Finally I got the chance to see FUNHOUSE live. Knowing the band for more than 10 years now they are one of my alltime faves since the release of their masterpiece Never Again in ’96. Of course I also took the chance to catch them for an interview. But since the chaos before the show was hardly to untangle, lots of sound problems needed to get solved so that we pushed the interview back after the show what was quite tricky, because all bands and the entire tour trek have been in great party mood after a successful show, having fun in the tiny but crowded backstage room. Hardly a serious question came up as well as serious answers ;)

Dajana: I think, there is no need to ask if you enjoyed the show?
Jonas: Oh yes, we had fun ...

Dajana: You looked like little boys that got their favorite toys back in hands ... such smile you had in your faces ...
Dee: No ...
Jonas: No, no, no ... we have seriously grown up! [laughter all around]

A drunken girl steps in the crowded backstage room, who was told to belong to everything and who wanted to be a manager. Instead the band members wanted her to answer the interview questions, she refused ...

Dee: No, ok, seriously, we had a great fun. It was a good show and great fun.
Mattias: We have better toys to play with instead of our equipment … [laughter] … that’s one of our toys (pointing at a bottle of whiskey) …
Jonas: Just a substitute …

Dajana: Ok, there was a long time silence around the band, line-up changes and stuff. Everything is on the right way now?
Jonas: Yeah, I think so.

Dajana: Who is the one fishing in Australia?
Jonas: Peter Mårdklint. He played the guitar on the latest album. He is now studying in Australia, and fishing around there. But now we got Mattias from Mobile Mob Freakshow dropping in. He’s a great guitarist and already belongs to our family.
Dee: He’s great one and I think he could be a full time member, I would say.

Dajana: Most of the songs from Flames Of Love Mike has written alone, but there are new influences to sense out, mostly from the keys …
Dee: Um … I wouldn’t say so. Well, we have a lot fun together. That’s what you can hear. They must have had such a boring time before. What would you say?
Jonas: There are not many electronics involved...

Dajana: What about the next album? Will you be involved in songwriting and music again?
Jonas: We always are.
Dee: Yes, that’s for sure!
Dajana: And what about new elements, changes in new directions musically spoken?
Jonas: No.
Dee: No, I think Flames Of Love is a good example of what we want, already displaying some changes. Maybe there will be some details played in a new way. But we won’t change the general direction in our music. We love that mix of Gothic, Metal guitars and electronics.

Dajana: FUNHOUSE is around for almost 20 years. How much has the music scene changed over the years and how did it affect you?
Dee: I’m sorry, but I was too young at this time to answer this question. [laughter]
Jonas: Yes, there is more crossover. Everything gets combined, mixed with different influences. Gothic with Metal and Industrial and electronic stuff…
Dajana: Do you think the band has changed over the years?
Dee: I don’t know …
Dajana: Physically? Mentally?
Jonas: Mentally? … [some drunken cats start singing …] I wouldn’t say so. We are getting older, yes. But the band is getting stronger and stronger.
Dajana: So you have still the same attitude … making music, sex, drugs and rock’n’roll.
Dee: Well, we surely grown up but still enjoy ourselves when we are on stage…

Dajana: I think your latest album Flames Of Love sounds quite close to Never Again. Was that planned or is it more something like a FUNHOUSE basic style? I can imagine after this long time of absence from the scene that you wanted to have a new record sounding similar to your masterpiece, getting a better access to the audience.
Dee: Well, I don’t know really. But Never Again was more played rough, recorded like playing live, while we worked a lot on loops and melodies for Flames Of Loves in the studio. I would say that’s the main different. This time we have recorded every single part by itself. Recording Never Again, well, the band has rehearsed the songs and then entered the studio, playing most of the stuff in one go. I was not in the band when Never Again was produced but I think you can call it a hit album.
Jonas: The quality on Flames Of Love is higher than on Never Again.
Dee: I think, when we take the feel from Never Again and style and quality from Flames Of Love that would be perfect.
Dajana: That would be a real masterpiece then …
Jonas: We always hope that the next one will be a masterpiece …

Dajana: You just have had a few gigs around Germany and Sweden. Is there finally a tour planned?
Dee: Not this year. I don’t know …
Jonas: I’m not sure, but there is one gig in the beginning of next year. But nothing else planned so far.
Dajana: I remember you played on Wave Gotik Treffen?
Jonas: Yeah, last year.
Dajana: Any festivals in 2005?
Dee: Um … maybe we need a good manager who brings us on all these great festivals [laugther]
Jonas: But first we have to finish work on the next album but then we would like to play a lot of festivals. All of them!
Dajana: Last time I was at WGT was in 2000, the chaos festival …
Jonas: We have been there too, we shared this huge stage with Tiamat.

Dajana: Now were you are grown up so seriously, how to handle the things between the band obligations and job and family?
Jonas: It’s a question of priorities. We are working in different jobs, but when it comes to FUNHOUSE then it is the main priority. It is really nice to have this “career”, spending time in studio and being on tour.

Dajana: What does you still fascinate being a musician after such a long time in business? What pushes you still forward?
Dee: Well, I think, first of all playing live in front of such a great audience as we did tonight. To spread our message into the world.

Dajana: What you want to achieve in the future?
Jonas: As you might have guessed, a better distribution, being always paid, a better backing, more live shows and so on …

Now the chat is drifting away from me questions … In between the one or the other question still flashes up – the question about the craziest thing they ever have done for example was left unanswered, while the tour bus emerges as the worst experience, when the bus crashed a couple of years ago after a show in Herford. Many people were stepping in and leaving, four stringer Måns discovered something great, that obviously kicked ass while we were talking about strange TV series and good music and the guys from Reptyle started singing … It was a great evening!

11/2004 © Dajana Winkel • Funhouse •