INTERVIEW MONSTRES: THEE WOPS: "We like the French audience, they are very much into rock and roll music!"

 

Nous avons été bluffés par le premier EP de ce groupe de Turin, proposant un rock garage de la plus haute facture. Nous leur avons proposé de répondre à nos questions, ce qu'ils ont gentiment accepté. Nous leur disons: "Grazie di cuore !"

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

Beeing since ages in deep love with the music from the Sixties we would say that our biggest influences are the Beatles and the Stones  plus Kinks, Them, Pretty Things and the Who, but mainly we’ve been listening to garage punk, the music played mostly by unknown bands in America in the Sixties, these bands  were raw and aggressive and for sure influenced by the British Invasion Music.
We don’t like bands like Kansas, Styx and in general American pomp rock. The music we like has to be raw and not polished at all. The bands we named are too slik for our taste.

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

Filmaker Michelangelo Antonioni  with his movie Blow Up is for sure a big influence, his portrait of the swinging London played an important rôle on us.
Favourite Writer Salinger, his book the catcher in the rye is a real mastepiece.
Favourite painters, Roy Lichtenstein, Jason Pollock

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

The band started in the early 90ies as The 99th floor, with that name we did two LPs and many compilations. We’ve been touring all around Europe playing in Germany, Austria, Belgium and Spain. The band disbanded in 1996. We then decided to start the band again changing the name in Thee Wops just because the original guitar player from the 99th Floor is not with us anymore.

 

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

Wop is a pejorative term for italians or people of Italian descent, first known use was in the United States in 1908, Italians immigrants were called the Wops, this was nearly an insult!

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

Paolo Dovico the owner of our record label Onde Italiane ! He gave us the opportunity to do an EP.

 

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

Stupid question ! Probably this is the most stupid thing that ever happened to us !!!!!
 
Question Happy Few: What's the biggest benefit you've derived from your band, and can you tell us about it? 

Playing music is giving us the big opportuny to play around the country and abroad. Meeting interesting people that share your passions and the same taste in music is a real trilling experience !
 
Art question: What book, film, record and current band do you really like?

Our interests are mostly about the past, the latest book I read is the Master and Margarita by Bulgakov, the last movie I saw is 2001 a Space Odyssey, a current band that I really like is the Lemon Twigs
 
Funny question. What's the funniest thing that's ever happened to you? 

Funny question, so this is probably funniest thing that ever happened to us!

 

 
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).
France always had a really exciting underground scene, we played in the past in Interesting cities like Lyon, Chalon Sur Saone and Bordeaux. We like the French audience, they are very much into rock and roll music!
 
Sponsorship question: Who can you sponsor for Les Monstres Sacrés, and how can you convince us to talk about them?

We would like you to speak about the Seekers 70, a young band from Turin ( they are beween 19 and 21 years old) and they play a fantastic blend of Detroit sound al la MC5/Stooges and 70s rock in the vein of Ten Years After and Grand Funk !

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

Jacques Dutronc first LP, Polnareff first LP, Ronnie Bird – Ronnie Bird, Telephone – Crache ton venin, Dogs – Legendary lovers

 

Patriotic question 2 : Make the list (between 5 & 10) of the top records made by artists of your country.

Lucio Battisti – Emozioni, I Corvi – un ragazzo di strada, Roberto Righini – Mondo malato,

 

 

Birdmen of Alkatraz – From the birdcage, il Balletto di Bronzo – Neve calda