INTERVIEW MONSTRE - STRENGSBREW with Keith Streng and Måns Månsson

 

What is a Monster interview? Unlike the lengthy interviews we sometimes offer, it's limited to a few questions. From week to week, you'll find different recurring themes. It's up to you to choose your favorite questions, or to read the whole thing.

Have fun with Keith Streng and Måns Månsson of STRENGSBREW !

Taste question: Which artists have influenced you the most, and can you tell us exemples about this influences? Who is the artist you dislike and why will he/she never influence you?

Keith: I think you mean influences… The Rolling Stones, Motown, Stax, Blues, rhythm and blues and yes, Little Richard, Greatest original ever! without him no rock and roll. He removed the swing element leading up to rock and roll!!! that left hand!! Watching the Beatles on Ed Sullivan , yes, I am old enough and proud!!!

Måns: no artist specifically… I’m just influenced by music! Rock’n’roll! All that grooves and opens up my mind! When it comes to disliking… I don’t really go there. Sure – there’s probably more music in the world that I don’t like than that I like… but really, I don’t even go there. It’s not even a choice.

History question: Can you sum up the life of your group?

K: I now live in Stockholm, one of the rock and roll capitals of the world!!! It was necessary to start another great band too far north with friends, Destiny!!!
Måns Månsson was instrumental in handpicking the new team.
I love this band, they are my buddies!!!

M: Back when The Maggots and The Fleshtones toured Scandinavia together in 2000 we had a great time! We would of course play a lot of music in the van and one of the bands we were listening to were Union Carbide... from there on Keith Streng wanted to get something together just to cover Be Myself Again and me and Keith would talk about it and plan to make it happen. Then I was actually hanging out at a Union Carbide reunion gig with Robert Eriksson when Keith came up and mentioned this again and Robert wanted to be on board right away... so we just asked Jim Heneghan – who I had been playing with for a while and who was in The Solution before – and he joined right away as well. Then when we actually started playing together it was just way too fun and locked in so great that we just kept going with it.

Buddy question: Who has helped you most in your band's adventure and without whom you wouldn't have had the same evolution?

K: Meeting and working with these guys. This is an extreme band!! And learning "Cherry Red" by the Ground Hogs,

M: I don’t know. Maybe Little Richard? NO ONE would have had the same “evolution” without him… or Sister Rosetta… or Buddy Holly…

Spinal Tap question: What's the most stupid thing that's ever happened to you?

K : Not letting Steve Cropper play with the Fleshtones as a guest because we did not have an extra guitar, Lone star cafe, NYC mid eighties, I swear, He thought we were a “hot little band”

M : I don’t think it’s happened yet. We still don’t play huge places so we haven’t gotten ourselves lost on the way to the stage...

Question Happy Few: What's the biggest benefit you've derived from your band, and can you tell us about it?

M: I witnessed Robert eating oysters. That and playing amazing rock’n’roll. Ain’t nothing really like it.

Art question: What book, film, record and current band made you flash?

M: Must think… I am in the middle of moving to new apartment and there’s just so much practical stuff in the way to relax and enjoy books movies and so on right now… but ok I really enjoy the new Stooges book ‘The truth is in the sound we make’ and I’ve been listening to a lot of records… flashing with early Funkadelic, Hendrix, Miles Davis, US psych records like KAK, Lincoln Street Exit, Flat Earth Society… always Silver Apples… the quite recent 3 LP set of Jefferson Airplane live at Woodstock is insane. Quite a lot of Swedish and American 60s 45s and Swedish 70s punk 45s rotate as well…

K: It was usually acid that made me flash!!
writer, John Fante, movie, The Wrestler, I am that guy!
Record, Listening to Courtney Barnett lately, album Tell me how you really feel.

Kiwanuka. And the Died Pretty, Love them forever and My buddy Ron Peno
     

Funny question. What's the funniest thing that's ever happened to you?

M: Maybe someone else remember something specific? I can just say that just hanging out having lunch together or whatever… talking about fun/stupid stuff that’s happened in life and so on can be deeply entertaining.

K: Scoring speed from the lobby management at a hotel I stayed with the Fleshtones
Setting a bathroom on fire with a friend Peter Buck in Paris while making the album Speed connection .

Camembert question: What's France to you, apart from the land of wine and cheese? 

M: The land of yeye, and the land that helped save rock’n’roll in the 80s. The homeland of Les Goths, who made one of the most far out freakbeat psych 45s of all time. Homeland of Les Dogs. Foie!

K: I have history with France, My daughter was born in Paris, and the audience has always supported me, Must return with Strengsbrew

Sponsorship question: Who can you sponsor for Sacred Monsters, and how can you convince us to talk about them? 

M: Chaputa records!
Reissue labels like Mojo Bone and Hyperloop should be supported!

Champollion question: What is the meaning of the band's name?

M: Keith had an idea that the band should somehow incorporate his name in it. I jokingly suggested Strengsbrew – as a wordplay on Strange brew… not necessarily the Cream song but rather the mix of guys/music in the band. We just roll with it and let the music take us wherever it goes… maybe we’ll do a disco record! Who knows? Anyway the name just stuck and here we are.

Thank you a lot Keith & Måns

(September 2023)