(Original on www.kaizers.no, Text backup here)
After the breathtaking concert in Rockefeller in Oslo on February 27th, the guys of Kaizers have stepped back a little. But what are they doing in that free time? We phoned around a litte to find out.Helge Omen is a person that is very mysterious, both as musician and as individual. This cryptical man, a mixture between pastor, obscurantist and outdoors-enthusiast (?), is a seldomly strange combination. What is he doing now that he's got some free time?
- I take that very quietly. I'm home with my family and playing with my daughter Elise. Apart from that, I'm thinking of the sailboat that is down in Greece and looking forward to coming down there in May, our next free period.
- So, actually you like the free periods best?
- Actually I like them.
- Do you listen to music at home?
- No.
- Why not?
- Don't know. It's noise, in a way.
- Isn't that somehow strange for a rockstar?
- Well... maybe it is.
Okay, that was Omen. We call the Mink who's sitting in the rehearsal room and playing jazz.
- I'm playing a little at the moment, alone as well as with Starling, a pop-rock project that has been existing for some years. Or I'm playing with an Husnes-partner (?) called Øystein Kloster, but the project is a little down right now, Øystein is busy and sings operas.
- So you're only playing music?
- No, I work a little, and today I was in Kampen as a substitute teacher. Alf Prøysen-songs with a fourth grade. Very unfamiliar to be cast back into the school life, but it was necessary to earn some Krones. This playing abroad is talked about everywhere (?), as far as the eye can see, but it's good to work a little.
- Otherwise, I'm swimming at Tøyen Bath and drinking coffee from Nr. Seven Deli with Johnny HIde. He's living in the same building as I am, very convenient.
Terje Killmaster has been home in Stavanger for a week and recorded new songs with his side project Skambankt. How did that go?
- That went very well. We have finished 12 songs by now, and the thing is taking form, my voice is a little rusty right now, but anyway that's cool.
- When can we await the Skambankt-album, and when will you be on tour?
- We hope to be able to release the record in the fall, about October, and then in connection with that we'll go on release tour. But also we'll do a round in May and will play in Stavanger, Oslo, Haugesund, Sogndal and Bergen in the first run.
- Otherwise, there's a lot of coffee, smoke and beer for me.
Øyvind Thunder is very busy.
- I have some musical project with which I'm keeping myself occupied, and then I'll go home to Bø for vacation to go skiing. That's good for me.
The Jackal also is at home at the moment.
- At the moment, there's a true period of festivities here. The old man just turned 50, so we were there to celebrate with him. Also, we had a 30th anniversary which we will be celebrating together with another thing that's none of your business. (?)
- So there's not much music for you?
- I'm thinking about music all the time. We have a whole lot of new Kaizers things to work on, and then I'll be in the studio in May and record my solo record, so that's also going around in my head.
- I like having a lot to do, and I'm feeling bad if there's nothing to do.
Geir Hellraizer is at home and playing the guitar as we call.
- I finally have gotten a nice acoustic guitar, a remake of a 1962 Gibson Country & Western. That's my big passion at the moment.
- Are you making music at the moment?
- It's been a good time, yes. We have to make sure the next Kaizers record will be the best, and I'd like to contribute to that, you know.
- Janove and Terje have talked about there side project, what does Hellraizer have running there?
- I'm also working at non-Kaizers material, but one will see. Actually it's a little early to say something precise about the things, but it's good for the mind to be doing something else apart from the Kaizers thing. Absolutely.
Yes. That was the big free time summary.