Afreak : Yes it was, we also played at Pukkelpop, Graspop and a lot of other festivals...It was very good. Looking back now we did all the stuff we wanted to do.. except we didn't knew it would be in 1997 !
Nr_18 : You weren't prepared for that ?
Afreak : I don't think you can prepare for something like this... You don't think about it when you are rehearseling or recording an album. Those things wander in the back of your head, but you don't prepare them.
Nr_18 : what has been the best experience for Uncle Meat in 1997 ?
Afreak : Hard to say... The tour with paradise lost was a great experience... Pukkelpop was very special because we're visiting that festival since we were 15 or 16 years old, it was always like a dream to play there. I think we can not say this or that was the best experience. We see it as an overall thing : you make an album and then you work, see what happens... It's fun to see the evolution from the first steps in the rehearsal room, record the demos, then record it with Colin Richardson ( another great experience ) and then go out and play. It's never over. Now we're kinda waiting for the respons from abroad wich is exciting aswell.
Nr_18 : And how is the respons of the public, Do you consider it like the ultimate goal, or do you play to satisfy your ego ?
Afreak : I can't say what the thrill is : the audience or the fact that you play music you like. But I consider playing live is the most fun part of it all, I think it is because of the respons from the audience.
Nr_18 : Which exactly is ?
Afreak : Obviously you do it cause you like it, but if there's no audience or no respons, there's no
fun to it.
I think people are now finaly get to appreciate the music from Uncle Meat. We felt it alot
when we played on pukkelpop for instance. Lots of the reactions weere : "finaly you guy's get what you
deserve".
There is a major difference when you play abroad though...people go to see a concert and they don't
really know the band. The reaction you get from those people is without prejudice. In Belgium you
have lots of anvy and lots of people don't have an opinion of there own. It depends of the
circumstances though. But to answer your question : the respons from our concerts was great !
Nr_18 :So, I am pleased to know that... What are your projects now ?
Afreak : We are currently working on a new album which is to be released somewhere in autumn...We did some preproduction a few weeks ago and also we're gonna do a small tour before we start the actual recordings.
Nr_18 : Great !!! Is it a local tour ( I mean in Belgium ) ?
Afreak : The dates can be found on http://club.innet.be/~mon00372. There is one date that will please you because it's in Wallonie. The others are in Austria and Germany. I think one more in belgium too.
Nr_18 : Do you know already who will be the producer of the forthcoming album ?
Afreak : Err, not exactly : we have some names in the running but we're kinda waiting for reply.
Nr_18 : We'll keep the secret then !!!
Afreak : Err, yes :)
Nr_18 : I've had the occasion to hear something from preprod ( THX Internet !!! ), it's quite different from last album... Is it a new musical direction for the band ?
Afreak : Ah ? You shouldn't ! :) No, I know, I've sent a small sample from the preproduction into cyberspace !!! Err, new direction... I don't know. I think more of it as 'growing', we realized that the songs we did on that demo were more 'songs' maybe more mature too...you can still hear Uncle Meat though...I think :)
Nr_18 : So, you have found your own style now ?
Afreak : I think as a band you keep on searching for new things. Once you quit that search you loose the 'spirit' if you know what I mean. I think that we're gonna come closer to a sound of our own with the new material.
Nr_18 : For the readers, could you define the music of Uncle Meat ?
Afreak : No, I can't really :)
Nr_18 : You can't define your own music. Mmmh, is it because you don't want to influence people : if you say " Oh, we play Heavy Metal ", people who don't like it won't listen you ? Or is it because your music is a mix of a little everything ?
Afreak : No, I can't label our music myself. I leave that up to people who think in those terms. Our music is like you say influenced by different musicstyles. But it's true, when you get labeled as a 'heavy metal band' some people will think it IS heavy metal, even if your playing pop songs :)
Nr_18 : Yeah, personaly, I could hear Metal in it, but other people could understand something more "techno" ( because the use of samples ), anyway, this techno term is a little too much extreme.
Afreak : Samples are there but it's still guitar music with real drums.
Nr_18 : Just like Fear Factory....
Afreak : Mmmm, they use samples too. That's all I can think of as to compare our music with Fear Factory.
Nr_18 : Could you name your influences ??? It will maybe help people who have not yet heard your music to have a little idea.
Afreak : Oh, I listen to all kind of stuff : some of my favourit bands are Tool, Deftones, The Cure, Diamanda Gālas, even The Smiths...
Nr_18 : It's quite eclectic then...
Afreak : Definitely :) I wonder how people can stand listing to 'Only' Heavy Metal or 'only' Techno'...
Nr_18 : I share this opinion... It's crucial for me to be open-minded.
So, to finish this interview, what do you think about the actual situation in Belgium ??? Is it
a good country in terms of bands, and is it OK to make business here ?
Afreak : Oh dear !!! This could be a whole interview...I could complain for ages about being a musiscian in Belgium.
Nr_18 : Really ?
Afreak : If you really want to make it in music you have to live for it 24/7 otherwise it won't work. That means you can't have a job...no job = no money !!! It's a viscious circle. And the gouverment is not doing anything to help young artists out. The best idea they had recently was raising taxes on ALL bands, even if you're 16 years old and play for 1.000Bf (± $30). per gig, so it suxx :)
Nr_18 : But do you think Belgium has a good Scene in any styles : Harcdore, Heavy, Progressive...
Afreak : Yes, but its all so small. Those scenes are struggling to keep themselves alife. You can only take so much as a musiscian because there is so little support, just a few belgian bands will make it out there.
Nr_18 : A good example was Channel Zero, who stopped recently.
Afreak : Yes
Nr_18 : So, it's not yet tomorrow we'll have MEGA-bands coming from Belgium...
Afreak : It's very hard to break out of Belgium. Everybody wants to break out of Belgium because it's too small and you can't make a living as a 'non commercial band'.
Nr_18 : OK OK... This interview is now over, I let you now a free speaking.. Tell everything you want, promote your band, greet someone... BUT DO SOMETHING !!!!
Afreak : Thank you very much for the interview. And all I have to say is gonna be on the new album and on stage !! Cya out there on the road soon !!!
Nr_18 : OK !!! Thx for the moments you stayed with me on this channel... Belgacom will be happy !
Afreak : Ah yeah...FUCK Belgacom !! :-)))
Nr_18 : Dear readers, you can testify that HE said that !!!
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