“You know what happens to a boy band when they grow up?” Uh, well, no…“They become a man band.”
I could already tell this was going to be interesting. Up in the wings of the famous Commodore Ballroom, I sat down with one of Oslo’s most revered sons: Happy-Tom, bass player for the legendary Norwegian deathpunk outfit, Turbonegro.
The witty bassist was sarcastically modest when describing the band’s status in the music community nearly 20 years down the line. “We can’t figure out if we’re the biggest underground band in the world or the smallest mainstream band.”
Turbo has been through many ups and downs in its storied career. Including singer Hank Von Helvete’s severe heroin addiction which led to a three year hiatus. “Hank’s heroin addiction had really evolved into this monster,” admitted Tom. “And we just got tired of everything. We did a lot of blow…a lot of blow.”
With the well received Ass Cobra and Apocalypse Dudes under its belt, Turbo reformed and soon released the second instalment of the Apocalypse Trilogy, Scandinavian Leather. The band, however, bordered on mainstream success with the release of 2005’s Party Animals, which included the song that has become an anthem of sorts, “All My Friends Are Dead.”
In 2007, the band released the much anticipated Retox to mixed reviews. Retox was apparently a nightmare to record. “It just went forever and ever and ever…we always write in studio but this time was just…I don’t know. We’re just old; worn out.”
Ready to tour Retox in early 2008, tragedy struck the band when lead guitarist Euroboy’s aggressive lymphoma left him unable to play. But by the end of 2008, Euroboy had miraculously gone into complete remission. With a renewed passion, Pål Pot Pamparius on rhythm guitar and Tomas Dahl manning the drums, the band was back.
Happy-Tom was thrilled to be in Vancouver for the second time. “It’s the most beautiful town in the world. It’s like what people in Oslo wished it looked like.”
Further to that, Tom loves playing North America, solely because of what the fans were raised on. “People in North America have grown up with a lot of classic rock, stuff people in Europe have never heard, so they kind of catch our references…”
The Latin translation of Turbonegro is “fast” and “black;” but when choosing a name for the band, after much struggle, the actual meaning wasn’t at all considered. “Pål had a little bit of a problem for a while because he was eating something called microdots, which is a combination of speed and acid. Then one day we were rehearsing and he took the train into town to go to rehearsal and he said that underneath the railway pass he saw the name Turbonegro spray painted on the wall. And we’re like wow, that’s what the band’s going to be called. And then the next day we went by there and there was nothing spray painted on that wall. So, it’s something he’d seen on the inside of his eyelids or something when he was tripping.”
Turbonegro’s “faux-mo-erotic” lyrics and themes have gotten them in a bit of trouble at times, but Tom reasoned that though “they’re kind of risky as times, the rappers get away with it…”
The band boasts its very own world wide initiated fanbase sporting denim jackets with the stolen Scandinavian Leather cap emblazoned on the back. These loyal followers are known as the Turbojugend or Turbo Youth. Tom remains surprised by its success. “That started as a joke. Whoever bought a t-shirt basically got one of these fucking diplomas. Our friends in Hamburg turned it into a big thing. Now, we could take over a small country.”
Members of the Turbojugend have also formed tribute bands, such as recently defunct locals the Denim Demons and San Francisco all girl act Turbonegra.
So for the uninitiated, what should one expect from a Turbo show? “It’s kind of like a third rate suburban rock opera with no theme. It’s not a concept at all; it’s more of an anti-concept. With our costumes, it’s like oh, we have to put on those again? Ok. We’re trapped inside our own reality.”
But to the Commodore’s sold-out crowd, that’s probably still feeling the full force of the performance right now, third rate was probably the last description that came to mind.
Turbonegro is expected to hit the studio in the spring.
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