It's a long time that I'm in touch with Bjarki aka Barbie, exactly since 2001 when I was a "Teenage Angst"'s writer. Right now, a new single titled "Toyboy" is out, and Megaphone are ready to conquer a place in the sun in the international rock scene. Oh hell, sure, they can do it... These guys have great quality sound and they seem to come out from the "Velvet Goldmine" cult movie! Margherita Realmonte talked with Barbie... read it to know one of the coolest bands of the moment!

Hi Barbie we're very pleased to have you here on "The Rock Explosion" to ask you something about Megaphone. How and when did you meet and decided to form the band?
We all met in the Helsinki Pop&Jazz Konservatorio where we were studying our respective instruments. This was in the fall of ´99. Me and Kris wanted to try and write together, and I put together a little studio for us to work in where we worked during the summer/fall of 2000 until Mikko Rikki came on board and we started touring in May 2001.

The single "Toy Boy" is a very glam rockin' work, very catchy as rhythm and somehow easy to remember in lyrics. It makes me sometime think to David Bowie, sometimes to Marc Bolan; but which bands of the past did influence you deeply, since the beginning of your career?
Our favourites and deepest influences are The Stones, Queen, Guns´n´Roses, Beatles and Abba.

Where do you take the inspiration for your songs from? Is there someone of you in particular who writes down the lyrics and another one who takes care of the arrangements?
I write all the lyrics and we all work on the arrangements together, the rule being the best idea wins no matter whose it was. That´s why we say that all the songs are written by Megaphone, not just by one member. I get most of the inspiration from real life, "Toyboy", for instance, is based on a true story. I have notebooks that I´m constantly writing in. You never know when the muse decides to drop in!

Can you tell us something about the two songs on the single? "Toy Boy" , for example, makes me think to the famous "20 Century Boy" Bolan talked about, something like 30 years ago more or less; while as I listened to "Movie Queen" I immediately figured it out included in "Velvet Goldmine" soundtrack. Do you agree in some way with these considerations?
You´re right about "Toyboy", however we tried to take the idiom one step further, with the classical vocals in the slow part and modern guitars. It´s mostly about when I was 19-years old and hanging out with the very attractive wife of a famous politician…(laughs)
"Movie Queen" has a kind of 60´s soul rhythm but the whole feel of it is very Dogs D´Amour, same sense of melodrama. Just like "Velvet Goldmine"…(laughs).

Personally, as I listened to the songs above mentioned, I immediately thought that both band and sound were ready and mature enough for a full-length album. What can you say about that? Do you already have some new songs written?
We have tons of songs written and we have more than enough for an album but we are still looking for a record-deal to put out a full-length CD. We are currently working on new songs that´ll be ready for the summer shows. Good rock should get your feet moving first, then move to the heart and then stick itself firmly in your head.This definitely a band that´s ready to do an album, we work very hard, we are all professional musicians and love what we´re doing.

Is there any band on today's rock scene that you particularly admire for some reason and would like to cooperate or share the stage with?
One fan described our band pretty accurately when he said we are right in he middle between Swedish band The Ark and The Darkness. We wouldn´t mind playing with either of those! It´s funny how our kind of music has been in the air for a couple of years, so when we heard the above bands we thought: "Yes! There are other people like us out there!" We understood immediately what they were trying to do. One other good band is Canadian glamsters Robin Black and the Intergalactic Rockstars, they rock!

What is your opinion about the new glam wave, recently represented by The Darkness?
Finally there are bands out there who sound/look good and put on a decent show. I don´t go to shows to listen to somebody being miserable.

If you hadn't yet decided to become musicians what would you have done instead?
I´ve done few things in life besides being an entertainer. Worked in factories, been in art-school, done graphic design, cleaned movie-theatres (girls are the worst slobs:), done piercings, been an artist-models, fashion model, Dj in a strip-club and drawn comic strips, lot´s producing/engineering, sound for movies etc. But music has always been my thing and for the others as well.

Do you have any song you feel particularly close to? (not necessarily yours). I mean, is there a song (or more than one) you like to hum when you feel blue, or when you feel happy, or is there one which helps you feeling better when you're down.
"Bohemian Rhapsody"! That song says it all!

In your opinion which has been the best decade for rock music? And why?
They all have something good going for them, 50´s had the freshness, 60´s inventiveness, 70´s the looks, 80´s the songs and 90´s the raw power.

Always according your opinion, who is the artist of nowadays rock scene who can be considered as a sort of icon?
Madonna is one, Johnny Cash another, I suppose Bono is getting there but a real one is of course Keith Richards.

Barbie, as I can see from the cover of your cd, you like dressing in a very elegant and somehow vintage way, and I also noticed that you like using make-up. So I wonder which kind of glitter and lipstick do you prefer…
I used to have a sponsorship-deal with Lumene, they gave me so much make-up it´s taken 8 years to spend! Lately we´ve been using our old friend Mr. Max Factor. (And why hasn´t anyone taken that for a stage-name)? I design my own outfits and have them made by a good dress-maker. The make-up is mostly there to help the show, making the eyes more expressive etc. Bands sometimes don´t realize how bad you can look onstage under those lights! Ilari and me are experienced in this because of our theatre/film backgrounds.

Now think to some adjectives or whatever else you feel to add near the following words and names:
Glamour: Movie Queens!
Eyeshadow: Never leave home without it!
Falsetto: Farinelli...
Brian Slade: Deeply jealous of his wardrobe!
Kurt Weil: Songwriter number one!
Andy Wharol: Crispin Glover!
David Bowie: Respect!
Iggy Pop: We are not worthy!

Can you tell us something weird or particularly memorable occurred during one of your gigs?
There was the embarrassing time when my pants split in the crotch... Ah well, nothing big to see anyway…(laughs).

What is the craziest thing ever done in your life?
Our lives is total madness anyway, but one incident that springs to mind is when we were on a ferry, took off all our clothes and had a fight with a bunch of heavy-dudes from Turku. We lost but they got thrown in the brig…(laughs).

Now is the time for our "cult" question: Favourite porn star, drink and top 5 album of ever!
Janine Lindemulder, champagne, "Let It Bleed" by the Stones, "A Day At The Races" by Queen, "Rain Dogs" by Tom Waits, "In The Dynamite Jet Saloon" by Dogs D´Amour, The New York Dolls´ 1st album, oh there are just too many to choose from... Ahh...

That was the last question and this is a small room to give you the chance to say whatever you want. Thank you for your kind cooperation and we hope to see you performing in Italy!
We would love to come to Italy sometime! In the meantime remember: "We are Megaphone, resistance is futile!". Best regards and Luv.

Traduzione realizzata e tradotta da Margherita Realmonte