Sabotage Interview.
The last (still remaining online) piece we did was an interview with Sabotage from Stockholm.
Hello lads, can you start by introducing yourselves for our readers?
We're Sabotage from South Stockholm, founders Erik (guitar), Matte (drums) and Robert (vocals) (we're all between 30-40 something), bassist Slebbe (about 30 perhaps?) and for live gigs Silvio on complementary guitar, who's a real young one, early twenties. We started out in 2013 with the ambition to record a few songs that Erik and Matte had laying around since many years as a studio project only, and then one thing lead to another. Besides music we all have quite ordinary working lives with wives and kids etc.
So who would you list as your main influences?
Robert - Punk and Oi!, mainly english and french 80's stuff but I listen to punk and skinhead music of all eras, political colours and from most countries that produces those bands... That's my own influences and for favourite bands Slebbe likes psychobilly like Mad Sin and Demented Are Go aswell as classic british punk and oi! When it comes to what actually influences the sound of Sabotage though, Erik (who is the main writer and sound dictator) refers to The Templars, early Skrewdriver and random 80's punk and pop music. Matte's drum heroes includes Bill Ward (Black Sabbath), Dave Lombardo (Slayer) and Phil (The Templars).
Has everybody in the band got a history of playing in other bands too? Yes, I (Robert) was in The Righteous (1996 - 2001), Contemptuous (2003-2006), Antipati (2006-2013) and am also in Agent Bulldogg since 2008. Slebbe was in Cunt Sucking Cannibals (2002-2006), Zombie Space Pirates (2007-present), Ghouls Of Graceland (2008-2010), Scarecrows (2009-2011), Bubba Ho Grave (2010-2011) and Toothless Mike (2011-2012). Mostly psycho- and rockabilly and a few punk outfits - usually as a contra bass player. Erik played with Frontlash (hardcore, 1996-2009), Contemptuous (2003-2005), Sleepless Nights (hardcore, 2003-2007), Abjektt (hardcore, 2006-2007) and Vindicate This! (2007-2009). Matte was a vocalist in hardcore bands Frontlash (1996-2009) and Sleepless Nights (2005-2007) and played drums for black metal band Aifur between early 90's and 2013.
Your first release was been well received by people, are you happy with it? and is there anything you'd do different if you were to release it again?
I am very happy with it, still think it's a very strong release. If we would do anything different it would probably be work on the drum sound a bit more. But we got that part covered well with the new release "Faderskap I Gråzonen" (six song 12" that was released 1st of may by the same label that released "Betrasktelser Från Staketet" 7").
Plans for the future? More releases? More gigs? Are we going to see Sabotage attempting to conquer Europe anytime soon?
Well, we just released this 12" and played our very first gig at the PSK festival supporting great acts like our friends East End Badoes aswell as Anti-Nowhere League and The Exploited (which I'd say is quite a good first gig line-up). We've just decided to keep Sabotage a live act too. So basically this summer Erik and Matte will write music for our third release, a four song (?) 7" hopefully to be recorded this autumn. And there are a few gig offers we have to think about, also for the fall.
Do you have any final words for our readers?
First of all, thank you Jakob for the time and interest. If any of you would like to get in touch with the band, please do so through sabotagesthlm@hotmail.com or our facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/SabotageSthlm https://www.facebook.com/southsidedistro (for t-shirts etc) Take care and skål to all true punks and skinheads!
Massive thanks to Robert and the rest of the Sabotage lads for a nice interview.
We hope to hear a lot more from you in the future lads and all the best, cheers!