For the following interview we (including Paavo, who came with us spontaneous)
went outside again in the heat of the noon. And you can't believe how high the
temperature can rise that far already in the beginning of July! But after crossing
the street, Matthau unerringly went to a group of trees. The boulders, which
jut out of the ground everywhere, also gave this place some kind of mystic aura
á la Stonehenge. And after our recorder stopped making trouble, we finally
could start...
Finnrock Corner: Since you and Paavo founded the band, you had to suffer some setbacks. You changed for example your bass player and also had problems with a broken record deal. But you never gave up. Why?
Matthau: For us it was always frustrating to look into the future. But also the addiction for travelling I guess. This is what we always wanted to do and furthermore we get to do what we ever wanted to do, this is the best reward imaginable. I don't know what kept us going on in the very hard years, when the band went trough hell and nearly was breaking down, but everything went better again...
Finnrock Corner: How was your feeling to play some gigs on the same stage as Popeda?
Matthau: Yeah, those were great! We did three shows with them in the beginning of 2006. It was a great experience we were looking forward to, because they are still doing the same music as in the 80's, when our fathers were playing in the band. It was very exciting to see how they do things. We were very exalted...
Finnrock Corner: What means your band "Bloodpit" for you?
Matthau: What it means? Freedom. Freedom to be what you want
to be. Freedom to be who you are and were you want to be.
Paavo whispers joking: Freedom to be an idiot.
Matthau confirms grinning: Yeah, absolutely. Freedom
to be a complete idiot.
Finnrock Corner: Which artists affected you the most?
Matthau: Therapy?. This was the first thing, when I and Paavo found together. We were little kids then. This was the first act to affect our music and everything. And then there was Metallica and Guns'n'Roses and other stuff we liked. Scorpions! (Matthau is laughing) Bon Jovi! (Matthau starts again to laugh) But nowadays we all are listening to different types of music and everything affects us somehow. So we try to combine everything to make something on our own style...
Finnrock Corner: If you think back to the beginning of "Bloodpit", what has changed since that time?
Matthau: I never look back. Everything has changed. Usually
there were just four of us. Now it all is a big machine.
Paavo: More beard, less hair.
Matthau repeats: More beard, less hair...
Finnrock Corner: You can play some instruments. What's your favourite instrument and why?
Matthau: I think my voice. I've always been a singer. When
I was ten or eleven years old, I decided to be lead singer in a band. And when
my guitar broke by accident, I just tried to replace the missing guitar-riffs
by my voice.
Matthau is looking at Paavo and asks: What's your favourite instrument?
Paavo: This used to be the guitar...
Finnrock Corner: Bloodpit makes no superficial music, but also practises criticism at the society. What do you express with your music? Is there a message behind?
Matthau: Absolutely not. We've never been interested in mixing politics with our music. I think what we're trying to do is to give people... So I think our music is something you can actually feel besides hearing. And that's what we're trying to do: To give people different emotions weather it is anger, joy, hate, love or whatever. That's what we're trying to do. There's no performed message behind our music...
Finnrock Corner: Did it affect you somehow, that your father was also musician?
Matthau: Definitely yes. (Points at Paavo) Both our fathers were in the same band. Of course this affects us. I always looked up to my father and he was something like a superhero for me.
Finnrock Corner: Can you imagine making music for the rest of your life?
Matthau: I think I can and I think I will. Weather it's with Bloodpit or not. I'm not sure. Right now we are very happy to be around and be able to do what we do. But in ten years from now, who knows? I think we're all stuck in the music business. But Paavo and me we are always writing songs and climbing on stage and then raising hell...
Finnrock Corner: Could you imagine making music with your brother Jukka (Sir Christus) again? For example like the spontaneous acoustic-gig in February 2006? Tell us a little bit about this gig.
Matthau: We used to write music together few years ago, but it didn't work out properly. So I don't see the point to write music with him. And it was only one gig. There was really nobody in the audience. And there were only a handful people there and it was not a reformation or anything which got planned. There was no one there, but it was fun. How we will someday. We'll see...
Finnrock Corner: Would you describe yourself as a black rock-soul?
Matthau: Yeah, I think so. But when it comes to all the stuff that surrounds Rock'n'Roll, I'm not interested. I'm not interested at all in drugs or alcohol or any of those things. I'm just interested in Rock'n'Roll. Of course sex, but I'm not interested in drugs at all. And I think that's very stupid. And people who I mean. You don't hear myself screaming "Rock'n'Roll", those people are fuckin' idiots. Because when I was asked if I wanted to do an interview about Los Angeles' Rock'n'Roll scene back in the 80's, I had to say that I have nothing in common with it. And I wasn't born there. I was only a child back in the 80's, so how shall I know. When we were in L.A., I was watching TV and saw a documentary about the 80's' Heavy Metal bands and they are just not like I would like to be...
Finnrock Corner: What do you like most in the rock scene?
Matthau: The only thing I see is what we are doing and the places we go. I don't consider it as a big scene or anything. It's just us. I'm not really interested in the concert scene...
Finnrock Corner: Where do you prefer to play? In clubs or at festivals? And why?
Matthau: Both. Indoor shows are very intense and very interactive. Sometimes when you do festivals, especially big ones, there are so many people out there. And when you do small club gigs, it's a pact with the people who already know who we are and have paid for the ticket to get in. So it's different, but I like both. I'm really excited about the gig today and I'm really looking forward to it and it's going to be a one hello show today...
Finnrock Corner: What do you think is the reason that there are so many good rock bands coming from Finland? What's the secret recipe of your home country?
Matthau: Some rock-metal-bands are very popular also outside Finland. I don't really know the answer why, but people say it sounds fresh. But I really don't know why Finnish bands are so hot right now. But I don't mind at all, because there's a great opportunity for bands like us...
Finnrock Corner: At the end of last year were some rumours about every band in Tampere loosing their rehearsal rooms... How did you experience the anger about your rehearsal room in October 2005?
Matthau: There was much confusion, but in the end everything stayed the same. We still practise in our old room. So everything is okay...
Finnrock Corner: Is there something you would like to say to your fans?
Matthau: I want to say thank you. Thank you for supporting us in every way! The way I see they have always been loyal to us and I know that we work for them. Because in the end the fans pay our bills. So they ask me to do something and I will do it, because I work for them. So thank you all!
Here ends our "Question-answer-game" with Bloodpit. We thank them
for their honest "soul striptease" and we have to take leaf for the
first now to return to our hotel, looking forward to their gig in less than
three hours...
Thanks a lot again in the name of our team to Matthau and Paavo, that they
took the time to answer our questions and also to Matti Lehtonen (Beemvees),
who was responsible for enabling this interview and the unproblematic handling
of this interview and shooting.
Author's note: Thanks for your cooperation! You are a slope
bunch, but really kept the sympathy. It was a pleasure to do this interview
with you!