Interview Italian "Babylonmagazine", 30 JULY 2001 by Riccardo Maffiodo

NO SISSY STUFF

 Well girls, let's begin talking about you and you past musical career, until the new "Last Poem" 
Well, after a lot of bands and other musical activities it was time to realise my own music. That’s why Dany, Gudrun, Katja and me founded NO SISSY STUFF in the summer of '96. Although my sisters didn’t even know the basics in playing their instruments, we soon formed a good team. We started composing our own songs and in July ‘97 we had our first gig in our home town. Our third gig was about 330 km away from home. It was exiting but everything went alright. We decided to play more shows and so we did. We wanted to make it easier for our fans to sing along with us and so we recorded "Last poem". 

What is the meaning of your monicker NO SISSY STUFF? 
I found the name while I was reading a "sissy stuff" beauty magazine. We have tried to find a name that represents our image in one term: metal music without detours, that doesn’t concern neither sex or broken fingernails nor feminism or emancipation. A name that should simply say that four girls love heavy metal and want to convince alone by their music. So wasn’t NO SISSY STUFF the right expression for that? 

I've found very interesting the double vocals- clean vocals and growling; who's had this idea? Will you still keep it in the future? 
Oh, in the beginning it was just a joke. We played a ballad and our drummer liked it so much that she didn't stop playing. And Katja & Dany -bored of that- started "growling". We were pleasantly surprised of that sound so we decided to use it in our next song Empty. I think it will be part of NO SISSY STUFF in future, too, but it will never dominate. There will always be a combination of both - clean vocals and "growling". 

Is this your first release? 
Yes. After our foundation in 1996 we needed time to learn playing our instruments and to develop our own style. We did some recordings in our rehearsal room but we decided soon to go to a professional studio. 

Have you ever considered the fact that a second guitar could make your sound even more "metal" and heavier? 
We already HAVE two guitars. Do you have a recording where one guitar is missing? Shit! I will sent a complaint to our studio ;-)) Just kidding! Two guitars are really important for our music ‘cause we completely abandoned a keyboard. The only song with one guitar is "Shining". It’s a live song and I wanted to sing one song without being chained to my guitar. 

How is the life of an "all female" band? Does being a female band help you or is it an obstacle? 
We play metal, have fun, drink beer and travel around to concerts and festivals… Being a female band doesn’t help and it isn’t an obstacle. We made the experience that for a real metal fan only the quality of the music is important. 

I know other german female bands: why, in your opinion, is this thing more popular than in other countries? 
You know other female german bands except Sacralis? Please let us know! Perhaps we can arrange a gig with them. Drain, Kitty, Phantom Blue, Girlschool  -they all are not german.
 
How are things going on the live and concerts side? Are you touring in Germany or nothing's planned yet? 
We love touring very much. That’s why we decided to cooperate with Liveguard Entertainment to get more gigs all over Germany. So we hope to be on the road in autumn. 

Do you think you'll cross the borders to take your music in foreign countries? 
I think music doesn’t know any borders at all. A metal fan is a metal fan doesn’t matter from witch country. So we play wherever we are welcome. 

Have you already got some future projects? 
We work on our second CD that we are going to record at the end of 2001.

Do you wanna say something else? 
Thanks for the interview. We enjoyed it a lot. Uaghhh! Really difficult, these last words 
Never take life too serious, metal on and always remember: coffee should be drunken hot!!!!