MOONSPELL – interview

MOONSPELL – interview

Prior to Moonspell’s performance in Oslo at the end of November 2024, we had the chance for a chat with the band’s never aging keyboard player, Pedro Paixao. There was a non-recorded chat that included some subjects which we’d rather not publish in today’s world full of opinions about legalizing certain substances. Below, there’s a fun catch up with memories from the times when the band performed on big boats filled with metalheads and confused crew, how they still stay together as a band, their upcoming beverage release and maybe some gossip about new material. Have a read

If you’d like to see photos from the concert, here’s a full photo gallery from the show at Vulkan Arena, in Oslo

Me: This device that I use to record interviews has been with me for a long time. I think it even has the interview I did with Fernando on Barge to Hell, in 2012. Moonspell has been on several other cruises from the 70000 Tons of Metal series, right?
Pedro: We were altogether three times. We were on the very first edition of 70000 Tons. It was super funny because initially all the waiters and the crew were in uniforms and they had such a protocolar attitude and I think some might have been even scared. But I think after some hours they realized how safe and fun it was and the next day they were out of the heavy uniforms and made it work. We met a Portuguese guy who was working for the company that was renting the ship and he said that it’s very good for the boat. On the first night they ended up paying the crew salaries due the good amount of alcohol sales. But overall I think everyone behaved properly.
After that we did Barge to Hell and one more edition of 70000 Tons. I am confusing them now, they were almost in a row. One was Jamaica and one was Bahamas. They were all very cool.
Me: Would you like to it again? Is it nicely organized and as a band you have a good time?
Pedro: Yeah, it is much fun. It’s a bit weird that you play on a moving boat, but there are weirder places where we played
Me: Such as?
Pedro: In Russia, we once played in something like a cabaret venue, where girls are dancing and such. A vinyl shop, so yeah, some places are weird and everything can happen for a band.
Me: If I am not mistaken, this is your second tour after Covid
Pedro: Could be, yes…
Me: Hehe, you don’t keep track?
Pedro: It’s hard to, we had big and small tours in between. Some Portuguese shows which are very different, we did at least one tour in US, with Elaine and one big South American tour and a big Mexican tour with eleven dates. Then we did a smaller tour with Paradise Lost in UK and Scotland.
Me: Anyway, it’s not that important to count them precisely, but the point of my question is, since you’re such seasoned tour-musicians, how do you see concert life after Covid? What’s different, what stayed the same?
Pedro: First of all, the technicians got more expensive because a lot of them quit the job and now there’s less of them to hire. But besides the touring part, to me it felt like after Covid, instead of developing a sense of community, people have become more individualistic. There’s some sort of apocalyptic feeling and people only see their side of the story and don’t care so much about the others. But in the music scene, as a band, I don’t rally see many differences.
Me: Are there any new restrictions that you notice, better hygiene, or so?
Pedro: No, not really. I have always been the one to clean all surfaces anyway. Everyone in the bus always made fun of me since I am the one who washes the tables, but I always thought it’s not just Covid, it’s just common sense. If I can avoid getting sick and it’s such an easy preventive measure, why not do it. But I haven’t noticed any extra restrictions.

Me: What about merchandise? During Covid, besides having a lot of online concerts, people started having a lot of new ideas for stuff to be sold online, so I guess that aspect all of a sudden has exploded. Is it easier now, is it cheaper?
Pedro: It is actually easier. I never thought about it. You are right. A lot of new activity started happening in the online merch sales. But I wouldn’t have realized without you pointing it out, since it’s a slight bit and not a very huge difference.

Me: How was it to tour UK now after Brexit. Was it easy to enter the country?
Pedro: Not really, several factors have changed. We had a show in London so we had to get a special authorization for the equipment as it’s no longer UE. So now when you bring instruments you have to show it’s not an import, just like in US or South America for example. So now it’s just like any other country not in UE. Not Norway, since Norway is Schengen space so that makes it easier to come here. But in England now we have to take care of a lot of new things. You need a visa, but it’s something like a sponsorship, an English person has to sponsor your visit.
Me: Wow
Pedro: Yeah, because we are working. It’s about 200 EUROs and the job is done. We know someone who worked with us and a lot of other bands and took care of this. It didn’t get extremely complicated, but just weird. It’s like visiting your brother’s home but now your brother wants you to call in advance, it has become something more protocolar. o me England is definitely Europe. If you think about the history, it has played its big role at all times. They contributed to the development and a lot of important changes, good or bad.

Me: There is a Moonspell wine, right?
Pedro: We’re gonna have a wine. We have a beer and, yes, we did have a wine a the time of Irreligious. It was a porto wine. But that one stopped, it was a small promo edition. Now it’s gonna be a real red wine, made in Portugal. We are involved, but not in the choice of wine. The guy knows what he’s doing. He already made wine for several bands and it’s a company who knows how to handle most of the aspects. We hope it to be released by the end of the year. I have to say that Portugese wine is amazing and it is something we do really good. We have good conditions for it but sadly we don’t have enough territory to make big production for export. But we are wine loving people and the guy who produces these wines did for Iron Maiden for example and is doing for another big band. I will srongly advise people to try it as the wines are very good and it’s not just to put a band label on any poor quality drink. The company knows how to make the proper presentation of the wine and include the band’s esthetics.
Me: Do you know who picks the name?
Pedro: I think Fernando chose the name

Me: The latest release that you have is from 2021. So this is not a tour to promote any new material, but rather something that worked with the label and because you like touring…
Pedro: We like touring
Me: You still do? I guess all of you have to like it since there has to be some sort of consensus
Pedro: Some more than others. I don’t think Fernando likes to tour as much, he needs it but he doesn’t like to do it as much as we do. But for a vocalist it’s not so easy after a certain age. Health is more fragile and for a vocalist you cannot have the same fun as before. He has to very careful, go to bed early, he cannot talk too much, especially when you do seven shows in a row he can get some troubles with the voice and makes it more difficult to scream and sing on stage. So extra attention is needed.

Me: You have a rather constant lineup for a band with such a long history
Pedro: Actually, not now. Since 2020 we have Ugo, a new drummer. But before tha, you’re right, we had a very constant lineup and the newest member joined in 2003 and the other four members, we are together since 1995.
Me: Oh, I must have missed that detail. But I don’t want to go into that direction. What keeps you together though after so many years?
Pedro: Honestly, I think it’s the appreciation for our own music and our own lifestyle. I think we actually managed to filter a lot of weed in this lifestyle and found the people that are always more focused on a greater good of the band than on their own benefits. We had to go through a lot of challenges together and I think we realized very early and clearly that if it doesn’t kill you it makes you stronger. We are all very very faithful people in our relationships. Joke aside, we actually act a bit like wolves. It’s not a joke.
Me: It’s a pack.
Pedro: Yes, we’re a pack and it’s very hard to get rid of one of us. It was a very hard choice to lose Mike, the drummer we had since 94.
Me: I guess there’s not much ego in the band..
Pedro: There is actually, but it doesn’t take over. I think somehow we made it in a way that worked for everyone. A relationship between two people it’s already hard enough, but between five it’s an extreme multiplication. I don’t quite know how we did it but the truth is we made it through the years. Maybe it’s because in Portugal there’s not that many alternatives. So we had to stick with this. But I think it was a good thing and people recognise us as a band. Nowadays a lot of bands change members rather often. Take for example Dark Tranquility. They are good friends but even if I knew the band for more than 20 years, I didn’t know some of the guys on this tour.
Me: Maybe, in a way, like you say, it’s a lucky thing that the scene is smaller in Portugal. You don’t have a bunch of musicians, like in Scandinavia for example, who are always willing and have the skills to replace people in any band. I don’t say Portugal doesn’t have good musicians, it’s just the choice that is more limited.
Pedro: Exactly. I totally agree. Of course, nowadays it’s more musicians in Portugal. But you won’t really bring a teenager into a band that’s been around for so many years. We also always had this philosophy that IF you are in the band, you ARE in the band. There’s no half way. You’re not a hired gun for a couple of tours. We always took it very seriously
Me: And I could see it in the way you deliver your performances. They’re genuine and full of dedication and you’re in it together. I never got the feeling of ‘Oh, it’s just another show’. This also probably keeps you motivated.

Me: As far as I know, you no longer live in the same place and there’s more traveling involved in order to meet.
Pedro: Nope, not anymore
Me: Life changes and I guess Covid brought even more changes. How does it work now for you? Do you meet and rehearse often or it’s not something you get to do anymore?
Pedro: It doesn’t work so well. I think that’s one of the reasons it is taking us so long to release a new album. Usually 95% of our songs are written by me and Ricardo and we used to hang out on daily basis. We’d show up at the rehearsal room and some days were more productive, some were more boring. Nowadays we don’t do that. However, we are adapting and eventually something will come out. He moved up North during Covid and that’s 400 km away. So he moved the furthest. Fernando and our bass player live like one hour away so we could meet everyday but we don’t do that. I don’t know if that’s good or bad, it’s just the way life goes. We are old enough to adapt to such a situation. I am sorry that Ricardo moved so far away as we were a good productive couple, but now we have to do things in new ways and be inventive. He comes often enough to Lisbon and so instead of, let’s say, ten regular days of being together but only working three hours, now we do a week where we might sleep over next to the studio and work in an efficient manner.

Me: On the latest album there is this song “Solitarian”. An instrumental one. Who wrote that?
Pedro: That’s Ricardo. I love that songs.
Me: I love it too. So jazzy, so beautiful, but non Moonspell in a many ways
Pedro: When he presented that song, the arrangement was not as jazzy. But I thought that the whole composition in itself was rather jazzy. And I immediately said that we should keep the personality of the song until the end. I could never do something like that though, but it’s so cool. We all just liked it, and Fernando said let’s keep it instrumental and put it on the album and we all thought it’s a good idea. It was a decision made as a band.
Ricardo does such nice things and this is the kind of stuff he likes to do as well besides Moonspell.

Me: How do you feel about AI, music related
Pedro: Being honest, I think that there is a lot being invested into AI and if the big powers are betting on it, it’s because it’s gonna happen anyway. So anything in 10 years from now, or earlier, maybe even song writing will be off. And the performers are the ones that will be the main ‘artists’, there won’t be much song writing or so. It will be a lot around performance. I think live shows will still happen, but I doubt that bands, like today, will still be a thing. You’ll have good performers, but not composers.
Me: And the performances will maybe no longer be about playing and instrument and giving everything you have. It will be more about the show, the drama. But do you guys use AI in your work?
Pedro: Not me. Ricardo uses Smart Drummer and he’s been doing it for a long time now. It’s not an AI. When you have a guitar riff and you can have the computer to find some beats and complete it. I hate to use that. But for him it’s because it’s how he’s been doing it and it’s how it’s working. I prefer to do everything from scratch. For keyboards, when we write or record I sometimes focus first on one hand and then the other, while if it’s only guitar it’s easier to do it ‘at once’. But not with the computer program.
Me: Do you have any songs ready?
Pedro: No, we actually have too many things to do. Besides the distance that we spoke about earlier. Now, when there is a break in between tours, we no longer all spend time in Lisbon writing. People go home and spend time with their families, so things more rather slow. We might have five good songs but only instrumental so far. I only call it songwriting when there is some vocals on it.
Me: I don’t think it should be forced just for the sake of…
Pedro: No, no, you have to force it. If we don’t force it, we’ll never record an album. We have to push ourselves. When you have a band, you have a certain style of music. When I buy a record from TypeONegative they can do the best thrash metal on the planet, but I want TypeONegative. Every fan understands this. So I am Pedro from Moonspell. Even if we change a lot form album to album, we have a certain style. So when you write songs your field of research let’s say will be narrower and narrower. You did all these already. And you don’t want to repeat the same songs. Many people still do it, there are bands that keep releasing albums which sound just the same.
Me: That’s why I am thinking it shouldn’t be rushed
Pedro: Well, now you end up with a feeling that writing is harder and harder. And it’s not a need that just vanishes and you’re done with it at some point. You still want to or have to write and again, the area where you can come with something new is more narrow than before. So you have to be more creative in a way. In my opinion it doesn’t make sense that you release the same album over and over again. And you have to present something that has never been presented before. Othwerwise you just listen to the original. Why should I have another one that’s the same.

Me: Nice answer. Than you so much for your time!

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