Interview с Theatres des Vampires : DARKSIDE.ru

Video clip for your new song "Bring Me Back" was made in a very unusual way - in multiplication. Why did you decide to make it this way? Whose idea was it? And why did you choose the song "Bring Me Back" for the video?

In 2007, Oscar Alvarado, a very talented Mexican 3d Artist, made a short 3d Movie (3o minutes) named «Murnau the Vampire», http://www.murnauthevampire.com/ Oscar asked us to collaborate at the movie, making the soundtrack. For this movie we used some re-arranged version of our old song from the album of 2004 «Nightbreed of Macabria», Oscar also asked us to use «Bring me back»from the last album «Desire of Damnation»(2007), because he love it. Oscar, to thanks us, made for us a video clip, using the same style of this 3d movie. So this is the result.

In summer the release of your new album «Anima Noir»is expected. Should we expect something unusual in terms of music or lyrics? Who has written the majority of songs for the album? Was the recording process difficult?

Well, Anima noir is the natural evolution of the style you listened o

n «Desire of Damnation»so our very own style of Gothic Metal, but stronger on the guitar session, it's much more Metal then Rock for sure. The album as always is a mix of work of all the members of the band. The recording process was quite long, because our wish was to give, simply the «BEST»TdV album ever. so we stayed in studio recording from September 2007, till the very last days of February. But the result is stunning.

As far as I know the conception of «Anima Noir»is connected with the books by Ann Rice. Why did you choose this writer's books as the basis for your album? Will the new album be connected with some of her books or with her creative work in general?

No, it's not connected at all. In our career sometimes for some songs we got inspiration from Anne Rice, for example in 1998 with «The Vampire chronicles»or in some songs of «Suicide Vampire» (2002). But honestly, no, this album is not inspired to Anne Rice.

THEATRES DES VAMPIRES are famous for their live shows, the most specific part of it being caged girls. Have you ever suffered from s

ome restrictions, or cancellation of shows etc?

Well, our live show it's quite different from countries to countries. it depends also from the local laws. But no, honestly I think, that is not the caged girls, that are «famous»in our show. I think the most shocking thing of Theatres des Vampires, is that sometimes (not EVERYTIME), our she-singer Sonya Scarlet, cut her arms with a razor, and let the fans drink her blood, directly from her wounded arms. In our last DVD, The Addiction tour (2006), there is a long interview with Sonya Scarlet, talking about that, with some very rare image taken from our UK shows. This is the thing that often suffered restriction, because the government of the states where we played, often doesn't like it. sometimes because they consider an incitement to «suicide», sometimes for medical laws. So we don't to always this thing, especially in East Europe or the countries where the laws are much more restrictive, and we can risk a serious legal action.

Does the way you perform on stage depend on the venue?

Obviously yes. When we can, we h

ave the right venue, the rights to do whatever we want, and the collaboration from the organizers, we can offer for sure our 100% full show. Sometimes this is not possible. so we can still offer 1 hour and half of good vampire music! ;-)

And are there any problems with your live shows in Italy? After all Italy is a very religious country.

Yes, it happened expecially in the past, I still remember a place near Cassino (south of Italy), where after our show, the local bishop entered in the venue to exorcize it… A poor idiot.

Do you like it when people compare you with other bands (with CRADLE OF FILTH for instance)?

No. we don't like it. Because it means that they simply doesn't listen our cd… make a try. go inside our myspace at: www.myspace.com/theatresdesvampires and have a fast listen. Did you find some kind of similitude? I think is impossible. Maybe in the past, when we had the male singer. our old male singer, had a voice quite similar to Dani Filth, so in some way it can remember (but not the music) But, this happened in 2004.

From 2004 to today, we have just Sonya Scarlet at the vocals. And 4 years are lot. And I have to say, that our band was much more successful in the last 4 or 5 years. So why still say that we are similar to Cradle? It's just musical blindness. We don't even play the same kind of music.

Soon you'll visit Moscow for the first time. What do you expect from the show? Are there any surprises fro the Russian fans prepared?

Well, yes is our first time. We are still looking to offer the best show as possible, and hopefully thanks to organizers this will be possible. I think that for legal restriction, we will not be able to use real blood or this kind of things, but we will give our best for sure!

What artist would you like to sing with if there was such an opportunity? Why?

Well, I really love Rammstein. So should be GREAT make a live with them.

What is your attitude to the illegal downloading from the Internet? Does it affect the music of Tdv? Sale figures for example? Would you ever upload you music so tha

t everybody could download it for free?

Well, naturally the illegal downloading is affecting EVERYBODIES in the music business. Naturally the indie realities are the first one that suffer this. If an album of an indie band should sell in Europe 50000 copies 5 years ago. Today a band could be happy to arrive at 20000. Naturally for the Major company with bigger number, the dropping of sales figures is not yet a problem. For the moment. But soon will be a problem. I can assure you that a LOT of underground label are closing and the ones that still survive cannot offer anymore good contracts to the band. Personally, we give already the opportunity to download FOR FREE several songs of our band (if you go inside our page at www.theatres-des-vampires.com you can find several songs to fully download) with the hope that the fans understand, that they can have something for free. but if they like to help the band, they have to buy the full album. But it seems that few persons understand this. It's much easier for them downloading from pirate servers. And the result is that for a band like us, every year is much more diff

icult survive. One day (we are sure of this, and also all the person in the music business), we will be no more space for «medium band»like TDV. You will have just 2 option, or BAND with SUPER MAJOR that can assure them to survive (so we are talking about 10 or 15 metal bands all over the world), or very very underground bands that can record the album at home, and have different kind of distribution (so self produced and self distributed band) The majority of the other bands will disappear. Is sad. but this is the reality.

If you were to give a short characteristic to your creative activity in a couple of words - what would it be?

Bloody and Gothic

Why did you decide not to change the vocalist? And was it difficult for Scarlet to sing all the parts herself?

Well it passed a long time ago. now is 4 years that we go just with Scarlet, without any problems, and the 99% of our fans liked this idea (to leave just scarlet at the vocals) I think 4 years ago, was the right move. also to give something fresh to the sound of TDV.
And

was the right decision. Scarlet she is a great singer, so she didn't found in the past making the old song with her own style. Then naturally with the year passing, and with new material, she feel much more comfortable, because in the last 4 years all the song we crate was made for her kind of voice.

Is the theme of vampires just a dramatic character or a way of life perception for you?

Theatres des Vampires ARE a way of life. For the band and for the fans that follow TDV. I think that if you ask this thing to every single fans of our band, they will answer the same thing.

(to Scarlet) You devoted several songs to Lilith and her children. What is Lilith for you as a woman - just a mythological character or something more?

Lilith was the mother of all vampires, the mother of all sin. The mother of all lust. She is a font of inspiration for me. This is for sure.

Who is now responsible for writing the material in the band – it is one person or do you write all together? Do the authors of the material cha

nge from one album to another?

Theatres des Vampires songs are ALWAYS a team work. this is the power of our sound. So we can have different influences on our song. And this helps a lot the sound and make it always «different»and interesting.

How do the public welcome the new songs at the concerts? It's not a secret that every new album brings some changes.

Yes, this is the main characteristic of TDV sound. Every year something is different. We grow, as person, and as artist, so every year we feel the need to add something to our musical expression. We are not Iron Maiden or Manowar, that every year they propose «the same»album. We don't need to make happy a Major. We just make art. and art change, and grow, and find new way of expression. And our fans understand that. And love this thing in our band. Every album is a «surprise».

Could you tell about the working process in Temple of Noise? At what stage are you now in working at your new album?

The album is totally finished. A version for the listening for labels

is already available. Now we are just taking a decision on what label made the best offer for this release. The feedbacks are GREAT. So we are simply taking some weeks time to take the best decision.

What countries will you visit within the promotional tour for the new album? Can we expect that you'll come to our country once more?

It's too early to say something like that! For the moment enjoy our concert the 7th March in Moscow!

How many songs will there be on "Anima Noir»? Will the lyrics of the album be again based on books by Ann Rice?

Anima Noir will be 10 songs album for a total running of 47 minutes. No lyrics based on Anne Rice.

Do you have plans to shoot a live DVD in the near future?

Not for the moment. We released our live DVD in 2006 (The Addiction tour, Plastic Head records)

You collaborated with musicians from different bands. One of the most successful of them is you work with Bruno Kramm (Das Ich) on the album «Pleasure And Pain»(2005). Can we expect some guest musicians on the album «Anima Noir»?

No guest musician this time. Just Theatres des Vampires!

What does the title mean? Why did you choose this title?

It's a mixture of 2 words of 2 languages. Anima is the Italian for "soul». Noir is the French for "black". So it means: Black Soul. The title it reflect what it is in our soul. and it merge 2 languages that we love.

Who has worked up your theatrical show for you? Do you work at it together? What does this image mean for the band?

Our shows are totally made by us. We have some guest, like the girl in the cages. The image is important for us, because help us creating the "right»atmosphere during our live. I think, that image is important for ALL rock bands. If a musician that plays rock say you that is not important, is just a liar.

Interview by Silver_Pain, Lucky13, Wolfin
4 мар 2008 the End

Theatres des Vampires

The art of being a vampire