Interview with The Satelliters, 21 June 2005

NB - I know The Satelliters exist for years now, but maybe there are still people who just dicovered you and would like to know how and when The Satelliters started.
S - The band started in 1993 when Simba Silverball, Hanes and me got together. Later that year Diego joined us on Bass. He was also playing bass in my former band back then. First we played lots of cover-versions trying out the north-west sound, trash-sounds ala Mummies, Headcoats. Soon we began to write trashy originals too.

NB - OK, there is 1 thing I'm dying to know so I'm gonna ask that first before we go on. In the beginning the Satelliters had slightly different sound and image (a bit more raw and trashy). Why sudden change on "What's Up With Timothy Dee"? Why did you decide to take your masks off?
S - Well, pushing our sound forward to more authentic stuff started when Eff joined us and Simba left. Diego and me were definitely into original 60s sounds for years and we wanted to go on while our guitar-god wanted to go other paths. That was the point he had to go and where we started writing originals with stronger roots in the sixties than in the 80s neo-bands. So, this all was a progress. Then we felt uncomfortable in the masks wearing Beatle-Boots and Hipsters...

NB - The Satelliters also had some member changes. Please tell me more about that.
S - Being in a garage-band is very hard sometimes. It all comes from our hearts and our love to the sixties. So, if you play in small clubs for years, hanging out with crazy people and with a lot of booze, you sometimes come to a point where you can't get along with the others. Then, there are the musical influences of each and the way these beloved sounds can be played in the band. Beside this normal life is showing up sometimes and people have to go with their day-jobs. We had lots of line-up changes, but somehow we found really great people now and I think it is the best line-up so far. We have a lot of fun, we write lots of different and great songs and we can get along with each other without discussing each little fart. It is what the band missed for many years!!

NB - I think The Satelliters didn't play in Holland beofre last year (please correct me if I'm wrong). I had to make small trip to Germany to see you. What was the problem - the organizers, not enough interest, people didn't know you...?
S - We had contact to different people here and there, but we never made it to Holland. The Primitive-Festival was a great thing to push things forward. I hope we can play in Holland more often on a regular base in the next time. But, yeah, sometimes people are just lazy and the other gigs come and go...nothing special!

NB - But I guess you toured a lot in other countries? Can you tell me about places you played and what is your favorite show? Or maybe there was a show you didn't like?
S - There are so many cool places out there. But I can say that Spain, France and Italy are pretty cool, because the people are really hot. But this doesn't mean that there aren`t any cool places in other countries espescially in Germany! We don't like places where people come becaseit is hip to go there, but don't know anything about this music. Or that kind of places where they play Heavy Metal after the show!!! Best shows this year so far: May 28 San Diego - Casbah with LInk Wray and the Loons May 15 Bourges - Cosmik Trip Festival

NB - I think you, Steve, write most of the songs. Tell me what do you listen to? What are your favorites from your record collection?
S - Most of the time I write the lyrics and help with the arrangements. I also write some stuff from time to time. I dig 60s-US-garage- and pskye-sounds. A bit of freakbeat, also some lounge/ exotica. Pebbles, Nuggets and so on. The favorites come and go and change all the time, just like the daily mood! To name a few more "popular ones" I'm always into Electric Prunes, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Seeds and so on and on... But there are also a few 80s- and current bands I dig a lot like the Miracle Workers, the Chesterfield Kings, the Thanes, Baby Woodrose. Sure, there are also tons more.

NB - What is your favorite Satelliters record and song and why?
S - My favourites are What's up with Timothy Dee? and Hashish. These two have the best songs and productions and cover-artworks too. My fave song...very hard. One of the best: What's Up with Timothy Dee? It has garage, pop, fuzz-guitar, Vox-organ-all you need, or? From Hashish there are Anything I Do and Stoneage Man (with it's savage solo-sound!).

NB - Tell me about yourself. What you do except for playing in The Satelliters, how you like to spend your free time, places you like to go, ...?
S - Writing great songs and producing them in a sound that fits to us and our roots. Then I love to play live. Having fun on the road. That's it! Free time is there for holidays, the band, records, sometimes clubs and other bands concerts. Then for my vintage equipment and car! Cool places here are the Up-Club in Frankfurt, Beatbox in Wiesbaden and a few more bars.

NB - Did you play in other bands before Satelliters, or were/are you involved in other projects?
S - Nothing special before the Satelliters. There is no other band beside the Satelliters. It is just a matter of time. And we do the stuff I want to do, so there is no need for another combo.

NB - There was a long pause between last 2 albums. What was the reason? I hope we won't have to wait so long for next record.
S - The problem were our line-up changes. We had people living in Cologne in the band and were not able to work constantly on the material. So, it took us to long to get new material together! Then Hahshish had a delay of one year!!! It was all finished in december 2003. Then problems with the graphics and the release-plan came up and it all ended in January 2005!!! The next records will be out sooner. There is an EP in planning for October on Dionysus Records. Then we wrote and recorded a lot of new songs for a new LP/CD. We will do some more stuff in November/December and then finish the next LP/CD. I hope it will be released early next year!!

NB - Can we expect you in Holland again soon? Germany is not so far.
S - I hope so! We got some contacts and would love to get something together soon!!

NB - Anything you would like to say to No Brains readers?
S - Stick with No Brains Zine - it has all you need and you can't be wrong!!