EL GOBIERNO: "Being born in Spain and pursuing creative endeavours. You have to laugh about it."

 

Après leur apparition dans notre Top Monstres du 27 avril dernier, El Gobierno a accepté de répondre avec gentillesse et disponibilité à notre questionnaire. Un grand merci à eux!

La semaine prochaine dans le cadre d'une nouvelle rubrique, El Gobierno vous donnera sa vision du rock espagnol à travers une sélection de dix disques indispensables.

 

copyright Juxe Areta Goni

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

As a band, we love artists from many different eras, which is reflected in the ecclectic approach that defines our music. Personally, and talking about straight influences you can find in our latest album (FLIPE VI), in no specific order, I love the Kinks, The Saitns, Mississippi John Hurt, the Stooges, MC5, L7, Black Sabbath, Hot Snakes, Grand Funk Railroad, Minutemen, Beach Boys, Al Green, The Oblivians, New Christs, The Pretenders, Creedence Clearwater Revival, R.L. Burnside, The Beasts of Bourbon, The Pixies, The Sonics, Fugazi, Townes Van Zandt, Sly and the Family Stone, The Wipers, The Beatles, No Means No, Big Star, Elliott Smith, Stevie Wonder, Meat Puppets, and I'm gonna stop here.

I’m not much of a hater, but I guess if I had to chose, I would go for the kind of stuff that gentrifies rock and roll music to take the truth away from it. You know, your U2 copycats (Coldplay, Mumford & Sons, Maroon 5, RHCP, etc), the people that disguise radio formula pop under a black leather jacket and fools people into what rock and roll oughta be. In general, I’m not a fan of people dressing up like hardcore rock and rollers that end up playing pop music that talks about nothing, so it’s just about the pose and getting a cool picture taken. Which, to be honest, is actually fine : is about having fun and all that seems fun stuff to do. But we have PLENTY of that in Spain, names I won’t name so I don’t risk the chance of you guys remembering them. But again, I don’t hate that stuff either.

Intellectual question: Which 'non-musical artist (filmmaker, writer, painter...) played an important role in the way the band evolved…

I’m a comic book guy, so I feel compelled to draw reference from that area, which is more on the « professional », working class side of the arts. If I have to summarize what kind of comic artist I would love to be, I guess I would go for Harvey Kurtzmann. Since this is a french magazine, I have to name Cristophe Blain, as a current day reference: he’s a master of the craft.

In the inner life of our band, (that probably should remain private) we riff/meme a lot about geeky stuff created by the likes of Tolkien, Matt Groening, Karl Marx and George Lucas.

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

Yeah ! We been doing this since 2007. At the beginning there was three guys (Guille, Mariano, Javier) from Madrid playing MC5 infused garage. Then the 2 dudes that are not myself changed to our current line up (Guti and David) so the music became more an exploration of different genres in underground and rough rock and roll through the ages, so we became what we are now.

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

Although we don’t want to be monotematic and we like to shuffle between many subjects, there’s always been a political element in the lyrics of the band. David (bass) and me are both carded members of the comunist party. So the idea of a working class form of authority liberating spanish rocanrol of the tirany of the markets in a democratic manner, socializing the means of production of riffs, dazzling bass lines and cool drum fills, took form in our name : EL GOBIERNO. We do rule.

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

Obvious reply : Gerardo and Antonio Urchaga, without hesitation. The FOLC Recordss brothers have been there since we were 19 years old (I’m 41 now), and things being way harder than back then, they still are in some capacity or another. They are a key reference if you want to understand garage rock and roll in Spain in the last 20 years and we are lucky to be their friends.

 

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

A local promoter making us play with Agent Orange as a part of an endless « battle of the bands » with like 8 rounds. I lost the count of how many gigs we played… we won, so we were able to record our first LP : it was worth it. But we playing with an historical hardcore act, bringing the gear for them to play (we had to rent it since we didn’t had any) with the excuse of it being our « quarter final , there’s gonna be judges of the contest» it’s quite stupid. Of course, we ended up asking for our expenses to be covered, and they were.

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

A family, a foster family. The chance of keep on having fun times with people I love, the chance to see them become parents, husbands, great and close friends. It’s the best of it really.

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

Book: I’m loving me some Chester Hymes. I would recommend “Run, man, run”.
Film: I loved “O QUE ARDE”, a sensitive and immersive western about forestry fires in Galicia (our west) made by Oliver Laxe.

Current band: there’s many I love, and given that I’ve never seen them live because FUCK PRIMAVERA SOUND, I’m gonna risk it and say OTOBOKE BEAVER.

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

Being born in Spain and pursuing creative endeavours. You have to laugh about it.

Camembert question: What's France to you, apart from the land of wine and cheese? (you're allowed to Google it, the theme is rock and underground culture).

It’s the land of band desinèe: the land of Lauzier, Uderzo, Boucq, Tardi, Joann Sfar, Manu Larcenet, Moebius, Dionnet, Jean Van Hamme, Meziéres, Lewis Troddheim, André Julliard, Jean Pierre Gibrat, Blutch, and an impossible etcetera of narrators that have impacted me deeply.

Sponsorship question: Who can you sponsor for Les Monstres Sacrés, and how can you convince us to talk about them?

Being a garage rock magazine, I think you should be talking about LOS PANIKS. You should listen to their shit, the perfect ballance between references, their great craftmanship in terms of song making, their darkness, their pop sensitivity, their guitars, the amazing vocals by Rioja, their singer… and get your minds properly blown. They’ve been at it for more time that I can remember, and they don’t get the praise they deserve. Here’s a sneak peak

Patriotic question: Make the list (between 5 & 10) of the top records made par artists of our country.

I grew up with Nino Ferrer
Little Bob Story blew my little mind as a teenager

I fell in love with Les Dogs as soon as I found them
As an Aussie rock lover myself, I love to fix me up some Fixed Up
Never seen a JP Shilo concert, I bet that’s intense and cool

I loved every second Dimi Dero Inc that my mind has endured

I love Les Lullies, best punk rock act in Europe, and they are better in french than in english.

 

Merci pour vos réponses.