1. So at first can you introduce your band, members (hobbies, age,
work...) and how you know each other?
Gan: So, we are Gan and we play
patriotic rock & roll, Mucha is vocalist, She works as a judicial clerk and as She said
lounging in, is what she likes the most. Dmuchacz (drummer) and Miro (bassist)
are true working class. Dmuchacz in free time rides on his vintage scooter.
Miro is going on dates with his best porn actress, with his hand :), and
“Gouda” of course. They all finished more than 40 years old. Maks is 25, He
works as graphic designer/front end developer typical html and graphic stuff.
After work, he trains in a gym. On Sundays we are playing together. How we know
each other? Maks, Mucha and Dmuchacz is family, and Miro is close friend. Mucha
is mother of Maks, and Dmuchacz is brother of her husband, so Maks’s uncle,
rock and roll “Kelly familly” hehehe.
2. When and why came decission to start GAN?
Gan: Gan was started after retirement of
our previous band The Blakauts in May 2013. We decided to form new band with
catching up Mucha on vocal, with patriotic and more serious lyrics, cause We
thought that after those years, there is no sense in singing about drinking,
fucking, fighting and that violence is cool. Maks had few ideas for start
ready. Track Gan was written in 2008, and was played by two Maks's previous
bands.
3. I know that Mucha had some experiences with playing in band before
but what about the other band members...?
Gan: We’ve been playing since a lot of
time, in most of more known Szczecin punk and oi bands, hard to count on
fingers, actually now We really don’t want to build Gan on names of previous
bands. If someone really want to know there will be no problem, there are some
services like Wikipedia or Discogs ;)
4. You choose your name from nickname of Rafal Ganowicz...can you tell
us why and also tell us something more about that person?
Gan: Gan was first track wich we were
playing, when we played few times, and created about 5 tracks, there still was
no name of band. There was some ideas, but once Mirek asked “why not just Gan?”
Rafał Ganowicz was Polish soldier of fortune “condottiero”, his father was killed in
Warsaw uprising, and mother in September campaign. He was left without anyone.
In post-war Poland as a teenager he created a clandsestine anti-communistic
organization. Commies fell on his trail and he had to escape from Poland. He
went a long way to Berlin under the chassis of the train, only with a gun in a
pocket. After few years, trainings and guard duty in Paris, he received a
lieutenant patent from Anders. In 1965 and 1967 he fought against commies in
Africa. It was actually his private war no matter with who and for who important
for him was only that it was private war against coummunism. There is a really
awesome autobiography book, that everyone should read named “Kondotierzy”.
5. Your first album was out on home label of Polish skins - Olifant
Records...can you tell us something more about the cooperation with Bosy
Gan: We know each other since long time
as friends, and it is not our first record in Olifant. He know what we want and
what we need and vice versa.
6. All your lyrics are inspired by Polish history and wars.....who is
responsible for the lyrics and why do you chose this topic? And what about the
future...are you going to write similar lyrics to your new stuff?
Gan: Lyrics are written by everyone who
wants to do it. We are using our lyrics and even lyrics written by people from outside of the band, like Maks’s wife
“Anja Kilmister” or grandfather “Tygrys”. Each of us has a family, kids,job. We are really sick of singing and hearing about that you need to get
drunk, we will…. but why should we write about it, it is not reason to be proud
of, or that violence is ok and we will smash people faceswith heavy boots just for fun… it will be ridiculous. We
love our country, and there are still a lot of really interesting heroes and
topics in Polish history to be proud of. So next album will be similar with
lyrics.
7. Can you introduce little bit your album Przeklety Polak and your
songs?
Gan: About Gan We wrote earlier,
“Rozstrzelana armia” is cover of polish bard Andrzej Kołakowski and it is song
about mjr. “Łupaszko” and his executed army of “Cursed soldiers”. Title track
“Przeklęty polak” is about destroyer polish ship serving in Polish navy during
II World war. “Blada ballada” is sad little bit poetic song about material
situation in Poland. “Hymn do Bałtyku” is original polish navy anthem, but
we’ve changed music. “Słowiański temperament” is song about Slavic temperament, it means that
Poland will always uprise, no matter when, how and in what situation. “Generał
Maczek I jego pancerni” is about leader of tank division in 2nd World War. They
were the terror of the Germans, and Germans shit up their uniforms only when
they heard of Maczek and his tank division :). “Panie Janie młodopolski” is
little bit similar to “Blada ballada” but it is written like it’s shouted from mouth
of young Polish person with lack of prospects, the song has overtones of Anti PO
(ruling party in Poland). “Westerplatte” as title says it’s about battle of
Westerplatte. “Ojczyzna” is written by Miro, in short almost always people
turns to their homeland here homeland turns to people in thanks. And last two
songs is brutal song about Massacres of Poles in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia,
how it really was. Part of Mucha, Dmuchacz and Maks family was there in those
times, and they survived this. So we know the true about what UPA and
Bandera did, how horrible it was.
8. I really like your music, which bands inspired you?
Gan: Actually we are listening to almost
everything that is not POP and is made with hands, each of us been brought up on metal, Szczecin was
capitol of metal in Poland. Mucha (Slayer) and Mirek likes more metal and hard
music, Maks rac/rock and roll (Social Distortion, Kill baby kill, Skrewdriver)
and Dmuchacz rock and roll (Slade, Motorhead). We can say that as band, we are
inspired by bands from punk trough rac, rock and roll and few types of metal or
even ska/rockabilly. We don’t listen to music cause if ideals or means of
communication. We listen to good music.
9. You came from the Szczecin city, can you tell us something about
from the tourist and skinhead tourist point of view (bands, pubs, football...)?
Gan: Most tourists in Szczecin are from
Germany, so we can’t tell more about them. In Szczecin it is hard to make
concert for people because there is no interest in town. Last time when here
was typical skinhead gig there was about 100-150 person, most of them were
tourists. From the other side here are a lot of really good bands in punk/oi
even metal and Hip-hop style. We have a local teamPogoń Szczecin, wich after many years finally is conducted on normal terms
and is seriously growing in
strength. Pubs are changing, opening/closing really fast, so we have no typical
place to stay.
10. Can you introduce some bands from your area?
Gan: From Szczecin comes a lot of more
known Polish bands, in punk/oi and especially in metal and hip-hop, and a lot
of bands is not existing anymore. Now there are really good band growing up, we
are playing in the same place. They call Dirty Bastards, young guys about 16/18
years old, playing like AC/DC – Motorhead with Iron Maiden solos from both
guitars :) when
we listen to them
play we
get complexes:), really great musicians with huge future.
11. What about the gigs...you played in Scotland...can you compare it
with regular gigs in your country?
Gan: Gigs in Scotland for us was more
journey than gigs :) we spent there one week. It was really awesome, thanks for
Kogut and Krzyżok and everyone else for really nice adventure! It’s hard to
compare, in Edinburgh there was many people, but in Glasgow there was only 6 tickets
sold, maybe because there was not much advertisement of it, and we were not
known band. We existed only 5 months.
12. What should we do to invite you for a gig, what are your
requirements?
Gan: You should contact us on facebook,
generally it depends of the type of journey how much it will cost. We don’t
have any bus or car, in Poland we are always traveling by train. We need
revenue of travel, hotel or normal place to sleep, food, beer, and some money for typical away expenses, playing concerts
away is really expensive for us too :). We will
play on Streetkids party 13, in Brno 21.06, so there will be opportunity to see
us.
13. Do you know antyhing about scene in CZ and about CZ in general?
Gan: We know few bands, like Pilsner
Oiquell, Operace artaban. As Junkers (Mucha, Maks) we’ve played with Disdainful
in Żory (Poland), from the other side Buldok and Orlik nice rac groups. We know
of course that there was few nice festivals, like Antifest or Mighty sounds.
14. Where we can order your merch?
Gan: We don’t have it yet, Olifant have
only our CD-s, few pins and stickers, We have it too. We are planning to make
some shirts in the near future, pattern has been already done.
15. Plans for the future?
Gan: Play concerts, meet new people,
create and record second album.
16. Last words?
Gan: See you on the concerts!