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The big summer interview 2003

The big summer interview 2003

Campino talks about God and the world

??? Campino, you've had a wild year, releasing two albums, playing a long tour. What is left for eternity?

Campino: 2002 really was one of the most massive live years for us. What's left is that we didn't have to cancel one of the shows. We had fun nearly every night, the welcome given to us by the fans was always super and Vom has really settled in with us. I think that we have become better live than hardly ever before, thanks to Vom. And that's a great feeling, to be on a highpoint after twenty years, not simply tending your hits and then going home bored.

??? Which images do you have in mind when you think back over the past year?

Campino: Shooting the cover for "Reich & Sexy II" was a really big thing. We won't forget that too easily. And even if in reality it wasn't really that exciting, we will always tell everybody that it was great (laughs). Apart from that, we had never played so many concerts in the "new federal states" before. I realised that we had an especially good time there and that the fans were partying like mad. That was an eye-opener to me. For example, we played a show in Dresden and it rained the whole time, but it was a fabulous night! Other highpoints were our concerts abroad, especially Poland and Argentina. I enjoyed having Schorsch Kamerun of Die Goldenen Zitronen with us in Buenos Aires. And whoever likes the Roskilde festival should really go to the Sziget festival in Budapest!

??? What did you feel like during the long "Auswärtsspiel"-tour?

Campino: Wherever we went, we had this feeling of being alive, and of life being fun. I'm thankful for that. It was the first time in years that nothing went wrong, if you remember my torn crucial ligament and Wölli's car accident. It simply went smoothly for us. And I would be very happy if we could experience this one or two more times.

??? How did you cope with the long absence from the stage?

Campino: I usually start worrying after eight weeks: I hope we haven't been forgotten, I hope people still know us, I hope we'll be on the road again soon. The music planet keeps on turning. And sometimes I feel a little panicky, that we might get left behind. Time passed so quickly since the last concerts. I travelled to in India and Australia on my own, then the band spent some time together in Spain. So I was hardly ever at home. And at the same time I keep thinking: oh boy, one more year before we can play in Germany again! It seems very long to me but then the others tell me that such a break comes useful sometimes, and after a while I begin to believe this myself.

"Auswärtsspiel"-
Cover

??? One and a half years after the release of "Auswärtsspiel" - with this bit of distance, how do you judge the album now?

Campino: After "Unsterblich" there were a few discussions among the fans. "Auswärtsspiel" didn't really have a hit single as such, but I think we managed quite well in doing the splits between developing ourselves and "still being the Hosen", without bowing to anything or anyone. This record was more uncompromising than many others. Even today I am satisfied with "Auswärtsspiel". And that certainly isn't the case with every album.

??? Having been on the road for nearly a whole year, how did you manage to cope with post-tour depression?

Campino: I quickly went to India. India is so far away that you don't really get to thinking about home. Last year we really played a lot and I was quite battered towards the end, rolled over the finishing line on three wheels, so to say. Especially my throat and vocal chords were shaky towards the end. I desperately needed the break, for my psyche too, so this time I didn't drop into the black hole, like I did in previous years.

??? How does the tour break affect your private lives?

Campino: After such a year it is very important for every member of the band to set things straight again in their private lives, make some corrections, get back in line. You need to make up for the things that were missed out during the tour. Our partners and families are grateful if we're at home for a while and lean back a little. During the tour, our girlfriends are always waiting and in the second row. That really is an awful situation for those who know us privately! When a little time has passed after a tour, I realise that I'm opening up, that I'm better able to listen to people. I'm coming down and the antennae are ready to pick up other things.

??? How do tour life and private life differ for you?

Campino: If you continue to live in private life the way you do on a tour, you must be a complete idiot. It's okay to set priorities during the tour and to leave everyday worries for someone else to take care of, but once I'm home again I think it's only fair if I take care of the dripping water tap myself. During a tour, you take the luxury of relaxing on your off days, but when it's over you should get back into normal life, or else something's seriously wrong with you and you lose your grip on reality.

??? Word goes that you're working on a new album and that's why you were down in Spain again recently...

Campino: This time we worked with high concentration, doing nearly only music. I guess it was the most petty bourgeois trip we ever made together: we hardly drank or partied. But I have to admit that in the four weeks following Spain I didn't get one line of lyrics together, simply because other things were more important. I guess I'll have to go into seclusion somewhere, where nothing can draw my attention. Every time I go to some event, be it the football game 1. FC Cologne vs. FC Liverpool, or the AC/DC gig in Berlin's Columbiahalle, it takes me two days to get back into work. So I have to abstain myself, or I'll never get anywhere.

??? How do you usually write your lyrics; do you sometimes write them when you're on the road?

Campino: It's not like I'm travelling the world with a little script book, taking notes. But it's also important to get a distance from the Toten Hosen and music in general. That worked really well for me in India. I simply didn't think about it at all anymore. But I did write some stuff while we were in Spain. When we're rehearsing together, I often come up with things at night. There you are, sitting at the desk all on your own, and suddenly a phrase pops up in your head. And then the story develops itself. Every time I start writing lyrics I need a warm-up phase. It's always starting from scratch. And as to the craft of writing lyrics, I'm always completely amateurish at the beginning and after a while I get back into the groove and things work out more smoothly.

??? Are lyrics your job only?

Campino: Generally it's all my muck, yes. Then I read it to the others. They'll say quite honestly if they like it or if it's bullshit. This is the moment when their input comes. But usually it's easier for me to formulate an idea first, get it into a form, and then present it to the others.

Campino: "Vom has
settled in superbly with
us!"

??? What makes you confident when thinking of the new album?

Campino: As I already said, Vom is growing into things more and more. And I think that Kuddel is in absolute top form, creative as never before. He shoots out one melody after another. You really have to get your legs together and gallop behind him if you want to keep up. That is really wonderful at the moment, to see him bursting with musical ideas. We're not going in any specific direction. We don't want to limit ourselves. We're simply putting down whatever there is. And up to now, we've come up with quite a load of noise: we already have over 60 ideas, where only the lyrics are missing. But we leave the decision as to what will be on the album until the very end.

??? What are your greatest difficulties in that area?

Campino: We're really looking for two things. On the one hand, we're always looking for songs that are extremely different from our typical style, things that people wouldn't connect us with. On the other hand, we need the classical Hosen songs, but they shouldn't be an old hat. And that's the really difficult bit. If you buy a new AC/DC record, for example, there will always be a lot of songs that are okay but there will also always be one songs that's really special. It's all about finding this one pearl. Of course, this gets more and more difficult for us, too, but we're facing the challenge. To us, the grandest thing would be to write some songs like "Wünsch Dir was" or "Auswärtsspiel", but of course they would have to sound completely different. This process naturally brings frustrating moments, when you realise that you're just producing copies.

??? Which albums of the year 2003 were important for you?

Campino: The new album by Metallica, "St. Anger", is a proof to me that you don't always need a harmonious choice of songs. There is no radio compatible song or any of that crap on this album. It's another proof for a way of tackling things: do, what's inside of you and people will acknowledge it! And if they don't: don't give a shit! You should never let yourself be guided by strategic thinking when you're writing new songs. Whatever, I'm now waiting for the new album by Social Distortion and passing my time with the current album by the Hives.

??? What else did 2003 hold in store for you so far?

Campino: It was great fun going to the Toten Hosen fan cup football championship in Halberstadt. There was a general call for anyone to join who wanted to - we followed it on the internet. Then we thought it would be a good joke to turn up there ourselves, because nobody was counting on our appearance. We entered as JKP crew so as not to wake any suspicions with the organisers. Said and done, we picked up a few people from the office and drove there and of course there was a great hullabaloo. By the way, our strategy was based on Jupp Derwall's times of the German national squad: really weak in the first rounds and then win the final. If I hadn't managed to prolong the playing time by another five minutes in the first round, we would have been sent home quite early. The deciding goal that helped us into the next round fell two minutes before the end. The final was a proper fight. The others had a goalie who plays in the regional division. During penalty, I made a complete fool of myself, but Toni from our security placed the decisive goal.

??? You also went to see the Rolling Stones play Circus Krone in Munich...

Campino: ...and the audience was a bit strange. I was the youngest one at this event! I'd never have thought that I would be the youngest anywhere ever again (laughs). The audience was 55 and up. And the Stones could simply do nothing wrong with them. People kept looking at the stage as if God himself had appeared. Even the toughest critics from "Rolling Stone" magazine stood there like school boys

??? How did you like the concert?

Campino: The Stones played for an elderly people's home and people on the circles were rocking accordingly, and afterwards they probably thought they had seen the wildest show of their lives. But all in all it was a good concert because the band was easy going and proved that they can play a pub without any problems. They don't need all this fancy nonsense. And Mick Jagger is like battery-operated. Maybe a little less would be better, but he simply has to show everyone that he still is the fittest.

??? You met Mick Jagger after the show?

Campino: I was very impressed that he goes partying after shows during a world tour. He was in a bright mood and even started dancing later on. I thought: why don't I manage this anymore, going on a round of drinks after a show? He didn't have any allures, either. You could simply walk up to him and talk to him. But personally, I feel more attached to Iggy Pop.

??? What did you and Mick Jagger talk about?

Campino: There were a few topics...After all, we were once opening band for the Stones. I also talked to him about the Böhse Onkelz (German band with right-wing past). He said they had been told about the whole issue and then had decided to let the band support them in Hanover anyway.

??? How do you imagine dealing with the Böhsen Onkelz in the future?

Campino: I think the Onkelz should be treated like any other hard rock band. I have no idea what's going to happen in Hanover. But I think we should stop making an issue of what the Onkelz were like 20 years ago. If you kill someone in Germany, you are given a life term in prison, you get released after 20 years and that's that. But these guys are having trouble because of lyrics they wrote 20 years ago, even though they have been openly fighting Nazis for a long time now. I think we should accept them for what they are now.

??? How would you judge the audience of the Onkelz?

Campino: I cannot make any judgement, because I have never seen them live. I guess there will be a lot of people who don't give a fuck about politics or who are just about 20 years old. How can you explain things to them that happened 20 years ago? And is it important to do so? I'm much more relaxed about this topic nowadays.

??? In the phase prior to a tour, you go through a steadily growing training program. But what do you do to keep fit at the moment?

Campino: When we went to the fan football championship, the only thing important was to get the cup - but sadly, afterwards the knee where I had torn a crucial ligament, literally exploded. It got terribly swollen, the doctor extracted liquid that nearly filled an Alt-beer glass. I simply have to accept that this knee is my weak point, that I have to be careful with it. I used to love jogging in the woods, but my doctor now told me not to. So I'm turning to cycling now. I'm going to buy a home trainer, place the bike in front of the telly, watch Tour de France and cycle like a maniac.

??? What did you think of the event "Boozing for St. Pauli" and the fact that of all possible squads, the old enemies from FC Bayern offered themselves for the charity match?

Campino: Well, I have to admit that was a grand gesture, a good tactical draw by Bayern Munich. It shows that Hoeness isn't simply an idiot but knows how to do the right thing at the right time. Apart from that, the fans of St. Pauli have no equals in Germany. They are the landmark that you have to challenge yourself against. I'd love the idea of "Boozing for Fortuna", but probably most of Düsseldorf's pub owners would put the money in their own pockets. But on Hamburg's Reeperbahn it's a question of honour and you can be certain that every penny goes to the club. That club simply has a different backing in Hamburg. And you can't separate the fans from the club, they are a unity. And as long as there are still football clubs such as FC St. Pauli, there will still be miracles and fairy tales in German football. I simply don't want to stop believing that this is possible.

??? What do you think about the spectacular suicide of Jürgen W. Möllemann? [German politician who committed suicide during a parachute jump]

Campino: I think he could already have done that a few years before, after the scandal about the shopping cart chips (laughs). It was quite a spectacle, but perfectly staged as such. He can have my assent for his action. But I wouldn't have approved of a state funeral. He did a lot of things that weren't kosher, probably large-scale fraud, and got himself into a situation where he could see no way out. A sad career. I think he led quite a sad life, really. But people's hypocrisy after his death, that was unbearable.

??? What do you say about the public's discussion and moral dismay about Michel Friedman taking cocaine? [M.F. is a popular German TV host]

Campino: It shows that people in Germany still have problems treating persons with Jewish origins. Even if it has nothing to do with the topic as such, this always becomes an issue. Friedman should be treated like any other guy. But the fact that he was part of the German Jewish central council makes it very awkward. But I don't think that the campaign against him was too tough. The same thing happened to people like Christoph Daum (football coach) and Konstantin Wecker (songwriter, both caught with cocaine). Of course you feel a little malicious glee when it hits people who usually pretend to be Mr. Clean. But to be honest, I think the focus was much too concentrated on his taking cocaine and less on the dubious things that happened with the prostitutes. Was there really a ring of girl traders behind it? Did the girls have a permit or were they being blackmailed?

??? Let's talk about Agenda 20/10, nearly five million people on the dole, Germany in an economic crisis. How do the Toten Hosen deal with these topics? Is it important to you as musicians?

Campino: Every day we're being covered with more bad news, as if we're stuck in a swamp: the more we move, they more we get drawn down. Who do you want to teach a lesson when it comes to voting - there are no alternatives! The Union is like a chicken coop with only awful people at the top. Who really wants a Koch, a Merz, a Merkel? That's all shit. I've come to a state where I don't care whether it's the Union or the SPD. These parties names don't mean much to me anymore, it's the people, the characters who are behind it. And if there was someone really promising with the Union, I think I might vote for them - for the very first time in my life. I'm ready to change sides. But there is no one that catches my attention. The people in the SPD aren't much better, but every now and then there's someone where I think, hey, give that one a chance! After all, Chancellor Schröder is a better option than Chancellor Stoiber, Merkel, or Koch.

??? Before the war in Iraq started, you as a band made clear comments against the "two dictators". How would you sum up the war in Iraq now?

Campino: Well, one of the dictators is already out, now the other one has to go, too. We have seen that the alleged international threat which the Iraq was said to pose with its atomic weapons was complete crap. It was all a pretence for guarding economic interests. Iraq will be one of many countries in the world's statistics where the United States marched in with there allies, started a chaos and in the end didn't have any idea how to sort things out again. In a way, the United States are the top anarchists of the world: they throw things over without the slightest idea of what should happen in the future. They tear everything down and then abandon the people with their problems. It would be nice if Europe in the future could gain power to hold against the states, as a counterbalance. Because the United States, with this man leading them, are not sensible enough to act as standard of value and direct the way of the whole world. The only thing you can hope for is that they'll soon vote a democrat for president again in America. Sometimes, world politics remind me of a pub, and things are on exactly that level: one whole pub brawl.

??? There are people who would like to see you enlisted for the next communal vote in Düsseldorf 2004, as mayor of the town. Would that interest you?

Campino: Talking to those arseholes the whole day long? I could not stand the thought of always being in meeting with those toadies. But as an act of protest, the whole candidature would be fun. But then, you have so much responsibility. What, if some people really vote for you? Then you suddenly have to be part of the city council, and most of the people there are idiots who want to make a career in politics. A terrible surrounding - I'd rather stay where I am.

??? What other alternatives are there? How about writing a book?

Campino: Being a gardener or lying in a hammock, that's an alternative. I'd love to write a book once, but I'm not sure if I'm up to it. I'll try it some time in my life, but none of those silly autobiographies, maybe a completely different story. I don't think it's as easy as it looks. If you're older and can't move properly anymore, then is the time to write a book. But right now, there are too many other things going on.

??? Do you have a fixed time schedule for the album you're working on?

Campino: There's nothing wrong in making plans as long as you cancel them when things work out differently. We'd like to tape a few demos in September. But that means I'll have to have something to put on record by August. Then we'll rehearse for Argentina, fly over to Buenos Aires, and that's that for October. Comes November and you have to start thinking about Christmas presents. And then the year is already over. I always do handicraft for my relatives, and that takes a lot of time. It's not done on one afternoon.

??? The only concerts this year will be held in Leipzig. Why the Conne Island, why only club gigs?

Campino: We've heard a lot about Conne Island and know that it's run by cool people. It's not very exciting to always play in the same cities: Berlin, Munich, Düsseldorf. People here know all our specials. But if we play a small club in Leipzig, that's still a surprise for people there. And why should we do this special treat always in the same cities?

??? What is your expectation in going to Buenos Aires this time?

Campino: I have had so many superb experiences in Buenos Aires that I'm always a little bit nervous when we go there, wondering if it's still they way I remember it. I'm very curious and, once again, a lot of German fans will be flying over with us. It'll be a big venue with a wild audience. In a club with up to 3,000 people, things are kind of family-like, but when the venue gets bigger, the mixture of people is different. It might get very, very tough. You'd better bring your wellingtons (laughs)! Of course these are the things that I worry about before a show - will I be able to run the concert, master the people from the stage, but nevertheless I always jump into deep waters, and I'm really looking forward to it. But I also have the respect it needs for this project.

??? Which are the things you really want to do this year?

Campino: It depends on how we get along with the demos in September. If that goes well, we can be kind of relaxed for the rest of the year. But if we think we need to top things up, it means we're going to have to work hard in November and December. So nothing's settled there yet. In a year when you are not on tour, it's kind of nice not knowing what comes next. But it all comes down to the fact that we want to release a new record by the end of next year. And the closer this date approaches, the more we have to concentrate.

??? Any message for your fans?

Campino: We miss you. We have exactly the same withdrawal symptoms as our hardcore fans out there and we're really looking forward to Leipzig and Buenos Aires. Who ever is going to join us there, let me tell you this: you won't regret it! That's a safe bet. And you should always consider: the longer we stay away, the more chances rise of our new album getting very good. So, simply gives us a little more time!

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