After their big, huge, successful european tour, Gemini Five are now taking a breath in their lovely country, Sweden. But it seems we are still in their hearts, rocking! The fans, the places, and "The misterious hole on the floor of the toilet"!!! Anyway these 4 guys show us to be great rockers and people full of attention and feelings for their kids all over the country. We joined them and just stole some time to Snoopy (guitar/vocals) and Tin Star (vocals/guitar). So let's read what they have to say...

Hi guys can you introduce briefly your band for the few Italian Rockers who missed your first tour within our shores?
Tin: Gemini Five's a flamboyant-in your face attitude band who grew up on bands like Kiss, Mötley Crue and Skid Row. We've got one foot in the 80´s and one foot in the present.

You are from a cool small city, Gothenburg, isn't it?
Snoopy: Rod is the only one from Gothenburg, the rest of us lives in Stockholm.

You all come from very different contexts. Rod comes from a great experience in L.A. with Beautiful Creatures and you, Tin, were in a metal-oriented band… What can you tell us about these different experiences before Gemini Five?
Tin: I played in Jekyll&Hyde with Pete for several years. Back in ´98 we decided to quit the band. We got kind of fed up with all the metal and wanted to try something new. That's when we formed Plaster. After a few years playing more pop-oriented rock we felt the urge to play metal again. Rod had a great time in L.A at first. He joined a band called Beautiful Creatures and they were just about to make it the big time. He had to leave U.S.A. due to immigrations problems and got thrown out.
Snoopy: When Tin and Pete asked me to join Gemini Five I was in a band called Wounded, well I still am, but at that time the band took a break because the other guitarist was to become a father so we could not rehearse that much. It was very frustrating for me not to play music so I was really psyched when they asked me. Now Wounded is up and running again. The music is a cross power between The Mission and Pantera so really I'm the metal guy in the band...

Let's speak a bit about your tour... It was the first time for you here in Italy and you were supporting a cool RnR band such as Hardcore Superstar: how was touring with these guys and which kind of relation was there off the stage with them?
Snoopy: It was pure fun from day one. We know each other for quite sometime now, Rod has been knowing them since they all were kids, it's really funny to look at old pictures from parties at Rod's place when Jocke was a teenager and had long blond hair (laughs). The Hardcore Superstar guys are really cool people and I feel nothing but love and respect for them.
Tin: We felt like a big family from day one. The guys in Superstar told us we were the best band they ever played with. We will support them anytime in the future.

You have been touring all around Europe…Which one is the best memory of this tour? Where was the best concert you were in till this moment and why?
Snoopy: The funniest thing that happened to me was when my underwear caught fire one night and I almost turned the whole bus into a big sea of flames, killing everyone's asses... But it was alright, the only one that got hurt was me, I burnt my feet pretty bad. Best show has to be Bassano or Milan. Both of them were amazing... All thanks to the crowd. The ones that really deserve all the credit for making this tour the big success it was is the Italian fans... We really can't thank you all enough.. Mad love kids...

We can say with no doubt that you got a huge success amongst Italian audience (especially with the female part!) How did you live this experience with Italian fans and which kind of opinion do you have about our country?
Tin: All the fans were so nice to us and we've written thousands of autographs and been posing on thousands of pictures. Italy was very beautiful and everybody seemed to like our stuff. The only thing I didn't like was the toilets with just a hole in the floor to take a crap in.
Snoopy: As far as the country I really don't know. It seems to me that Busconisoly guy is a big piece of shit and I was a bit bummed about the food. I think I had higher expectations. My wife kooks better pasta... But I really liked some of the nature I saw down there and I've been to Venice before and that's a beautiful city, I'm going there in may I hope.

Which are instead the main differences you noticed between our country and yours, Sweden, after being here, like musicians and like rock'n'roll listeners. Is there a huge distance between your rock scene and our own?
Snoopy: I don't think so. I mean, from the top of my head I'd say that the whole 80´s glam rock thing is more alive in Italy than Sweden but at the end of the day it's all just Rock n'Roll and that's a global art-form. If you're into rock it doesn't matter where you're from, we're all the same. If everything else fades out I'm sure that Rock n'Roll will survive anyway. The only big differences I noticed was the social structure as far as hot water in the showers. Why is it so hard to build showers that's got hot water in Italy and what the fuck are you supposed to do in that little hole in the floor in the men toilet?? Who the fuck wants to stand up while they're taking a shit? I didn't do that, I'm sure I'd spray my Converse All Stars full with crap (laughs)...
Tin: No comments... Snoopy said it all...

You grasp attention, approvals, ears, hearts, eyes and minds of hundreds of people with your music. You should feel very proud of your result! How did you got your sound: so straight, direct, strong, passionate, loud? And your lyrics are a relevant and touching part of the whole work too… Could you spends a few words explaining to us how do you create your songs?
Snoopy: It's all a mixture of all the music we listen to. Everyone in this band has a very wide spectre of what kind of music they like, therefore our music contains a lot of different styles. A song is like a puzzle, every bit has to fit perfect otherwise it doesn't work. If the music's great but the lyrics sucks the song will never work. Every part of the song is important.
Tin: I know there's been loads of bands like us over the years but I think we add something new and fresh as well. I'm not trying to change the world with my lyrics. I just describe life as it often is. Mostly great and sometimes hard. It's important to have a great hook when you write a song. If you can't sing along in the chorus it's probably a shitty song.

Which is the song on your album you feel closer to, and why?
Snoopy: That changes from day to day really. It's like having kids, you don't love one of your kids more than the other, right? But right now I have to say "Get It Off" because it's fast, wild and out of control and that sums up the way I feel right now.
Tin: I must say "Babylon Rockets". It was the first song we wrote as Gemini Five and it's like the soundtrack of Gemini Five. It's one of the best songs I've ever written and I really enjoy to play it live.

You play a cover amongst your tracks "You Spin Me Round" that is a brilliant version of the original one. Are there other songs you would be glad to play as a tribute to your favourite artist, and why?
Snoopy: Don't know really, it would be fun to realize a cover of the Bestie Boys track "Fight For Your Right (To Party)". I don't want to do a cover of a song that's in the same genre as our songs, I would like to do something completely different. Like we did with "You Spin Me Round". I have some friends that used to have a band called Bruse and they have written the most beautiful song I've ever heard called "Energy". That one would be fun to do. Bye the way, the guy that sings in Bruse is the same guy that sings with the high pitch voice in the end of "Chemicals Between Us"... Great singer.
Tin: We actually recorded a Cheap Trick song this summer for a Cheap Trick tribute due for release in March. We had some ideas for a Thompson Twins "Doctor Doctor" cover a while ago, but I think we won't record any more covers for a while.

In my opinion your lyrics are full of human emotions such as the dark side of love in 'Chemicals between us', the need to love like in 'Hardcore' or a desperate search and running towards freedom in songs like 'Hitchin' A Ride' or 'Suicide Tuesday'. What do you think about this?
Snoopy: Well, I'm very glad that you have taking the time to really understand our music, not everybody does that with rock music. "Chemical Between Us" is about a friend of ours that was heavy into drugs and the complications it brought. It's painful to see someone self-destruct, to see a friend doing that is even worse. "Suicide Tuesday" is just about doing drugs and bad you feel on a Thursday after a big weekend party. If you ever tried drugs, you know what I mean... As you mentioned, every song is based on some kind of feelings, love or hate, but it's all emotional.
Tin: I'm really satisfied with the lyrics in "Chemicals Between Us". It's about a dear friend who lost control of his life because of drugs. He decided to quit the drugs but his girlfriend couldn't, so he had to leave her though he still loved her very much. "Hitching A Ride" is actually about all the given promises we got from a big record company before we signed with Sound Pollution. Ride my supergun and I'll make you a big star. Big talking and empty promises. "Hardcore" is a song I wrote with Andy Christell (Electric Boys) long ago. We have plans to release it as a 3rd single."Suicide Tuesday" is about taking substances and feeling really cool, but your girlfriend doesn't. Then on Tuesdays you feel suicidal.

So as you mention let's talk of labels… How did you reach the deal with Wild Kingdom, the Calle's Labels. How is to work with them?
Tin: I've known Calle for several years. We invited him to a show in Stockholm and we signed the deal the next day. Wild Kingdom/Sound Pollution is a kind of big underground label and we have real good connections with each other. We decide everything together concerning Gemini Five.

And Snoopy, what about "24/7" instead? It seems pretty clear after reading your thank list…
Snoopy: If you mean have a feel about my dad dying I can tell you that it's fucking painful as hell. I miss him beyond this world and the fact that my kids won't have a grandfather rips me apart sometimes. But as I wrote in the thank you list a lot of good stuff have happened to me since he passed away, such as meeting my wife who gives me strength to deal with all the shit in my life, joining this band and a lot of other stuff and sometimes I think that he's up there pulling me in the right directions to make all this happen. That's why I still sometimes feel his presence.

I think one of the key of success, nowadays, is to be yourself in whatever conditions or wherever you are. For sure you have got some influences (and we are eager to know which are the main ones) but can you also tell us what do you think about the importance given to the research of your own sound, your own image, your own style…
Tin: Maybe you've already answered that question. You can't try to be anything but yourself. If you're faking it the fans will see through the scam. We grew up with all the image arena bands so it all comes natural to us. We've always been wearing leather pants but would never go on stage in pink spandex. That's not us... That's corky.

Usually the way to success is very hard, paved with tricks and dangers… Which have been the main difficulties to reach the position you have now (I mean as an international band)? There must have been also positive aspects I suppose…
Tin: We're not a one-hit-wonder band and we take one step at the time. We have a small record company who believes in us and would never cheat on us in any way. But the important thing is that… "If you want something done… Do it yourself".
Snoopy: I think it's been a smooth ride from day one, other than the usual bullshit that comes along with involving other people than just the band.

Any particular Swedish band (…or not Swedish!) to suggest or have a look at?
Tin: The garage-rock thing has been big thing here in Sweden for sometime now. It's so fucking boring. Check out the forthcoming Maryslim album in march.
Snoopy: I really think you should check out a Swedish band called The Knife. They are great, very personal and beautiful. Also listen to Lene Marlin´s new album from Norway. That shit's so beautiful even Rambo would cry if he heard it....

Here to prove that your success is not a fairy tale is the organisation of your first Italian fan club (voices are saying it's coming soon...). How do you feel about this? Any tips or encouragement you wish to suggest to your Gemini Five addicted…
Tin: It's really great to have an Italian fan-club. We send mail and stuff to each other every day. We also got a new German fan-site. That's so cool.
We'll hopefully come back to Italy really soon. Sadly it's all about the money. It's really expensive to be on tour. I've heard about a big party in Venice next summer. We'll try to get on the bill. Would be great.

Let's speak about the future… Which is your next step? Any further plan?
Tin: We're shooting a video for Babylon Rockets in February. Then there's a Swedish tour and some big festivals in the summer. Hopefully we'll start recording the next album in October/November 2004.

Right guys I sadly have to say our interview is now over… free space to your imagination and final greetings for the readers of The Rock Explosion…
Tin - Snoopy: We've all fallen in love with Italy. You gave us courage and made our dreams come true. Thank you for showing up at the shows. It really meant a lot to us. We'll never forget this tour and we'll come back as soon as possible. Hopefully as headliners this time. I've heard that the album is kind of hard to get in Italy. Don't give up searching for it. Buy it on the web. Pay us a visit at www.gemini5.net and sign our guest-book.

Intervista realizzata e tradotta da Laura Delnevo.
Supervisione di Margherita Realmonte.