I did a feature on this band a couple of weeks back, but at the same time, sent them some questions so you guys could get more of an insight into them. Riekus (Drums and Vocals) answered them for me. Enjoy!
What is the feeling like amongst bands when you play live in Holland? Is there a
feeling of togetherness between the bands in your scene?
There is definitely a sense of togetherness between bands around here, and i consider many of the people in bands here to be good friends. I guess like anywhere, people stand up for each other and try to help each other out: booking shows, visiting each others’ shows, even singing guest vocals on records. I’d say this is broader than just the scene in the Netherlands. On a European - or even global - scale there’s this sense of Doing It Together, andthat is one of the many things that keep this little punk movement interesting and inspiring.
Being a punk band and being more melodic than some of your peers, what kind of receptions have you got when playing with some of the more aggressive bands?
I’m not sure what it’s like in the UK these days, but here in the Netherlands there’s been quite an uprise of melodic punk bands lately. I guess that for the UK bands like The Living Daylights and Above Them are the flag-bearers of the more melodic genre. From time to time we will share the stage with louder, more aggressive bands but I think the overlap between us and - for example - hardcore bands is still large enough to not be ‘the odd one out’. I never really thought of us as a more melodic band than others,but rather see us as one of the many variations of punk and hardcore in general. I think we all share the same kind of audience though.
You guys have toured the USA a few times. Have you found more difficult making an impact there than across Europe?
With so many good bands coming from the USA, it’s pretty much impossible to really make a dent over there, but on the other hand: people in the States tend to be very appreciative of European bands coming over. A lot of people never met Europeans in real life before.That’s funny sometimes. We can tour Europe any time we like, whereas touring the States takes a lot more preparation and time in general. So i’d say it is indeed more difficult than Europe. However, having the experience of playing a packedshow at Gainesville Fest 7 and getting very positive commentson Punknews does put things in a positive perspective.
So far, you've been really productive and toured relentlessly. What is it that drives you
on as a band?
Basically what keeps us going is the will to progress as a band, making that small step forward with every tour we do and every album we record.We never expected to be at the point where we are now when we set off, so we enjoy every last minute of it. To be honest, we’ve never felt that we are necessarily better than any other band out there, we just try hard and give it our very best. Besides that, exploring new places and people and meeting up with long-time friends in familiar areas sure keeps it interesting enough to keep going. The last song on our new album, “So Much More” is pretty much about this topic: howbeing in a band can ‘ruin’ your life to the extent that you are occupied by it on a daily basis, whereas some people prefer to see punkrock as a hobby. Bottom line: we’re trying to squeeze every last bit out of this band, and as long as that works we’ll keep playing and hopefully progressing.
The Netherlands has a very fertile metal/punk scene. can you give any tips on up-coming
bands that people should pay attention to?
The scene here is indeed pretty vibrant with a lot of great ‘young’ bands around. I
must say that i’m not that much into metal myself, so no suggestions on that topic. For punkrock, make sure to check out The Real Danger (not so new, but still very cool! Descendents / Face to Face style), This Routine Is Hell (Paint it Black / Panic kinda style), Midnight Menace (powerpop /punk with female vocals - Heleen sings guest vocals on our last record), Ravens (The Get Up Kids meet Hot Water Music) Otis (loud / sludgy hardcore inspired by Refused), and SweetEmpire (powerpop / melodic punk). Oh, and if you find yourself wearing skintight jeans and long hair, and you’re desperatefor some 70’s Hard Rock / Metal check out Vanderbuyst!
feeling of togetherness between the bands in your scene?
There is definitely a sense of togetherness between bands around here, and i consider many of the people in bands here to be good friends. I guess like anywhere, people stand up for each other and try to help each other out: booking shows, visiting each others’ shows, even singing guest vocals on records. I’d say this is broader than just the scene in the Netherlands. On a European - or even global - scale there’s this sense of Doing It Together, andthat is one of the many things that keep this little punk movement interesting and inspiring.
Being a punk band and being more melodic than some of your peers, what kind of receptions have you got when playing with some of the more aggressive bands?
I’m not sure what it’s like in the UK these days, but here in the Netherlands there’s been quite an uprise of melodic punk bands lately. I guess that for the UK bands like The Living Daylights and Above Them are the flag-bearers of the more melodic genre. From time to time we will share the stage with louder, more aggressive bands but I think the overlap between us and - for example - hardcore bands is still large enough to not be ‘the odd one out’. I never really thought of us as a more melodic band than others,but rather see us as one of the many variations of punk and hardcore in general. I think we all share the same kind of audience though.
You guys have toured the USA a few times. Have you found more difficult making an impact there than across Europe?
With so many good bands coming from the USA, it’s pretty much impossible to really make a dent over there, but on the other hand: people in the States tend to be very appreciative of European bands coming over. A lot of people never met Europeans in real life before.That’s funny sometimes. We can tour Europe any time we like, whereas touring the States takes a lot more preparation and time in general. So i’d say it is indeed more difficult than Europe. However, having the experience of playing a packedshow at Gainesville Fest 7 and getting very positive commentson Punknews does put things in a positive perspective.
So far, you've been really productive and toured relentlessly. What is it that drives you
on as a band?
Basically what keeps us going is the will to progress as a band, making that small step forward with every tour we do and every album we record.We never expected to be at the point where we are now when we set off, so we enjoy every last minute of it. To be honest, we’ve never felt that we are necessarily better than any other band out there, we just try hard and give it our very best. Besides that, exploring new places and people and meeting up with long-time friends in familiar areas sure keeps it interesting enough to keep going. The last song on our new album, “So Much More” is pretty much about this topic: howbeing in a band can ‘ruin’ your life to the extent that you are occupied by it on a daily basis, whereas some people prefer to see punkrock as a hobby. Bottom line: we’re trying to squeeze every last bit out of this band, and as long as that works we’ll keep playing and hopefully progressing.
The Netherlands has a very fertile metal/punk scene. can you give any tips on up-coming
bands that people should pay attention to?
The scene here is indeed pretty vibrant with a lot of great ‘young’ bands around. I
must say that i’m not that much into metal myself, so no suggestions on that topic. For punkrock, make sure to check out The Real Danger (not so new, but still very cool! Descendents / Face to Face style), This Routine Is Hell (Paint it Black / Panic kinda style), Midnight Menace (powerpop /punk with female vocals - Heleen sings guest vocals on our last record), Ravens (The Get Up Kids meet Hot Water Music) Otis (loud / sludgy hardcore inspired by Refused), and SweetEmpire (powerpop / melodic punk). Oh, and if you find yourself wearing skintight jeans and long hair, and you’re desperatefor some 70’s Hard Rock / Metal check out Vanderbuyst!
Find out more about Antillectual at - http://www.myspace.com/antillectual and http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/antillectual
I happen to know this Riekus fellow and once on a strange journey he married a man from Canada with a mustache. Or maybe it was a dream. I dunno.
ReplyDeleteAntillectual Rule ! Good few questions a rad band with an awesome message.To bad the interview wasn't longer.