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Interview with Kasper Gram, bass player of MANTICORA. ProgScan Interview in 'Drive' magazine - May 2009, N 29, Pp. 10-11.
KASPER GRAM,
MANTICORA
ProgScan Interview in 'Drive' magazine - May 2009, N 29, Pp. 10-11.
- So, what happens at the MANTICORA camp? Are you ready to tour? How long it will take this time?
KG: Rehearsing, rehearsing and rehearsing!! We are very busy preparing for the upcoming European tour with Circle II Circle... and yep, we are definitely ready!! :) The tour will last almost 4 weeks starting in Copenhagen on April 29th and ending in Czech Republic on May 23rd, taking us through 16 countries playing 21 shows (check www.manticora.dk for tour dates).
- You had a lot of live shows before... what are your impressions about your fans? Do you have in mind, where you have more devoted fans?
KG: Yeah we have been travelling a lot lately... this is the 3rd tour in one year! Well, France has always been good to us, and we had a lot of success on our U.S. tour with Jon Oliva’s Pain and Circle II Circle, so hopefully we can take advantage of that and go back there again soon.
- But you have never been in Russia! Do you think, it would be possible someday?
KG: That’s right. We would love to come to Russia and play, but haven’t got any offers yet. Hopefully it will happen in the near future, so that we can bang some Russian metal heads! :)
- What about the next album? Are you in the process or not yet? When can we wait the new masterpiece? KG: We have a lot of material right now, even a whole song, hehe. As soon as we get back from the tour we will start the song writing process for real. We are still writing songs at home individually, so as soon as we meet up after the tour there will be a lot of material! We are definitely aiming for a Manticora release next year, but I can’t tell if it will be Spring or Fall, it depends on the progress in writing songs.
- So you’re not the ‘Studio Band’. You are moving a lot. Is it easy for all guys in Manticora?
KG: No not always, as we are working besides Manticora. But we always seem to solve the problems, so that we can play as many live shows as possible! We do say no to shows sometimes because it’s simply impossible for some of us to get off, and also because many of the guys in the band have wives and kids, so they gotta coordinate things with the family. :)
- Well, I don’t like to ask about family stuff... Just say me, please, how many kids does Manticora have? :) See! I’m very polite! I’m not asking about all wives! ;)
KG: Hehehe, it’s ok :) Well, I don’t have kids, you know I’m the youngest guy in the band, hehe. There are two “Manticora Kids”... Lars and Kristian have a daughter each.
- You’re originally Danish band. Only Danes play in Manticora. Where are you from in Denmark? KG: We are all from the area of Copenhagen, and I used to live in the center of the city. Right now me and Martin (guitar) live in the same city (suburb to Copenhagen) and so do Lars, Mads and Kristian, just 7km from us, so we live pretty close all of us.
- So, it must be easy for rehearsals... Then try to explain, why some bands have just one or two rehearsals before a live show while others are ‘rehearsing, rehearsing and rehearsing’. :)
KG: Yeah, it’s very easy for rehearsals. Well Manticora is a very social band and we are all personal friends besides the band, so we love to meet in the rehearsing room and play music and drink a beer or two :) When we are going on tour we start to practice the tour set one month before tour start, otherwise we just write music together and have fun in the rehearsing room. :)
I’ve been playing with bands where we only had 2 or 3 rehearsals before a show, and that works fine too, but in Manticora we just do it the other way because we enjoy each others company and the married guys can escape from their wives for a couple of hours each week, hehehe!
- Let’s tell about other projects. You are still playing in Ureas and Missing Tide. Could you tell us more?
KG: Sure. Hmmm, I don’t know about Ureas. I talk to Per and Heide once in a while, but that’s on a personal level, nothing is really happening in Ureas right now musical wise. Missing Tide is almost done with the album, a Worldwide deal has been signed and a release is on it’s way, so watch out!!! :) I know that Jacob Kjær is almost done writing the next album, so things are happening in Missing Tide….go check it out on Myspace!
- What about the other guys? Do they have any other projects or bands? KG: I know that Kristian is writing some different music with a friend and they call their project Mute Servant, but what’s really happening I don’t know. :) Lars has recorded some lead vocals on an American project called Fool’s Game, Mads played the drums on an album with a band called Infinity Overture feat. members of Dutch Elegy! And I guess Martin is still playing in Wuthering Heights. :) But right now everybody is focused on Manticora and the upcoming tour and album to be written!
- Wish you a great European tour and look forward to hearing your future album soon!
KG: Thanks a lot There will be a live Circle II Circle/Manticora tour report (with piuctures) at www.antenna.nu each day when the tour starts….go check it out…it will be great fun :)
Otherwise you can check out www.manticora.dk for Manticora news (new design coming soon)!
Useful Links:
Official Manticora Site - http://www.manticora.dk Official MySpace - www.myspace.com/manticorarocks Intromental Management - www.intromental.com
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