LULLACRY Guitarist: 'Rock And Roll Is Supposed To Be A Little Bit Dangerous'

Panu Koski of Norway's Imhotep recently conducted an interview with LULLACRY guitarist Sami Vauhkonen. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Imhotep: In the not-that-distant past, the mere presence of a female band member — not to mention a lead vocalist — was enough to stir disbelief, doubt and prejudice, perhaps even genuine interest among the audience. Sami, does LULLACRY, in 2005, possess something to really distinguish the band from the competition?

Sami: "When it comes to our type of rocking metal, we haven't really encountered any bands that are that similar to LULLACRY. Other groups tend to be more or less symphonic and 'artistic'. Tanja [vocals] wears flame-bottomed leather pants, not some white monstrosity that looks like a wedding-dress, ha ha. In all its simplicity, our strength lies in rock and roll spirit and good song material."

Imhotep: "Sweet Desire", LULLACRY's first full-length, was released back in 1999. Besides the release of the debut album, there have undoubtedly been several milestones in the history of LULLACRY. What have you learned during all these years (the hard way, perhaps),and what does your back catalogue sound like to you these days?

Sami: "The first record sounds slightly dated, yet the compositions hold a nice innocent quality; creativity that refuses to get trapped inside formulaic expression. You could even argue that the somewhat inferior sound quality is an integral component of that era. I really would not change a thing on that record, since all those early albums represent the time they were created in. Over the years, we have learned an awful lot about composing, studio work, the good and the bad sides of music business. About everything, really. The deal with Spinefarm Records, the 'Be My God' album and the European tour that followed in 2001 were all big things for us. I can still vividly remember the day when Ewo [Rytkönen] from Spinefarm called us and told us to come over and sign the record contract. Damn that felt good! It was then that a hobby turned into something a tad more serious.

"In general, we have pretty much learned everything the hard way. We played gigs drunk, fell from the stage, waited around in freezing cold when our car broke down, and millions of other things. You cannot really relate to that without experiencing it first-hand. You need that car in working order and you need those other things in order to perform a good show for the audience. And that's the most important thing. During our latest gig in Turku, Finland, my pedal was too close to the edge of the stage, so I instantly fell over into the crowd. The audience was friendly enough to hand me my gear, so we were able to get on with the gig. Rock and roll is supposed to be a little bit dangerous!"

Read the entire interview at this location.