Interview with Blowfuse!

Between a mosh pit and the other here’s my chat with the craziest Spanish band: Blowfuse!

RP: There’s a question for everyone that comes here: what is your impression of this festival? What’s the feeling of being here at the Punk Rock Holiday?
B: It’s like a holiday! It’s like camping, you get the river, the mountains, it’s like being in the Pyrenees but on the other side of Europe. It is weird that all the bands of punk rock and all the crowd is punk rock and that never happened before to us. Because we’ve been to a lot of festivals and there’s a mix, a lot of styles, and here’s like… super! Everybody has told us about it for many years, and it is our first time, so it is wow!

RP: Are you staying the whole week?
B: Tomorrow we are leaving, so it is just three days and a half. We’ve been playing with NOFX and we will come back with them.

RP: Talking about your last album, it has received many good critics and a lot of success. I talked with a lot of people that said, oh wow, that is great. So, what was composing it? And what is your response to the people’s response, are you happy about it? How do you feel?
B: Well, composing, the record was really intense, I got to say, hard and intense. But we want to give like 110% in this. So, we try to make the difference. Because we always put everything into the music. We hadn’t got enough time or enough money, or whatever, but it was a great experience. But also, we learnt a lot. And the people… it is amazing! Yes, it’s great. It’s going slowly, little by little. So, we start to see how things are going with this record and we’re pretty happy. We played yesterday, here at Punk Rock Holiday and we saw people singing and it is impressive. It is like a wave: you released that album and for a month people are crazy, and then they forget it. But with this album is going up and up and up and up and up? And that’s the best thing that can happen to us!

RP: Well, I think that you deserve it. Because you work so hard.
B: I noticed a big difference. Because, probably before, I mean years ago, when we played somewhere, you come to see us, because you want and know us, but then, we start to play, because somewhere and people from that festival or the other, they don’t know you, they told you to play in this place or the other. And it’s like, spreading around, easily and fast. That’s great!

RP: So, I saw you as well one month ago in Padua at the Sherwood Festival, in one of the hottest days of summer…
B: yeah, we came back to Barcelona and the week after was the hottest week in Spain!

RP: No way! However, in both sets you were great. Your show’s so energetic. The first time I saw you I was like, really, they do all this jumping? And it’s great. What’s your secret? What do you do? What do you think before going up on stage?
B: First of all, we don’t do drugs. Yeah, it is true! All you got to do is drink a lot of water, a lot of water! Eat healthy, stretch and warm-up! Because if not, it’s impossible to last for more than 10 minutes playing and singing and moving. Yeah, I think that one of the goals is to be healthy, stay healthy. Because we drink neither alcohol neither we smoke. So probably it helps. And the other part is that we are so motivated people. But in a freak way sometimes, you know, like ‘aah wow! everything that happens around us is wow! We make a big thing of everything! We are so passionate about everything. We live in things. When we are on stage, we are ourselves, exactly like that. When we started doing music at the beginning, it wasn’t like that: we were a little bit ashamed to show us to the people, to show exactly how we felt. But then we met other bands, and we started to play, and we were more comfortable. I think that nowadays it is just a part of us. It’s the show. It’s as important as the music. And we always say this to ourselves right before the show: guys, this is like our show. This is how we feel. So, let’s just be natural. And then enjoy. For the music. And I think that people can feel if you’re passionate. Also, we’re doing like a daily ritual before every show. Before every show, we’re preparing ourselves and we are asking each other: Hey, how are you? Are you good? Are you good? Are you ready? Just warming up a little bit. And then we go.

RP: Great! And regarding the punk rock scene or hardcore scene, do you think it still conveys a strong message, strong values? What’s your opinion on punk now, which, of course, it is different from the punk of 40 years ago…?
B: I think…I wouldn’t say it is dead. Because there’s always going to be a scene. But the mainstream scene, it’s kind of dead now. I got a little brother. And he is not listening even to rock music anymore. It’s not like that anymore. We can see that in our career. Sometimes it’s getting hard to get to play in some places and maybe 10 or 15 years ago was easier because people were interested in that kind of music. And now, the chances are not the same sometimes. Who knows, maybe the story repeats. But now… Punk rock is not what it used to be 10-20 years ago, of course, but the rock music I think it’s still different, there are genres and subgenres, and I think they are just like eating from each other and being influenced by different types of rock’s subgenres. So, as we were saying who knows, maybe it’s going to repeat the whole cycle?

RP: This kind of music, however, has always conveyed also a strong political message and maybe now it is needed more than ever…
B: I know, but it must come naturally for the kids. They learn. They’re not interested anymore. This generation…. There’s nothing you can do. I know. I know what’s going to happen, I’m afraid. I believe that people in the audience reflects society. Nowadays, society is a healthier society, depends on where we are of course. So, people, our audience, is healthier. So, they don’t have anything to say about the system, or to complain, right? So, the kids just talk about having fun, doing drugs, and sex and whatever. But there’s no… how can I say, people are not oppressed as they used to be, like 20 years ago or 30 years ago. Of course, it can change. Now we are, on top but it’s all a cycle. You never know. I personally think that…Like why we don’t talk about politics. I think that our fans and punk rock kids, they expect us to talk about skateboarding, some more normal topics. But I think that knowing each other so well, we don’t really care about what kids are expecting from us, about the subject, about the message. We rather talk about our inside feelings which we think it’s even more important than politics or social change or, veganism or, whatever. I think it’s better to start from the inside. And, you know, it also has a lot to do with our time, our moments. Three years ago, we were not talking about the things we’re talking about now. So, it goes on with our moments, with each one of us and as a team.

RP: Talking about live sets again. What is the craziest thing that happened to you on stage?
B: (Oscar – the video is available on the Facebook page) I can tell you that on Saturday night I almost died! That was crazy, there’s a video on Facebook. I jumped from the stage and half of my body just went almost out of the barrier. In the video seems that I made it but… I was so scared! But many other things happened… (Victor) Remember, one of the first time we played together, I used to crash my head into the cymbals, yeah, I used to do that when we used to rehearse. But then, you know, drums are higher in the concerts. So, I just crash my head to the cymbals, and I start to blood, my blood everywhere. I was so white, and everyone was scared, but at the beginning, I didn’t notice it, I was thinking that was my sweat… well, it was a long time ago, more than ten years ago.

RP: And what are the plans now for the future?
B: There’s lots of stuff. That’s what we can say. We’re preparing some tours, like in Japan and a South Africa tour. Of course, Europe will happen again sooner or later. We want to go everywhere in the world. And maybe do some new music. Because now people need new music sooner. We put out the new record in February and we’ve been playing a lot like I think we’ve never played that much. And we want to keep going. But at the same time, perhaps now is the moment to think about music because it’s a slow process.

RP: So, you are enjoying here these days, and what is the band that you really want to see?
B: Oh well, – laughing – bitch, please! Let’s say it all together,1… 2… 3… Pennywise!

RP: That’s great, guys! So, let’s see each other in the pit!