RAPED TEENAGERS
Sweden's Raped Teenagers have been around for a while now, and play some pretty good "jazzy" thrash with decent lyrics. Their records are well worth checking out if you got the chance. Anyway, here's what Peter had to say to my questions...
Interview from Skull & Crossbones zine #8 (Scotland), 1989
S&C: What have the Raped Teenagers been up to in the past few months? What happened to the split LP with Totalitär that was due out in the U.K.?
P: We released the 12" LP "I Kraftans Klor" on Chickenbrain Records in August '88. An LP I'm very satisfied with!! The same month we released the 3 track flexi which got 1 song that also appears on the LP with another recording and two unreleased songs. The flexi was also released to be included in one issue of the German Trust 'zine. After that we did some gigs. In Jan. '89 we recorded 6 old songs (from '84) for a new 7"ep (out in March/April '89) and 2 new songs for the split 7"ep with Rövsvett out in March '89, and one song for a comp. LP. The split LP with Totalitär didn’t go out cause we decided to record an LP with just Raped Teenagers and Totalitär wanted to do another 7"ep.
S&C: Do you get much truble because of your name? Is there a meaning to it? On the subject of rape, do you think pornography is the cause of it or is there many factors? How should rapists be dealt with?
P: The only problem we have is that we always have to explain why we have such a name and the meaning of it. We're symbolically "raped" by society through TV, newspapers, advertisements, everywhere, military service, etc. U think that pornography can be one factor together with the whole man dominated society we all live in. Man has always ruled the world (OK, you get Maggie in Britain), some people have strange views on women and how they should be dealt with. Those persons who rape women (often their wives) do have some sort of mental illness and need help from psychiatrists. Persons who have been destroyed totally by an inhuman society who rape again and agin do have to be locked on. I think it's wrong and doesn't help them, but that's the solution for the moment. We have to change our whole look on the women not like as a sex symbol, but like a person like everyone else. Of course children are raped too, this only shows how sick our whole society is. This may sound clichéd?
S&C: What's your opinion of Religion? Is the idea of God/Christ just bullshit and dangerous or just irrelevant and harmless?
P: I don't support what you would call "ordinary" Christian religion or any other sort of religion either. The reason is cause a so-called God never spoken to me or showed me that it exists. My opinion on religion is that people should believe in what they want, I believe in me. The idea of God/Christ is both dangerous and good, it has created all sorts of war, but ut also done lots of good things to people who really have lived by the so-called rules, but I hope people can follow their own heart and head instead of reading how they shall live because a God says so! There's so many sorts of religions I find no interest to talk about this, hope you understand. I must be inspired to write something about it.
S&C: Would you describe yourselves as a "political" band? What about criticism of "political" lyrics that it's "all been said before"? Is there anything/one that's influenced the band?
P: Hmmm, both yes and no. Our lyrics often take up "typical punk" subjects but we try to write and explain in a different way. We don't say "do this" and "do that" to change this and that, we want to inspire people to find their own ways to do things. A political band for me do criticize something and give an alternative what you can do instead. Crass is a band that have meant most to me after Sex Pistols. Crass is a "real" political band for me. It's healthy to criticize and be criticized, but not criticize just because you must, it should be real honest, criticizing both good and bad. That's important or else you wouldn't develop, so there's not only political lyrics that have to be criticized just because it's all been said before. I guess the persons who write the lyrics write it because they feel something about the subject and maybe they have problems to express themselves and the clichés come out. Lots of people have problems to really speak out and write what they feel, we live in a society that is very against free thinking people and the result is clichés maybe.
S&C: What countries have you played gigs in? How do the "scenes" differ from country to country? Does every country have its fashions, backstabbing, apathy, etc?
P: In Norway, Denmark, West Germany and Holland. Norway: Great, great people, they seem to really care about the bands and the scene. Denmark: A fine gig place, too much drugs and people don't even care about big US bands there, strange. West Germany: Cool, gigs places, hard to communicate with people, they're bad at English, people seems to care only about US bands. Holland: Great, not so much people on the gigs but they who are there seem to really get into the music. And they seem to be more open to strange and alternative music, great and great people to talk with. Sweden: people seem to go to gigs just as it was a party where you meet friends and get drunk and destroy the gig place. Not many do really take notice on bands and get interested. But I was really surprised where there were about 300 people at Youth Of Today and Lethal Agression cause not even US bands seem to attract people when they tour here. It wouldn't hurt if we could get some straight edge bands and people here!
S&C: Do punks in Sweden get involved in workers' struggles, animal rights actions, ecological protests, etc? Is there a squatting movement?
P: Punks here still seem to have a political view on most things and are interested to discuss those important subjects and support them. But not many punks are involved in direct actions or work in any other ways to support it (me included)/they're more into working on 'zines, putting out tapes, records, etc. and write about animal rights, etc in their lyrics, but that's all and of course it's sad. And I often blame myself that I don't do more. But if you're in a band, it takes lot of time to practice, do interviews, make lyrics and songs, gigs, answer mail, etc., and so on. There are some squats around in the bigger cities but the movement is very small. I guess it's because most young people live at home 'til they get a flat or something and gig places we often get from the local community, without squatting. Abroad it seems to be a little harder for the young people to get a cheap flat and gig places. But I think we will have more and more squats in a couple of years because the price to rent a room/flat just gets higher and higher.
S&C: What does "punk" mean to you? Have you changed much since you first became involved?
P: Good music, caring lyrics on subjects I find interesting and important but there's too many clichés now, we need a revolution inside the punk movement and we don't want to die. 'Zines, self-organized and cheap gigs where you can meet people and talk too, sell records cheap, etc. Do It Yourself it's still important and it's great it's still so "underground", that's why it has survived so long. Yes, I guess I've changed much since I became involved in 1977. I was 10 years old and soon I'm 22 years old and still like punk and lots of other music too.
S&C: What's the attitude to AIDS like in Sweden? Have homosexuals become victimized because of "Gay Plague" hysteria? What's your views on the origins of the disease?
P: I think that people fuck with each other just as before but they use condoms and that's great. It's most drug abusers who get it nowadays and prostituted girls and men and that's not good. I hope they start to give out free syringes soon, I think it would help a bit. There's lots of info on AIDS everywhere!! I think both gays and drug abusers have been victimized. I think AIDS started in Africa and come from sort of ape family.
S&C: Do you celebrate X-mas? Is it a chance for a "good laugh" or just a show for hypocrisy, commercialism and a waste of money?
P: Yes, I do in a way, not because of the birth of Christ. I just give away some gifts to my nearests just for fun. There's a lot of commercialism around and I guess 80 percent of the people don't care what it's all about. And I guess I'm part of it cos I buy presents and stuff. I would survive without X-Mas, it would be more fun to have a great big party with our neighbors but I guess it never happens and I'm too lazy to change it.
S&C: Any last words, statements, etc? Future plans?
P: Just the usual stuff. Thanks for the interview.
BACK to Raped Teenagers page
KILL FROM THE HEART Home