and also for the new one. What I found out is that people love or hate what you do but nothing in between. There have been some really hard sentences. How do you cope with this?
Reinaldo: I LOVE IT. It's gives you the feeling that everything you do has a meaning. It's like life, it's gotta have bad smell and then you know you are really alive. I feel common of those people who like us, we think the same, we are like brothers, and that's much nowadays.

Suiciderock: On your page it says that the new album contains "13 killer songs, about this cold, unhuman and psychopath society." Is it really that bad?
Reinaldo: Yes it is. Look outside...or is it inside...if we are outsiders??? The right of the artists is that they can say and they have to say FUCK YOU to the powers that are around. That's what it was about punks and other rebels, but most of the people have forgotten about that.

Suiciderock: What would you change if you had the possibility?
Reinaldo: My pink underpants.

Suiciderock: There is something else on your official site which you can`t find on every band site in the net: you select a "pussy of the week"... and your lyrics are handling the sextheme quite often, too. Would you say it is fun or ment in a serious way?
Reinaldo: Yes, it is fun and it's serious. Sex is the thing that rules the world. Some people try to say that it's dirty. Is it, I don't think so. It's up to you what kind of sex you like. It's like your brekfast eggs, how you wanna eat them. Today I like hard boiled ones, tomorrow maybe scrambled. And who cares, it`s about my brekfast eggs, it's about my sex, why you worry? If I don't hurt anybody, it's my bussines.
And anyway we are all interested about it...aren`t we? It's the easiest way to do songs. And most of the best songs in the world are about it. AND...it's somekind of tabu theme STILL, so that's why we use it a lot. We also tell about it in our songs about those who use sex wrongly, so there also could be some missunderstandings too. And we have fun with this kind of songs...or do anybody care about Skreppers who make songs about Finnish paper mills...hey that's a good idea. Paper mills make toilet paper...give me more of this good whiskey...

Suiciderock: Lordi just won the European songcontest in Greece. What do
you think about this victory?
Reinaldo: As I said, it's more good for the Europen metal scene than for the Finnish music scene. I have just heard the names for next year`s competiton here in Finnland... we are back in zero point section, that`s my opinion. But who cares about the European song contents anyway, our fans don`t and I think. Let's say it this way: Lordi is a different artist in competition with average artists, it`s the same with us, we feel common.

Suiciderock: Your opinion about the music industry in general and what is the main difference between the German and the Finnish music szene?
Reinaldo: I'm sorry but I don't know that much about the German music scene. But what I know is the size. You are worlds third biggest music commercial area. In Finland ....whoo III ... give me one beer now, I'm thirsty.

Suiciderock: About your style on stage... Who had the idea for Hiilis dress? Do you have a designer for this stuff?
Reinaldo: We are a punk band and we are DIY. So we made them by ourselves...okay we have stolen something from there and something from there and put something individual spices there so...it's not such a “THINKIN' thing”. Accidentally we have now a designer for us who is a big fan of The Skreppers and a famous designer who wants to work with us. So let's see what happens. And that's the point here...you make good and funny music and good people come to you, you don't have to call them.

Suiciderock: You always wear this highheels on stage. Where did you learn to walk in them or is it still quite painfull?
Hiili: It's still quite painfull as you said, but you have to learn to love the pain. I use them in my home now and then, especially before the tours, that my legs learn to love the pain. But it's the high heels that make Dr. Skrepper out of me, Special K. my alter ego. I think it would be good for everybody to be the killer in the nightime now and then.

Suiciderock: You work as a producer back home in Finland. What`s better, producing or performing?
Hiili: Both are good of course. With one I get money to pay the bills, with the other thing I can be myself.

Suiciderock: Is there something you all do besides being a member of The Skreppers?
Reinaldo: Yes, we sell our asses in Amsterdam. And sometimes in Forssa too.

Suiciderock: Where did you get your artist names from?
Reinaldo: We put different letters one after another.

Suiciderock: Your future plans for the band? You`ll do some festivals in summer and after them?
Reinaldo: Whoooo IIIIII...I like to be drunk. We will do a compilation album in spring and have gigs then in Finland and hope in Germany too...see ya there.

Suiciderock: Some last words for your fans and Suiciderock readers out there?
Reinaldo: Come inside, it's cold out there.



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