No S-Class yet. Winning the Local-Hero-Competition 1996 was the beginning for the Goettinger-based band, Guano Apes. This was followed then by victory at the regional level, a recording contract, videos for the music channel Viva, and a German tour that is now taking the quartet on the road again. Tageblatt journalist Joerg Kruse spoke with singer Sandra Nasic and drummer Dennis Poschwatta. Everything started in the Outpost (Club in Goettingen). With what kind of feeling do you now to return to this stage? Sandra: With a totally good one. For us it's almost the end of the tour after having been away for two months. There'll be a lot of friends there. It'll be more of a party than a normal gig. Can your success and that of Vivid have a knock-on effect for other bands from the Goettingen area? Sandra: Like in Seattle? (laughs) I don't think so. But when there are several good bands in one region it rubs off, and record companies are quicker to have a look at what else is around. Dennis: There are a couple of bands that are on their way. Dump, for example, are looking hard. And they do their thing really well. But in a big city there are of course more possibilities to attract attention. With the success the demands also increase. In recent reviews it's been said that you're a Viva-Band without corners and edges. Sandra: Oh no, what nonsense! That of course stems from the fact that 90 percent of what Viva shows is shit. But as an overall judgement, that's stupid. Dennis: People like that oversimplify things. In time we've gotten better and more fluid at playing together, but not exactly more commercial. How successful are you actually ¿ in figures? Dennis: We're just short of the charts. At the moment you have to sell around 4000 records a week to get in, and we're at around 3,000 to 3,500. I can't even imagine this kind of dimension. Sometimes I think, my God, who's buying all of that? What kind of people are they? Can you live from your music? Sandra: No. I still live with my Mama. I couldnot afford an apartment. Dennis: We're at a sort of in-between level. Maybe we can live from it next year, if everything goes O.K. My parents support me. It wouldn't work otherwise at the moment. I would have imagined things differently with a band that's constantly in television. Dennis: Earlier, I didn't think that either. But it's not like I can already park an S-Class in front of the house.. . Sandra: I wouldn't drive one of those anyway. as in: GOETTINGER TAGEBLATT (Daily Newspaper) 18. Dez. 97 Writer: Joerg Kruse