Interview with ALLIGATOR
!!!HIGH SPEED ROCK 'N' ROLL FROM SWEDEN!!!
Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.
Tell us a few things about ALLIGATOR (Members, Starting Year etc).
Well we started in December 2021, We are Roslund on guitar, Tompa on drums and Ginger on bass and vocals. It was Roslund who first took the initiative to start the band, we all sort of knew each other before since we had played in different bands in Stockholm. So he asked Tompa if he wanted to play the drums and then they asked Ginger to pick up the bass and vocals. It all came pretty natural to us since all of us pretty much have the same taste in music and the same idea about what the band should be. We jammed a few covers but felt almost directly that we should try to write our own songs as soon as possible. So we did! We actually wrote our best song (at least in our own opinion) "No Sleep" on our first rehearsal.
In 2022 you released your demo ''Demo 2022''. What was the feedback from your audience as well as from the press?
Well it depends on what you call good feedback. We released the demo pretty fast after we became an “official” band, so it did not really reach a lot of people a first, mostly it was just friends who knew about it. But we almost sold out at our first gig so it was definitely well received. People seem to like what we do, we get more and better gigs so I would say that the band over all is well received.
Label or DIY and why?
For a demo, I would say DIY. A demo is supposed to be a way to get your music out there right? So if you already have a label on board why not release something more serious? As for an album, I would probably say label. I like to have a physical copy of an album, and that’s hard to do on your own, find a pressing plant, actually get them to press your vinyls and pay for all of it. It easier to work with a label, labels can take care of all of that, and they can promote the albums as well.
Do you prefer Vinyl, Tape, CD or Digital Format and why is that?
Vinyl for albums, tape for demos! CDs are better than digital but I don’t really listen to them. Digital is still good if you’re listen in the car or something but there should be a physical version as well. I think it’s better to have a physical copy of something rather than something that’s just digital. You experience the music in another way, and it is also a more fun way to listen to music, having something to look at while you listen. And a big plus, you have something to sell at your live shows! Buy the physical formats, support the bands!
Your music style is Hard 'n' Heavy Metal. Which are your main influences (Favourite Artists / Bands etc.)
We think that we play some kind of high speed rock`n`roll but "Hard n Heavy metal is of course alright. Well there’s a bunch, mostly 70s heavy rock n roll acts, but if we were to name three it would probably be, Motörhead, Mc5 and early Hellacopters.
Which things do you think a Band should sacrifice in order to succeed? Have you ever sacrificed anything in your life for a better future for your Band?
A band shouldn’t sacrifice anything about what they’re about, don’t change your songs just to sell better or to fit in, however you have to sacrifice other things if you want to make it, you have to put the band first when it comes to gigs and other stuff, maybe skip work or school to play instead. You have to take risks in order to succeed.
Describe your ideal live show as a performance Band. Have you already experienced that?
We actually have, at least for now. It was at Geronimo’s FGT in Stockholm. Packed place, a lot of people we knew, a lot of people we didn’t. Many with Alligator shirts, all of them enjoining the music, banging to the beat. Many praises after the show, and a lot of beer! That’s how a good show should be.
Which attributes, do you think, that a new Hard 'n' Heavy Metal Band should have in order to gain identity and be unique?
Well i mean it depends, I wouldn’t really call us unique in the whole of music, but maybe unique in the new ”young” scene in Sweden, we’re just doing what our idols did back then, a bit of our own touch of course but still. I think you should have a vision of what you want the band to be, stick to that vision, it’s hard to gain a following if your music is all over. A bit of this, a bit of that, you’ll get a lot of people who can enjoy your music but you won’t get a dedicated fanbase since you don’t have a clear “image” for people to follow.
Do you believe that Digital Platforms help the new Hard 'n' Heavy Metal Bands? Which, do you think, is the ideal way for a Band to promote its work?
Yeah it does, it’s a great way to reach out to people, but I don’t think you should over use it. Some people might like that, but we don’t care for example seeing what the guitarist in some band eats for breakfast. Use it for promoting gigs and other stuff that’s about the band. Don’t post something just to post, keep it on the low, but not to low so people forget about you. I think it’s more important to play live, a good show goes so much longer than a instagram post about something meaningless. We kind of have this old way of seeing on promotion. We care much more about becoming a band that people talk about, like if they have seen one of our shows and really liked it or something like that. Of course social media is important but we like the "old fashioned" way more. Try to get some merch fast as well, t shirt, physical music, anything to sell. T shirts is also free PR, people see it when someone is wearing it.
Tell us a few things about the New Underground Metal Scene in Sweden (Bands, Fanzines, Webzines, Metal Clubs etc.)
Most of the new “young” (16-20 years old) bands play thrash and death metal, we think that’s why we have gotten some recognition so fast, we are something different. There are of course other rock n roll bands but they are a bit older and not really the same as us. It’s mostly thrash and death over all in Sweden, a bit of heavy and rock n roll as well. There’s a few bars like Fredagsmangel, The abyss and Geronimo’s and fanzines like turbo rock and Black pages (which our friend Wendy writes).
Do you know anything about the Hellenic Metal Scene?
No, not really. We know some Greek bands but not enough to say that we know anything about the Hellenic scene.
The last 3 years worldwide we have faced many dark, strange & new situations with our everyday life (covid, lock-down etc.) Did all of this affect you positively or negatively?
It didn’t really affect Alligator since we started after the lockdown, at least in Sweden. But it did affect the band Ginger played with before Alligator. Their tour got delayed and some gigs were livestreamed instead of proper gigs. As said before, we can't really say it had any affect on us.
What are your future plans?
More gigs, more music, an album as fast as we can. More rock n roll!
Thank you very much for your time & Keep up the good work! The closure is yours.
Thanks for having us, Keep the music alive!
By Steve the Filthy Dog.
ALLIGATOR CONTACT:
https://www.instagram.com/alligator.band/
https://alligatorswe.bandcamp.com/music