VENGEANCE interview

Publié le 5 février 2009 par HeavySoundSystem - leppard62

VENGEANCE - BAREND COURBOIS
Interview 05/02/2009

At first, can you introduce yourself. How did you get into music , how old were you ?

B.C : My name is Barend Courbois and I'm the bassplayer for VENGEANCE. I'm from a very musical and artistic family. My grandfather was a violin player, my other grandfather was a fantastic painter, grandmother was a piano player, my aunt is a superb actress and my father still is a very famous Jazz drummer and composer.

So when I was a very young child it was natural thing to go in one of those directions. I started with drums around 3 or 4 years and bass at 8 years.

Favorite styles, influences. Your firsts bands...

B.C : My favorite styles are jazz, rock and funk.

First bands were : Treason, Fitzkin, Hammerhead, Monroe, Perfect Strangers and Whistler-Courbois-Whistler.

After 25 years of career do you think VENGEANCE still HAVE WAYS TO MAKE PEOPLE ROCK ? (en référence à l'album WE HAVE WAYS TO MAKE YOU ROCK - 1986). What are the best ways to rock ?

B.C : Yes, we have !!! The best way to make people rock is to play our music live and rock hard ! Haha !!!

You joined the band in 1997. What about the other members ?

VENGEANCE 2008 B.C :

Leon Goewie - vocals, 1983

Barend Courbois - bass, 1997

Jan Somers - guitars, 1988

Timo Somers - guitars, 2008

Erik Stout - drums, 2008

What is the relation ship between guitarists Jan and Timo (SOMERS) ?

B.C : They are father and son.

Is that easy to work with people who have this relation ?

B.C : Oh yes ! It's super easy, they got the same feel, timing and humor. It's like my father and me. That sort of things are magical !!! And one of the most beautiful things in live.

Wich artist you work with or you worked with during your own career impressed you the most ?

B.C : I still like working with JAN and LEON. We got this special connection which is hard to find with other people !!!

Of course, like I said before, playing with my dad that gives me big kick !!

Before talking about your album, i would like to congratulate you. It's a trip back in time, straight in the 80's. This reminds me how good was HARD ROCK music during this period..

BUT, honestly, when i listened to SOUL COLLECTOR for the first time, i didn't appreciate it at all ! It sounded like a mess with a singer screaming and musicians playing upside-down.

I get into it after 2 or 3 listenings. It's in fact what i listened to when I was sixteen or seventeen. It's real good HARD ROCK that no one do anymore !

B.C : Ha,ha ! Upside-down... Haha, some of the songs are recorded upside-down from the hangover we had from the night before ! Haha.

Yeah, you gotta listen to it a couple of times to appreciate the record. That is a good thing, all the classic albums are getting better and better everytime !!

What about your promotion work and your relation with press at the moment ?

B.C : LEON and I are doing tons of interviews at the moment and our relation with the worldwide press has always been excellent.

Do you get a good feed back about the SOUL COLLECTOR album ?

B.C : Oh yes, they all kinda like the new album, specially the diversity of the material. There is a song for everybody on it.

Your music sounds like a good mix of... AC/DC, VAN HALEN, AEROSMITH (ballads) and personnal stuff of course. Do you agree with that ?

B.C : Oh yes, we all love the mighty VAN HALEN and AC/DC, we grow up listening to that bands. We love 'em !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you describe the mood of your album ?

B.C : The mood is funky, it's got the swing.

What are the lyrics about ?

B.C : The lyrics are about daily stuff : woman, booze and sex. Ha,ha !

Who's the SOUL COLLECTOR ? A child nightmare ?

B.C : I don't know, but it sure got a lot of soul ! Haha !

Who's inspired by Japan ? Who's the SAMURAI ? He needs revenge !

B.C : The lyrics are written by LEON and MICHAEL VOSS. It's about a Japanese emperor who wanted to get back on the trown.

What's wrong with MYSPACE ? (MYSPACE FREAK). Are you laughing at internet addicted people ? Are you this kind of people ?

B.C : We all are a little addicted of course, but that's for our profession, haha ! I guess this song is about freaks with six thousands friends on Myspace but nobody in the real life !

WHAT THE HELL is a splendid ballad influenced by AEROSMITH ballads hits, what's the text about ? Are some of your lyrics your own experience ?

B.C : It's the classic relation missery lyrics. It's LEON own experience, but all had simular things the last couple of years.

I NEVER FELT THAT WAY BEFORE sounds like a VAN HALEN song in the SAMMY HAGAR period. Wich singer did you prefer between DAVID LEE ROTH and SAMMY ?

B.C : I'm a VAN HALEN fan from the first hour and I think that DAVID LEE ROTH is the best performer that ever lived on the face of this planet !!!! But at the same time , I was a HAGAR fan too, I love the first three albums with SAMMY : 5150, OU812 and F.U.C.K.

How did you proceed to write ? Did you work all together ?

B.C : JAN and LEON had five or six really good songs and producer and friend MICHAEL had some ideas. We made the demos together and we all got seperate in MICHAEL's studio worked with him, in a very relaxed way, i love working with him. He makes you feel real good and I love his way he makes my bass sound !!

I read that ARJEN LUCASSEN (AYRON) the VENGEANCE former guitarist came and worked with you. What did he do exactly ?

B.C : ARJEN told LEON that he had a good song for us. We were all blown away, LEON and MICHEAL wrote the lyrics.

Did you work with other songwriters ?

B.C : Yeah. With Paul Sabu and Matt Sinner.

Do you think you will bring something new in music with SOUL COLLECTOR ?

B.C : I hope we can bring back the old 'feel good' vibe into the music industry, everything is so negative, we just wanna have fun !!

Will you release a video of one of your new tracks ? What can you tell us about it ?

B.C : We've been thinking about a video clip. It's a budget question, we have to see how good this album is gonna do.

HARD ROCK and HEAVY METAL have changed a lot in 25 years. Do you think it's easier for VENGEANCE or more difficult to be still in the lights ?

B.C : It's not that easy but it's better than in the late 90's with the grunge music, it's getting better.

Wich bands do you appreciate today ?

B.C : I don't got a clue, when I buy an album, it's a remastered old one. Ahaha !

Let's talk about your next tour ! Wich of your new songs will you play ? SOUL COLLECTOR should become a VENGEANCE classic and WAIT UNTIL THE SUN GOES DOWN is a real and strong heavy rock to play live !

B.C : At this moment, we play this songs: THE SUN GOES DOWN is the opener, it feels good and it swings like a mother fucker !! We play CROSS IN THE RAIN, SOUL COLLECTOR, NEVER FELT THIS WAY BEFORE, ROCK'N ROLL BAND, LEAN ON ME.

When will you be starting touring ? Will you come and play in FRANCE !

B.C : We played a couple of shows in Holland. Yes, we love to play your lovely country !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wich bands will open the shows ?

B.C : A lot of local bands, you gotta check the website.

I wish you a big success with SOUL COLLECTOR album !

B.C : Thank you so much !!!!!!!!

And i thank you for this HEAVY SOUND SYSTEM interview !

B.C (en français dans le texte) : Avec plaisir !!!!

Wich message do you want to leave to HEAVY SOUNDERS ?

B.C (en français dans le texte) : Merci bien pour l' interview ! Nous sommes très heureux pour le merveilleux réaction de notre album en France. En été, nous espérons jouer sur beaucoup de festivals.

Moi, je suis encore déjà parce que mes parents habitent dans le Midi.

Bonjour de Pays Bas, amitié et à bientôt !!!!!