Interview with Chibi in Hannover - English Version

(The Birthday Massacre)

15.11.2007 von Melanie Schupp

On the last day of the European tour we met up with Chibi, lead singer of The Birthday Massacre. Before the show at Musikzentrum, Hannover, we had the chance to ask her some questions. In the very messy backstage room at a half-clean table we sat down at to start the interview. Chibi’s amiable and natural character destroyed all the compunctions and made the interview very nice and enjoyable.

How come you worked with Dave Ogilvie for your newest album?

Chibi: Yes Dave was the producer; we always really respected the work he did for some bands like Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Skinny Puppy… all these incredible bands. So he’s someone we’ve heard of for a long time and we always liked his work. You know he was interested in working with us, so it was very exciting for us because we respected most of the bands he worked with. We were very happy that he wanted to do a record with us, and he’s in Canada too, so it was no problem for him to come to Toronto to work with us.

How was your first meeting with him?

Chibi: I didn’t really know what to expect from him, because you know we’ve heard so much of him but we didn’t know who he was. But he has a great sense of humour, he’s very funny. He has really interesting stories of a lot of different musicians he’s worked with, so we were really happy that he was really easy going and really funny.

Did everything work well from the beginning?

Chibi: Yes I actually probably worked closest with him cause we did all of the vocals in the studio, so during the day they were doing some guitars and at night we worked for hours on the vocals. Everything was really good and there were no problems.

How long did recording take and did anything extraordinary happen while recording?

Chibi: Well we’ve done the other records at home on ourselves the most part, and with this – “Walking With Strangers” – it was the same. We had recorded at home and then we had one week at the studio, just a short time. We did just want to do the vocals and some of the more prominent guitar parts, so we didn’t have a lot of time but we knew what we wanted to do going in. So it was half at home and half in the studio, there was no problem we knew that we just had a short time.

Did you feel a high pressure on yourself when recording the album?

Chibi: No. I felt nervous to go into the studio like with “Violet”. We also did the vocals in the studio and I’ve never gone into a studio before. So that time I was nervous and this time it was a little bit of the same but I went in and I knew the songs already… (stops cause a mobile is vibrating for minutes) this mobile is really annoying me. But yeah going to the studio is like “Uuuh it’s THE STUDIO” with the microphone and the earphones you feel a bit weird, but when I came with Dave again we didn’t even do that. We just came into the room, we had some candles and it was really peaceful and good. It didn’t feel as if there was any stress at all.

How is the feedback so far?

Chibi: Everything has been very positive which we are very grateful for. We actually started to play some new songs in the USA before we released the record, so we were playing the songs from the record and the people didn’t have it yet. But they heard some of the songs on the internet so it was kind of like “Uh we’re playing the songs but maybe people don’t know them…?” but right away people knew the songs and the first show they were singing along! So it’s been received very well and anyone seems to like it.

Are there any other bands or artists you’d like to tour with or you’d like to work with?

Chibi: Oh gosh! There are so many bands – of course – I’d like to meet or do a show with. See everyone in the band would say something different. I mean everyone in the band really likes Nine Inch Nails so that would be exciting for us. My favourite band is “Concrete Blonde” and they have a female singer who I really respect and admire, so for me it would probably be her.
Johanna Napolitana, she’s a visual artist as well and she is very creative. It would be cool but… we all like Nine Inch Nails very much.

Well but I’ve heard that Trent Reznor quit with his band…

Chibi: Hey, maybe the guys can go and join Nine Inch Nails. (Laughter)

In the very beginning your popularity grew mostly because of the internet, so was it planned to become more famous or was your band more a hobby?

Chibi: It was a hobby, it was something that we did for fun. We were good friends and it was something to do on a Friday night, like “Let’s write music” and just trying to have fun with our friends. And then we built the website and started playing shows. I don’t think any of us planned to be in Europe for example. Over the years we had a lot of good luck I think. We are grateful, we started as a fun thing to do but now it’s more serious (laughs). We have to trying to make our life out of it. But it didn’t start that way.

But it works quite well.

Chibi: Yes.

How well known are you in your home country?

Chibi: In Canada when we play shows in Toronto we get like a lot of people come which is really cool. The thing is in North America alternative music isn’t… there’s not as much media coverage, not as much as over here in Europe. It’s way more in magazines and on the radio I think, and its festivals here. There is not so much over there so it’s a bit small. When we play in our hometown we get a good crowd coming out, and when we go to the US we have a good audience but it’s more here with media and things like that. I think this type of music is more popular over here.

So would you say your largest audience is over here at the moment?

Chibi: I think over all, but again it depends from city to city; we can play in New York and sell out there but then we go another town and that’s smaller. So this year has actually been nice.

You parted with Aslan, your bassist, in July, and then hired back your old drummer to take his place; how has that worked out?

Chibi: It’s been really good. We stayed friends with him and he has his own band and everything. But it’s nice to have him back because he’s some familiar we are all friends with. When Aslan left – because he wanted to do his own music – and there was no fight or anything like this, everything’s great and we are still friends. So everything worked out well.

Is it weird for him to see someone else playing in his old place at the drums while he plays bass?

Chibi: Oh I don’t really know I haven’t really asked him that question. But probably, I don’t know.

What’s the most embarrassing thing that ever happened on stage?

Chibi: One time – it’s years ago – we were playing a show; I had my hair like this (shows me her pony tails) and I was whipping my head around and one of my pony tails went straight into my throat. And it made me gag. So I had to turn away and…

You really had to puke?

Chibi: Yes because it went straight to my throat and I couldn’t get it out. So that was the worst thing that ever happened to me. But that was a long time ago. Not cool.

That’s a good story.

Chibi: (not very confident) Yes very… nice.

As you are touring a lot… did anything extraordinary or maybe funny happen while touring? Any story you’d like to share with us?

Chibi: Like good?

Anything… good, funny, strange…?

Chibi: I think touring is a mix of really horrible and really good; you know we try to appreciate the good. I’m trying to think of something specific… probably just meeting people. People who come to the show, like other times people bring their children which I always think is really cool. Like the kids like the music like “I like “Video Kid”!” that kind of thing is really nice. Or when people tell you that the music helped them through a hard time, that makes you feel like… strange.
Sometimes people travel very far to see our show, this is really extraordinary to me like “We drove for 6 hours or we flew from this place…” – oh god really? Things like that.

Imagine – if you had enough money to do the live show you’ve ever been dreaming of. What would it be like?

Chibi: I don’t know, maybe fireworks and a big confetti cannon. We’re trying to do sort of interesting things with the stage especially when we are at home. We had big toys or we had fake trees one time, but we can’t do that ever when we play. There’s not enough space to bring all these things.

The big teddy bear would take your place to sleep.

Chibi: (laughs) exactly!

How does it feel returning back home after a long tour period?

Chibi: I think we all feel very good when we get home, it’s fun to play shows every night but there’s a part of you that just wants your own bed and your friends and your family – sort of your normal life, you know. Like, touring is good, the shows are really fun and every day it’s a new city which is really awesome but I think that we like to get home (laughs). We all look forward too because tonight it’s the last show. I think, “like rock it and then let’s go, let’s go…” But we do like playing.

Is there some place you go whenever you need some time on your own?

Chibi: Honestly… going home is the best vacation I think that I can think of right now. You know we come to Europe and it’s not like a holiday, we don’t get to visit or vacation or go sightseeing and it’s a lot of work. We are very tired and we are looking forward to going home.

What’s the weirdest question you’ve ever been asked in an interview?

Chibi: I think sometimes it’s weird when interviews get too personal.
I actually did an interview which was all about Christmas. Which was kind of weird… it’s interesting, but it’s also kind of weird.
Another time someone was asking me if I was planning to have a family and WHEN I would do this in accordance with the band. I was kind of like… I don’t know! You know what I mean? Personal questions are nice but this was too personal.

What was the most amazing place you’ve ever had a concert?

Chibi: I think… the first time that we did the M’era Luna festival in 2005. That was really exciting because this is a really big festival and it has a really big stage. And it was raining that day, but it was incredible ‘cause it was such a different experience. Normally you play in a small club at night and it’s very hot and this was a big stage in the middle of the day pouring with rain; it was fun!

There was loads of mud!

Chibi: Yes there was! You’ve been there? Where is it again?

Hildesheim. It’s right around the corner, about half an hour by car and that’s very good ‘cause this year we drove home each night and we didn’t have to sleep in a tent.

Chibi: Yeeees. Forget it! Uärgh! Especially when it’s raining like that, it’s not cool.

What was the craziest or coolest thing a fan ever did?

Chibi: Well, we once got a cake and some people do things like this with the rabbit. Or they have outfits that they’ve made on their own inspired by our band. Oh yes, when we were in the US there were these girls and they were wearing these sort of lace skirts with ribbons on it and each of them had one and I said “That’s really cool” and they made one for me!
I think lot of our audience do a lot of creative things like that, like they make cakes or they make clothes or they wear little bunny ears in the crowd.

Oh yes, the bunny; does it have a name?

Chibi: No.

What do you associate with Germany?

Chibi: You mean when we are at home and think about Germany?

For example.

Chibi: You guys have a lot of this flavoured milk drinks, so I would think of that… and Schnitzel. But this time it’s been raining so much since we’ve been here so I’d think of rain, but yeah… flavoured milk, bread, Schnitzel and pay toilets! That’s very weird to me… “We have to pay 50cents to go pee???”

(Laughter)

That’s what everyone says.

Chibi: Yes… Germany: pay to pee ;))

What do you do whenever you need some inspiration?

Chibi: I write, since I’m eleven years old I’ve had diaries where I wrote my feelings down so every time I feel like stuck in my head and I don’t know what I’m thinking or want I just write and it doesn’t make sense… I just write page after page after page. And I like to draw pictures so sometimes I just scribble down things.

Then it got noisy in the room, it was obviously not much time left until they had to go on stage. Still overwhelmed by the nice singer we left the room and went back to the venue to wait for the show which should be as overwhelming as Chibi herself…

We’d like to thank Chibi for the nice interview, we’d also like to thank the team of WoD who made this interview happen.