1. If you were to create a card for Splendor -- what information would you include?

B.Cathedral It would be covered with brocade you wouldn't be able to make anything out of it.


2. When you create new songs are in a particular mood that would find its reflection in your music or lyrics?

B.Cathedral The ideas come unexpectedly, but only during the rehearsal when we challenge our new song, when we play it, it gets is atmosphere and we get the emotions. In my case it influences my manner of singing the particular phrases.

Zee In the end the lyrics and music reflect everything that is connected with Splendor. Actually their influence on us is the same as ours on them...


3. Your scenic image is extremely clear, where do you take ideas from?

B.Cathedral Our image is definite because we perform on the stage and on the stage everything has to be contrasted to a greater degree. We never go off the stage. I definitely don't search for inspiration on Polish streets. In my opinion street fashion was justified only in London of the 70's and the 80's. I'm inspired by haute couture and thousand other things.

M.Provocateur I get ideas from my imagination, fashion and widely understood fashion - I combine it all and that's how my image is created.

Herr Dr Image is important for us, so it's deeply thought-over. My image is an effect of blending different styles and trends.


4. What do your live concerts look like? Do you use particular paraphernalia, like decoration etc?

M.Provocateur We try to diversify our concerts, we make an effort to make them all unique. To do that we create -i f it's possible - a scenic decoration. We often invite guests. Our concerts are also often accompanied by a dancer (a mime)

Herr Dr We would like to experiments with lights, but as most of the time we give concerts in clubs we don't have the proper conditions to realize such plans.

Zee And that's why we leave the realization of those for the future.

B.Cathedral Anyway, always and above all it's us who are the main decoration of the stage.


5. Is there any philosophy you as a band acknowledge?

B.Cathedral "You need to sow"


6. What about the music of Splendor -- do you try to follow a specific genre or rather create something new?

M.Provocateur We're trying to create something new to make the music of Splendor recognizable.

B.Cathedral I'm not thinking about the genre while I'm creating a new song. Though, of course , I realize that our music tastes unconsciously influence our music.

Herr Dr I haven't thought about it... We want to play music which would be unpredictable, probably hard to understand for the people who tend to perceive the bands and songs within the frame of music genres.


7. What is the connection between Splendor and visual kei?

M.Provocateur I highly respect the achievements of the Japanese VK scene. For me, Splendor is a visual rock band as we pay as much attention to the visual aspect as to the music we make.

Zee I believe that visual rock as rarely any music genre sanctifies the scene. It differentiates the two commonly mistaken terms as "an instrumentalist" and "a musician". Cause how can you equal the perfect technique of playing the one instrument (even if one achieves mastery) with the real creating of music ( I mean filling it with emotions and sharing it with the listeners in a form of a real spectacular performance)? Still, Polish scene is in panic fear of grandness. Those who become acknowledged are usually skilled instrumentalists. All the attempts of originality are laughed at. The Japanese music scene, for example visual kei, is characterized by courage of expression which in Poland is completely unknown... or it had been unknown until Splendor appeared of course.

Herr Dr Yes, it's a pity the rock bands are usually boring. We care for something more, so I think we belong to visual, too.

B.Cathedral In Japan, nobody is surprised by the musicians doing make-up, dying their hair and wearing sophisticated clothes. In Poland, there is Splendor and people start being surprised. OK, let them be surprised. One could say that Splendor is visual rock - rock sound and vision, however, we are definitely not a visual kei band, as visual kei is a specific kind of music of Japanese scene. Our music is more glam/new wave/new romantic rock with a tint of Liza Minelli (if you want to categorize), so it's visual rock, simply.


8. There are plenty of references to Christianity on your website -- how do these pertain to your artistic output?

B.Cathedral Christianity has inspired the painters or composers for centuries because its symbolism is beautiful and precise, so as Splendor.

M.Provocateur We were all brought up in this religion. It has influenced us deeply. I like Christian art and the atmosphere it creates a lot. The religious inspirations might be found also in our lyrics.


9. As to the lyrics -- what are they about and would you like the listeners to identify with them?

Zee If it's possible to identify with the words... then I fully recommend our lyrics. They are definitely not mono thematic so it's hard to summarize them in a few words . Actually, the only thing we wouldn't dare to include in our lyrics is moralizing.


10. Could you tell us a bit about the activity of the members aside from Splendor (http://www.michaelprovocateur.net.ms, http://www.bartcathedral.net.ms)?

M.Provocateur Even before Splendor was established we'd been quite popular for our appearance and a star-like manner. Some people were extremely annoyed by that, the others delighted. That's why we launched our own websites - to answer the needs of our 'personal' fans.

B.Cathedral As to Bart Cathedral Solo Project it's currently suspended for my concentration on Splendor. Anyway, the solo project is kinda big sack where I put all the things that are not connected with Splendor.


11. You're releasing new material in October -- could you give us a preview?

M.Provocateur The band was formed at the end of 2005 . Till now we've managed to do the band a lot of publicity, to play concerts in many places supporting the bands that are often perceived as cult artists. Now it's high time Splendor recorded the studio material and found a proper label. We'll definitely prepare a treat on the CD.


12. What are the plans, dreams of Splendor?

Herr Dr The release of fully sponsored album in professional studio.

B.Cathedral The tours in Europe, U.S.A. and Japan.

Zee To achieve splendor in everything we do

SPLENDOR
vocal - BART CATHEDRAL
guitars MICHAEL PROVOCATEUR and HERR DR PETER
bass - ZEE TITIES.

http://www.splendor.net.ms

• Castle Party 2014 - 2014-07-24 (Live reports)

Newest comments: