By Jens

A big introduction to Denmark's finest r'n'r outfit is hardly necessary. Some personnel changes are the big news after Simon (bass) and Slamboy (drums) left this winter and was replaced with new blood. So of course I had a chat with the Aalborg boys and the new line-up when they recently visited Loppen, Christiania in Copenhagen. (read the gig review elsewhere in this issue)

LC: Okay, let's introduce the new members. Theis, you're playing...

Theis: Bass.
Rasmus: I'm the drummer.

LC: What bands have you been in before Columbian Neckties?

T: Nothing really serious. Last Day Spooky and Motorforstærker, and then I played some Blues before.
Rasmus: Just some small punkbands.

LC: "Why Change Your Moves" came out some time ago, any plans of recording a new album?

Jeppe: We're doin' new tracks right now with the new members, and I think we'll have enough songs to release a record around Christmas this year.

LC: Also on Sounds Of Subterrania (German label)?

J: Yes.
Henrik: It will be released in February, I think.
J: Yeah, probably.

LC: You've done covers by Dictators and AC/DC, what cover tune will be on the new one?

J: We haven't decided yet, but surprise! It'll definitely be in the heavy rock genre, haha.

LC: Have you played outside Aalborg with the new line-up?

H: A tour was actually planned when Simon and Mads (Slamboy) stopped, it just wasn't booked yet. And Jeppe and I were like; no fuckin' way we're splitting up! And then we started looking for new members while we didn't cancel the tour. We first found Theis and another drummer, but he didn't want to spend enough time on the band. And then Rasmus joined us when we had two months to rehearse our songs before the tour. So we worked hard, and we did a week of touring in Germany in May.
J: It went pretty good, way better than we had expected. We played several places we haven't played before and it was great.
H: We played with this fantastic band called Dean Dirg, 70s style r'n'r which would do perfectly on Ripoff Records. Other cool bands we like at the moment are Stilettos and Sons Of Cyrus.
T: And there was this band called Flaming Sideburns, haha.
J: They were on a promotion tour and heard we were playing, and they wanted to see us. So they knew the clubowner and they came and played with us. And then we went to a sauna club afterwards and that was very nice. I can highly recommend this bar/sauna in Hamburg called "Scandia".
H: We played with Morat Fingers in Berlin but they haven't played together for months so they were kind of rusty.
J: But the leadsinger, Spank, is always in high spirits.

LC: Was he dressed as a doctor like when I (with Hellroute 16) played with'em?

J: No, this time he was wearing a silk tuxedo.

LC: So Theis and Rasmus, do you have ideas of your own musical input in Columbian Neckties?

T: Not really...
J: Nothing they'd dare to say, haha.
T: The new songs aren't that fast compared to the old stuff. Henrik calls it 'pop', haha.
J: The pace isn't that frantic, it's more rock than punk I'd say.
H: It suits my age better, haha.
J: But we probably still won't get a hit on the radio. It's has been a pretty good experience gettin' new members, you sorta have to start all over again. And that brings a freshness to the otherwise routine aspect of rehearsing.

LC: Jeppe, what's with the lyrics of "Ass Master" and "Hot Butt Love"? Got an anal fetish?

J: Haha. Well, "Ass Master" is about our sound man, Torben, and his less than wonderful smells in the tour van. And "Hot Butt Love"? I'm probably a butt man and I like to sing about girls' bottoms, haha. But it's getting harder write songs about booze and women when you're a family man like me (Jeppe's wife is expecting their 2nd child). But when you do get drunk once in awhile it's still fun to write about, haha.

LC: Any releases before your new album?

H: We gonna be on an American comp that Eric of New Bomb Turks (RIP) is putting together with some Gearhead guys.

www.columbianneckties.dk