Interview (Mercenary)

Even in a tough time mini-touring with Volbeat in Holland, and loads of other pressures, Mike from Mercenary still found the time for this interview. This one is an email-interview (in danish originally), but that should only change the fact that no beers were involved while answering.

How did you get into rock/metal back in the days?
Think that’s my dads influence you could thank there. I grew up with Elvis Presley, Dire Straits, Status Quo etc. So I was very rock-minded as a kid. Later my dad started buying tapes and records for me when he went to record sales. Remember the first tape I got was Judas Priest : Screaming for Vengeance. From there on it just accelerated with Iron Maiden, Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and then on to Obituary and Sepultura.

When we were kids I remember we played rockstar at your place – was that where the dream was born?
Haha….I can’t really tell….but I do believe I had the ambition to do something music related.

You started playing guitar back in highschool, and you played guitar in the first few bands… Then you changed to drums – why is that, and don’t you ever miss the strings?
Yeah, I started playing guitar when I was 12 and played guitar in the first many bands. I changed to drums because the band I played in back in the mid 90’s (Feticide..who by the way had Mircea of Mnemic on guitar) fell short of a drummer. Since I had the basics down when it came to drums it was natural for me to take the position. I don’t really miss playing guitar in a band – but I do play guitar if I have one by my side.

Silence before the metal kicks in

How did you get in touch with Mercenary back then?
As a metalhead in Aalborg in the 90’s you couldn’t really avoid Kral (bass in Mercenary ed.) So I knew him up front. Feticide shared rehearsing studios with Mercenary for a period, so I had a minor relation to the band. So it was kinda natural to contact me when they were without a drummer all of a sudden.

You’ve been playing in different bands in the past 10 years, more or less – but what’s your greatest experience with music? (with/without Mercenary)
The bands I played in before Mercenary diden’t quite make it that far – but stille there’s been loads of great times then. Back then it was more beer ‘n’ bully-times. In Mercenary the demands are bigger and I’ve acquired a much better discipline. That takes you further in the end. But about the great experiences I can mention ProgPower in Atlanta, signing Century Media and playing the big festivals like Roskilde and Wacken.

What’s your ambition with music ‘cos I don’t suppose you’re there yet?
The ambition of course is to get to the point where I can live off the music. Not that I have the rockstar dreams but I’d like to be able to focus on music alone. That would free up a lot of time for writing new material and more tours, that is if you only had to think about the music.

Every now and then you find metal bands making a cover song of older material like both Mnemic and Raunchy did. Are there any songs you’d like to cover? – or are you against cover songs?
Well, we have a cover on the album “11 Dreams”….Kent’s “Music Non Stop”, which is a pop song when you think about it. That’s maybe an unusual choice, but it’s a super great song and it was exciting to find out if we could make it sound like us. And I do believe we did that. But in the future I’d like to do a cover of a Pantera or Genesis song.

Not counting cover songs, what song(s) do you wish you were a part of making?
Uhh….there’s quite a few. Raunchy’s “Watch Out”, Genesis’ “Land of Confusion”, Nevermore’s “The River Dragon Has Come” and I could go on and on.

How does it feel to have fans or just the fact to see the audience go crazy about your music?
It’s great…it’s a superb feeling to see that you’ve made a product that people like and value. But it’s a bit strange to be in like Holland, Italien, Østrig etc. and see people in Mercenary-shirts scream along to our music ….nevertheless extremely satisfying.

Mercenary at Roskilde | More pictures here

Do people ask you to sign an autograph if you’re out on town? – and how does it feel having people want you’r name on a piece of paper?
Yeah, I sign some when I’m out a night or at concerts all over Denmark. It’s very freaky but I do understand those who ask. I do it myself when I meet some of the big names….but nut as much as I did earlier. Pretty wierd though ‘cos I don’t see my self as a guy who’s “up there” : )

I know that a bit of Mercenary is played at clubs too… can you get used to that if you’re out having a beer a saturday night?
I can yeah, but it takes some getting used to when you hear your own songs between songs by Slipknot and In Flames. When they play Mercenary I usually watch people to spot signs to see if they like it. I think there’s a generel satisfaction about it though. It’s always some of my friends who have the DJ play it as they know I get shy. The rumor says that it’s mostly girls who ask for Mercenary. And I find that more than ok.

I know your dad is a huge Elvis fan – but what’s his view of Mercenary?
He’s very positive about it all. Think it’s better than the death metal bands I’ve played in earlier…. Understandable.

I’ll now allow you 100% freely to pick bands for your dream gig with Mercenary (bands, venue – everything)?
That dream came true when we got the Nevermore tour. Touring with Nevermore for a month is what I wanted.

If there was no Mercenary, what band would you like to have been in then?
Nevermore :) Or do you mean danish bands?? Then I’d say Raunchy or Hatesphere.