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Non-Prog Interviews

Tiebreaker

Interviewed by Gary Hill
Interview with Tiebreaker from 2013
MSJ:

Can you catch the readers up on the history of your involvement in music –both individually and as a band?

Thomas E. Karlsen: I have always been involved with music for as long as I can remember. I started playing in a band with Pål Gunnar Dale in December 2006 and we played together for two years. Then in 2008 Pål Gunnar, Eirik, Patrick and I formed a new band - Eirik on lead guitar, Pål Gunnar and two other friends on drums, Patrick on bass, me on vocals and another guy on guitar. We played together approximately two years. So we have all been involved in music since 2006/2008.

MSJ:

If you weren't involved in music what do you think you'd be doing?

Eirik Wik Haug: I would probably study to become an engineer.

MSJ:

How did the name of the group originate?

Thomas E. Karlsen: We had a voting. We all wrote down several names and we picked the most suitable name for our band the music we wrote/write.

MSJ:

Who would you see as your musical influences?

Thomas E. Karlsen: I've got a lot of influences from a variety of musicians. My main influences must be BigBang, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Rival Sons, Deep Purple and Joe Bonamassa.

MSJ:

What's ahead for you?

Patrick Andersson: My band and I are going on tour in Texas for 18 days. Then we have planned a Norway tour.

MSJ:

I know artists hate to have their music pigeonholed or labeled, but how would you describe your music?

Pål Gunnar Dale: Best described as a perfect mix of 70s classic rock and today’s dirty rock and blues.

MSJ:

Are there musicians with whom you would like to play with in the future?

Thomas E. Karlsen: Rival Sons is one of our main influences so I would definitely like to play with them.

MSJ:

Do you think that illegal downloading of music is a help or hindrance to the careers of musicians?

Pål Gunnar Dale: It depends on where you are in your career. Illegal downloading will, of course, make your music more accessible, and I think it's important to have your music available for downloading when you are an up & coming artist/band. When you've built up a solid reputation and a fanbase, you'll spot your true fans, those who will buy your records.

MSJ: In a related question, how do you feel about fans recording shows and trading them?

Pål Gunnar Dale: I think that's great! Even greater if the band/artist can use their fans’recordings for their own purposes.

MSJ:

If you were a superhero, what music person would be your arch nemesis and why?

Pål Gunnar Dale: If I were a superhero, I would fight the music that contributes to the lack of musical skill, the musicians who kill the music with having some kind of flimsy voice and a bunch of cheesy lyrics about being insecure and f***ing an older woman/man, then write a song about it.

MSJ:

If you were to put together your ultimate band (a band you'd like to hear or catch live), who would be in it and why?

Patrick Andersson: That would be Robert Plant and Jay Buchanan on lead vocals, Glenn Hughes on bass and vocals, Joe Bonamassa on guitar and Jon Lord on hammond organ. That would be my ultimate band. Robert Plant is one of the greatest singers ever in the history of music. Jay Buchanan is the reincarnation of Robert Plant. Glenn Hughes becomes better and better as he gets older. Joe Bonamassa is one of the best guitar players in the world at the moment, and Jon Lord had magical fingers when he was alive.

MSJ:

If you were in charge of assembling a music festival and wanted it to be the ultimate one from your point of view who would be playing?

Eirik Wik Haug: Rival Sons, Led Zeppelin, Black Country Communion, Deep Purple, BigBang, Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Madrugada and Black Sabbath.

MSJ:

What was the last CD you bought and/or what have you been listening to lately?

Thomas E. Karlsen: The last CD I bought was the new Rival Sons CD Head Down.

MSJ: Have you read any good books lately?

Thomas E. Karlsen: I have read three good books lately. "Isberget (The Iceberg)" by Lars Ove Seljestad, "Gospel of Lucifer" and "The Testament of Nostradamus" by Tom Egeland. Both great Norwegian authors.

MSJ:

Do you have a musical “guilty pleasure?”

Pål Gunnar Dale: "You're the voice" by John Farnham. It makes me want to go out and do some good ol' volunteering.

MSJ: What has been your biggest Spinal Tap moment?

Thomas E. Karlsen: About a month ago, we had a big gig in our hometown, and just a couple of hours before stage time I started vomiting like an idiot. And when you're constantly nauseous, it gets pretty hard to sing since all the power comes from your stomach. I had to run off stage one time to vomit, but I made it through!

MSJ: If you could sit down to dinner with any three people, living or dead, for food and conversation, with whom would you be dining?

Eirik Wik Haug: I would have dinner with Jimi Hendrix, Joe Bonamassa and Scott Holiday.

MSJ:

What would be on the menu?

Eirik Wik Haug: A big juicy steak with pepper sauce and baked potatoes with red wine and beer for drinks.

MSJ: This interview is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2013  Volume 1 at lulu.com/strangesound.
 
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