An interview with surf rockabilly band the Bullets from Salonika, Greece on the occasion of their visit in Sofia this Friday, April 4-th.

GC: When and how have you discovered the rock’n'roll?

B: Actually, original 50’s rock’n'roll was catalyst to our childish years. This was our common mark! From the first time we started listening wittingly music, we felt in love with stuff such as Elvis, Bill Haley, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Del Shannon ect. The same time we discovered the sound of the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Animals and of course great Phil Spector’s wall of sound… We met these music treasures via some old vinyl singles, survived from our parent’s old school parties from the fabulous sixties era…

GC: Were there Greek musicians to inspire you?

B: Sure! During the sixties, there was a big pop/shake/psych scene in Greece. Everybody loved this retro and nostalgic music. On the other hand, there is a kinda traditional and underground, as well, Greek music called “rembetiko” which is very similar with old American blues. We didn’t inspired particularly from persons but the style. We think that anyone have influences from domestic music sound, and that’s the reason of existing so many different rockin’ styles from country to country, or better, from town to town.

GC: What was the charm of those distant 50’s rocking years?

B: During the 50’s everything changed. The Cold War was rising, and the same time memories from WW2 were recent. Youth - not only in U.S. but also in Europe, Australia and so on - resisted from this “fear factory” through modern music. They wanted to sing just for love, parties, girls… But the same time some great stroller artists like Gene Vincent or Jerry Lee Lewis made some tunes about sex, booze, bikes, speed, cars & hot rods… and that’s how modern Rockabilly was coming up! Of course it’s a long - long story if somebody wanted to analyze this era, but definitely, this magic sound established all kinds of pop & rock music and the same time stayed classic and popular for almost 60 years, like none music style or lifestyle in the whole recent history made.

GC: How have you managed to keep the Bullets thus powerful, fresh, and beloved by the public through all the 20 years of the bands existence?

B: We do not want to grow up… After 20 years we’ll be the same and probably, just a little bit more younger!

GC: Do you have favorite music movies, which will you recommend?

B: Oh, yeah! We could suggest you “The Wanderers“, “American Graffiti“, “Hot Rod Gang” starring Gene Vincent, Russ Mayer’s “Faster Pussycat…“, “The Girl Can’t Help It“, “Quadrophenia“, and one of the few Elvis’s interesting movies “King Creole” based to great novel “A Stone For Danny Fisher“. If you find it, read it!!!

GC: We understood that you are preparing a world tour for the autumn of 2008. What does world mean and what are your expectations?

B: We plan to go to States for a tour to Las Vegas and California. We also prepare an Australian tour together with German teds Black Raven. And of course, we have some shows in central Europe and a tour to France. We expect to be rich and famous. …Or simply rich!!!!!

GC: We know Shokin’ Steve is playing in the rockabilly band the Kustoms together with members of the neo-hillbily band Dustbowl from Athens; while Wrongman is performing with the garage/psych/blues band De Sades from Thessaloniki. Tell us something more about the parallel projects of the members of the Bullets.

B: All members have played several times with other bands, but we are all the Bullets, and nothing is above this band! We do this just for fun.

Anyway, Steve and Bullet Cost play together to the Kustoms (Steve plays the bass ). This band is a super group with members from many good rockin’ bands. Members can change from gig to gig, that’s why we call it in this way. The Kustoms made 2 mini tours with Dutch rockin’ goddess Sue Moreno and hopefully will record an album with her. It’s true that Wrongman plays with the De Sades, and they made some dynamic gigs to Thessaloniki and Athens. Before Wrongman join the Bullets, the bass player for over 6 years, was Captain K, guitarist and leader of the great garage band, the Frantic Five.

At this time it’s good to mention the bands we were members in the same time with the Bullets: Steve played bass with the garage band Invaders and Besides, guitar and vocals with the doo-wop band Lonely Teenagers and the rockabilly trio Hillbilly Greasers. Drummer of the Hillbilly Greasers was again Bullet Cost, who also has played for Personality Crisis and the Hydes.

GC: Which is the band or the performer with whom you dream to play on the same stage?

B: Bono!!! Ha, ha, ha, ha!!!! We never dream to play in the same stage with nobody. If we love an artist or a band, we prefer to enjoy the show from audience seat.

But if you mean who is our favourite artist, it’s a little bit difficult to say, because they are countless! Anyway, we are very happy for have met and played together with great guys all these years like Black Raven, Crazy Cavan & Rhythm Rockers, Yucca Spiders, Jungle Tigers, Hellcats, Trisonics, Texabilly Rockers, Pipelines…

GC: Many Greek bands record their albums on vinyl too (even though there is no vinyl factory in Greece). Do you intend to record your last album “Final Race” on a LP? How it will be possible to happened?

B: Vinyl version of “Final Race” is already to pressing factory in Germany. It will be ready in a couple of weeks! The sleeve is different than the cd, as well the track sequence.

GC: Tell us about the Greek symbioses of trash, surf, ‘billy, garage and psychedelic on and front of the stage.

B: All these styles are similar. We mean that they are all based to authentic roots sound and we can say that they constitute “rock’n'roll family”, right? It’s good that last 5-6 years there’s a big revival of all these in Greece. Especially in Thessaloniki, there is a kinda Rockabilly explosion, and we can talk for 9 good rockin’ bands in the city.

We can tell you for sure that Greek bands like Frantic Five, Lone Stars, Breathless, Dustbowl, Hipstairs, Rockets, Free Soul, Yesterday’s Thoughts, BMW Rockers ‘57, Ducky Boyz, Johnny Carbonaras and Sound Explosion are in the same, if not better level with big European ‘billy, garage or surf combos. Unfortunately Greece (and Bulgaria too) is too far from central Europe, and it’s very difficult to have continuous self contact with festivals, rockin’ fashion, press, new records, ect. We try to bring a flavour of all these to Greece via On Stage Records and Kotzak r’n'r store, as well. These days in Europe, whole America, Australia and Japan, rock’n'roll became an alternative fashion which attracts more and more youngsters. Hopefully, this wave seems that started nudge Balkans too!

GC: Give us a hint about the repertory that you intend to fascinate the Bulgarian public.

B: We plan to make a typical unexpected Bullets show! We know that many people never heard our songs, so we’ll play stuff from all periods and many killer covers, as well. Finally, we’ll introduce for a very first time 2 brand new songs.