poke in the eye
With tape recorder in hand this is the conversation that took place.
Tell us about your names and who's who, any nicknames?
Daniel: I am Daniel, over there is Peter our drummer, Chris our guitar player, Christoph our bass player and Bjorn on guitar. And our name is Pencilcase.
How did you get the name?
Daniel: Well, it was quite funny, we were out together for quite a long time now, so in school, when we were sitting down and thinking, oh its so boring all the time.
We thought which name could we give our band? And so, we called our band Pencilcase because it was the first word in English we ever learnt. So, we wanted to find a name, which is not too valuable. So we had enough space and room to think of different lyrics and songs.
Moving onto the tour, what were your aims and do you feel you have accomplished them?
Daniel: Music wise, our aim was to spread the music itself and get more interesting for people. We had the first record which was limited to 500 copies, which was sold out and we played some great shows in Germany, it was more kind of a dream to go on tour. We feel that we have accomplished our aim.
Do you find that the general society treats you differently because you're in a HC band?
Daniel: We have just one problem, in the area where we live people don't really know what our music and our message and our lyrics are about. They don't even know that we are an HC band. If you read an article in a paper in our home town, its written down hard rock, they don't really know what we are about. But we have some very open minded friends who understand.
If you believe in unity and helping each other out, do you practise that only within the HC community or outside of the scene too?
Daniel: We have many friends who are not into hardcore and maybe don't know what our message is about, but we can have a good time and that's it.
Having just toured UK, what UK bands have you played with that stood out from the rest?
Bjorn: One in Peterborough, with a saxophone, Capdown. Hhh also.
Daniel: Shai Hulud is a great band but they are not from UK,
Bjorn: Babies 3 are very emotional and yes i like them.
Daniel: Bhai Hulud were very nice and we met them in Peterborough and we have done 3 shows with them.
Right now someone comes in and tells us that the Shai Hulud van got broken into. Shit.
Which bands are your main influences that you listen to?
Daniel: The most that we listen to are Swedish bands.
Bjorn: Old school and punk rock. That's what the music is influenced by but mainly Swedish bands.
Daniel: I myself came to HC through punk rock like NOFX and Pennywise and everything progressed and then Biohazard.
What was your first HC record?
Bjorn: Biohazard
Daniel: Biohazard too.
What other types of music do you listen to and what interests do you have outside the scene?
Bjorn: The Police, Prodigy.
Daniel: Few years ago I liked Sting. You have to get influences in your music so its good.
Bjorn: Comics, I love comics like Max, like the ones written by what's that guys name ?!
So is the band full time for you?
Daniel: No, we finished our school this year. We have now a long break so we can concentrate on the band. But we all go to university in October, so it is not full time and we can't even live of the band.
Tell us who you look up in music?
Daniel: Well i don't have any idols. I am just myself. I believe that in the hardcore scene there is not anything like a star. Well I like Ray Cappo because he was one of the greatest band when we was in Youth of Today.
But I don't like this thing that Ray Cappo is a god or anything like that. I believe we are all the same and in inequality. There can't be one big person. It's too often the case that some people are a bit more well known or popular but I don't have any idols.
Who is better Abjure or Kneejerk?
Daniel, Bjorn and Peter: Ah, Ehhh.
Bjorn: I would say Kneejerk, I don't know them but their name is better.
Daniel: I don't know both bands. But the name of Kneejerk is better.
What do you think about old HC punk bands doing reunion shows like Youth of Today?
Bjorn: I think they have a reason for splitting up so a reunion, I don't get it.
Daniel: I don't know why these bands do that, most of these bands put out their records on very big labels. This way they destroy their image.
Daniel: In this Fracture zine I read an interesting sentence about that, it said that Youth of Today aren't the same people they were before. Maybe they are not straight edge anymore but still have the same lyrics.
Bjorn: Wait, wait, what I hate the most is when they bring out tapes of dead persons like Freddy Mercury, you know, that's what I hate the most, I could kill them for that, I mean just leave them alone. They are legend.
If you could choose any band to do a reunion show, who would it be for you?
Bjorn: Frank Zappa, but he's dead. Oh.
Daniel: Frank Zappa, I like Uniform Choice.
What's your opinion on bands who play naked at shows?
Daniel: If they want to, I laugh if I see that
In the UK, Assert play naked at shows with the drummer being naked.
Bjorn: Do they look good or ugly?
Ugly, the drummer is drumming away and you can imagine the rest. Well, after a Peterborough all dayer at the beginning of July, we took Gavin's drum kit back to his home and it was pretty funny. Is there any band that you want to see naked?
Daniel: The guys in Shai Hulud
Bjorn: No, no. L7. Now they are too old though. When they were younger.
Just to finish off, can you choose 6 numbers between 1 and 49?
At this moment, some guy comes in to get a guitar as one got broken.
Bjorn: 20
Daniel: 40
Peter: 30
Bjorn: 1
Daniel: 27
Peter: 6
Good luck to all the lottery players in UK and remember to share the money with Pencilcase when you win. Any shouts out.
Daniel: We really want to thank all the people in the UK, because they have been great.
Bjorn: Once again thanks a lot to all the people in Peterborough.
Daniel: I think it's a great scene over here, and that they should keep it going because its going to get bigger and people are very open minded, not like in Germany there are many separations.
Bjorn: Greetings to my girlfriend, I really miss her.
Daniel: Thanx to Lil for organising this whole tour and thanx to you for doing this interview.