interview with Stoner kebab
What does the name "Stoner Kebab" stand for? It's a probably a play on words, we think the original members liked to play stoner and eat doner kebabs. But we're not sure.
What made you call the band "Stoner Kebab"? Legend has it that the original members wanted to all the band “The Members” then they broke up amicably and called themselves jokingly “DisMebers” but it sounded too much like “Dismember” so they reformed and called themselves “The Re-Members”. Tired of the word “member” they decided on “Stoner Kebab”. But we're not sure.
How was the band formed? Band members change with every name change or album. The original members live in the shadows. Each line up writes an album but does not play it live or record it since 2004. The band that records the latest album and plays it live writes the new one and passes the torch on to the next lineup to record it, play it live and write a new one. And so on. This is the one thing we are sure of. To sum it up we (the ones who recorded “Simon”, the fourth album. and are playing) it live will write the next album but will not record it or ply it live)
What made you form the band? We're do not agree with the original intentions of the original members but the anser is: DRUGS.
Can you briefly introduce your band and who you are? Member by member. Current members. Claudio Merlo was a guitarist and writer for film scores for example “Un gelidissimo autunno” by director Augusto Marchesi (a masterpiece in 80's Italian impressionist horror). The brothers Alberto, Frullani Alberto and Roba Alberto, guitarist/singer/leader and bassist/singer/sitarist respectively, were sessionmen for the great Jason-Philip Cross. Sergio Roba (no relatiionship with Roba Alberto) founded “Wudiack” in the 80's a very famous black metal band from eastern europe because he was blocked behind the iron curtain for diplomatic reasons. That is why Wudiack's first album is called “Killing Bureaucracy”
Where are all bandmembers from?/Who does what in the band?
Claudio Merlo is from Foggia and plays guitar.
The Alberto brothers are from Turin and play as said above.
Sergio Roba is from Livorno (Leghorn).
What was the ambitions of the band when you started? No ambition whatsoever but by contract after recording and playing the album live we have to write a new one.
Could you explain your music to someone that haven't heard you? It's a mix of stoner, doom, progressive and psychedelia. And bullshit.
Where was your first gig? The first concert of the first lineup was at a Roman amphitheater, but we don't know which one. OUR first gig was at “Garage Club” in Florence
Where was the latest gig? Gromka Club in Metelkova, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Who writes your songs?/ who writes the music who writes lyrics? Each member is now writing songs (music and lyrics) for the new album bit will not (as we have said) record it. The album's lyrics will be translated from Italian to English by Igor Adremoid and will be engineered by Zven at Orange recording studio. Zven and Igor are the only two people alive to have seen and known every single member of Stoner Kebab throughout the years.
What's good/bad with the band?/What genre do you feel you are? Our leader (Frullani Alberto) is beautiful (this is good). But the contender for the leadership is his brother (Roba Alberto). We don't like family drama (this is bad). Throughot the years we have played so many types of music that now we are interested only in sounding like soundtracks from Italian 80's movies that talk about heavy drugs, like Amore Tossico and L'Imperatore Di Roma
Why did you pick that particular style?/What are your songs about? We didn't choose the style which was chosen by the original members. The first album (Chapter Zero:written by unkowns members and recorded by Muccio,Justin Timberland, Bubi and Rashid) was about nothing, we think.
The second album (Imber Vulgi: written by Muccio,Justin Timberland, Bubi and Rashid and recorded by Scotty T. Power, Jimmy Venom, Steve J.J. Austeen and Jason Scalise) was about Rain, we think.
The third album (Superdoom: written by Scotty T. Power, Jimmy Venom, Steve J.J. Austeen and Jason Scalise and recorded by Frau Fritz, Adam Banjo, Paulo Crystal, Davì Davisòn and Kaiser Konig) was about mythological figures, we think.
The fourth album (Simon: written by Frau Fritz, Adam Banjo, Paulo Crystal, Davì Davisòn and Kaiser Konig and recorded by us) is about a boy/messiah who is tempted and cheated by the Devil and a priest. We think.
The next album will probably be about the cosmic seeds and fluids that give life.
Do you write your own material or mainly covers? As explained above theoretically every lineup plays covers of the lineups before them. But Stoner Kebab play songs by Stoner Kebab.
Have you made any albums?/If yes what are they? As above. Rise above.
Do you have any clips on YouTube?
from Chpter Zero: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPKWDosP-7w
from Imber Vulgi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhuHImwXdpA
from Superdoom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBsvz4A0sG0
from Simon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFONN2x3Mho
How old are you?/What got you started in music?
Members have benn as young as 24 and are old as 60.
Drugs for the first guys.
Alcohol for the second guys.
Drugs for the third guys.
Sex for the fourth guys.
The Lord for us.
At what age did you start playing? Every single member of every Stoner Kebab line up was 13 when they started playing.
How old were you guys when you first stood on stage? 14
What year was the band started? 2004
How old were you the first time you saw a liveband play? 6,66. Everyone.
What places will you be playing in in the imidate future? Croatia and Slovenia.
What songs are in your live set's? All of Simon plus some old ones.
Is it always the same set's live? No. We try to vary.
What has been the best/most promising gig so far? The one where Igor Adremoid (touring member) almost got laid three times in Vienna.
Have you had any bigger tours from start till now? Yes. Austria and Slovenia.
How big crowds do you usually play for? If you sum up all the people that have seen a Stoner Kebab concert and divide the sum by the number of total gigs the result would be 33,33
What are the plans for the rest of the year? Write the new album
Where do you usually play? Under ground, literally. Our rehearsal room is in a basement underneath Lido Turelli's ( thermo technical emgineer) office.
How do you get psyched up for a gig? We pray the Lord.
What are your goals with your music? To escape from fear of the Lord.
Is it easier to get your inspiration from older bands or from bands more modern? Older bands.
What are your sources of inspiration? The older bands of the Lord.
What's the first step when making a new song? Prayer.
How do you feel about the downloading of music instead of buying albums? We agree with downloading.
What would be your dreams for the band? Nightmares.
When you are on stage, what do you fear most then? Our leader.
Name 2 of your own songs you like at the moment? New evil through evil and Sex sex sex
What do you feel is the best liveband you've seen? Wuriack (not to be confused with Wudiack)
What drives a band that isn't all that famous and renowned to try to make a living on their music and to keep playing? Lineup changes.
Do you have any webpages? No, only Facebook and Band Camp
Would you like to add anything else? In Chapter Zero the first song (Cop Song) has a vocal part which is repeated in Imber Vulgi and Simon. Mr. T. played sitar in Imber Vulgi. David sung a part and Sauro Ravalli played harmonica in Imber Vulgi and played live for the release party.
Igor Adremoid played live bass for six concerts during a tour for Imber Vulgi between Italy and Austria. Simone Pascarella played live guitar for two concerts of during Imber Vulgi live period.
David sings in Tomb On Badil in Superdoom. Jack Rugea wrote the lyrics and sung Astronavi Domani in Superdoom. Blues of destruction blues is Stoner Kebabs best song ever. Imber Vulgi lasts 33 minutes and 33 seconds. The last track on Simon lasts 33 minutes and 33 seconds and the pause between the song and the ghost track is exactly 666 seconds.
What are the biggest obstacles for a band? In our case Stoner Kebab itself
Tell us about upcomming gigs and why we should be at them? Because we might not be there.
How would you describe your sound in one sentence See the vocal part in Cop Song
What was one of the most quarrelsome times for you in the band? Changing members.
Whats your Pre-show ritual? We break up and reform.
What Won't you spend money on? Stuff at highway rest stops. Falafels (there is no meat). Pussy.
What do you feel a band/muscian should spend their money on? Their music. Or as the old members would say, DRUGS. We spend all our money on Christ's body.