NEGURA BUNGET: interview with Negru

Metalfan: 2008 was a very successful year for you. You had an extensive European tour and played a lot of European festivals. Let’s take them one by one. How was the tour, how did you managed to put it together, how did the audience respond to your shows?
Negru: It’s true; we had a very busy year in 2008. The tour was quite successful. It was long and exhausting on one side, but also rich in pleasant events and experiences. We started preparing the tour with almost one year in advance. It was not an easy job doing it but I can’t say either is was extremely difficult. The response of the audience was good, sometimes beyond our expectations…

Metalfan: What was the best and the worst of this tour?
Negru: During the course of such a long tour as the one we had there are all kinds of moments, but I think the most important thing is to be able to say at the end that you did you job well, and you passed by all the difficulties. As we certainly did!

Negura Bunget @ Ragnarock 2008

Metalfan: Moving further to the summer festivals… How did you get there? Also, how did the shows went, how did the audience react?
Negru: To be able to perform on the stage of a famous European Festival is a rather cumulative and natural process, which a band grows over the years through live appearances. This way people start to know the band, and so do other organizers. We have been in this position, to be asked to play, because people started to have an idea on who is and what plays Negura Bunget. The audience was great almost all the time, we couldn’t have hoped for more. We had the pleasure to see in the audience at Wacken and Summerbreeze several Romanian flags. We thank a lot to all who offered us such a rewarding moment!

Metalfan: After all these shows, can you say what countries proved to be more open to your music and which ones were more reluctant?
Negru: I don’t think a geographical analysis would be concluding. There are rather gigs and gigs, days and days, places and places, people and people… For example we played 4 of 5 in Belgium so far, and usually the attendance was pretty low there. But last time we played in Gent, on the Autum Tour, the gig was almost sold-out, even if it was on a week day, and the public was also most welcoming. So I’d say the context, the organization, the little details are the things making all the difference.

Negura Bunget @ Ragnarock 2008

Metalfan: The Romanian audience loves you. Still, do you think that there are differences between the Romanian audience and the foreign one, regarding live shows?
Negru: Since we do not make any difference between the Romanian audience and the one from other countries, I think the public doesn’t make it either. There is of course a difference in playing for people that understand our language and all we have to say, and playing for people to whom the communication goes through another language. But for us it’s more important to put on stage all we have, and when that thing happens, the audience gets the message clearly, either we are in Romania, Estonia or some other lands…

Metalfan: The US/Canada tour seemed feasible at one point but it got cancelled. What happened and what are the chances to see it happening at some point?
Negru: We have been very close of doing a US and Canada tour several times by now. Unfortunately every time some last moment elements interfered with our plans. We could have done it anyway, if the idea would have been to play there no matter what, but for us it’s always more important to do everything well arranged and at a good moment. The logistics for a US tour are far more complex, some of our equipments are very hard to transport, the distances are huge compared with European ones, and on top of everything there are the visas… So, many of such reasons, and not the lack of concerts were the elements that impeached our plans for the tour. But we didn’t gave up yet on the idea, and I’m sure the time will come for a US and Canada tour soon.

Metalfan: How were the merchandise sales along these tours (Cds, t-shirts)? And how was this year financially for you? Did you end up with some money in the bank or did you have to support everything from your own pockets?
Negru: We can’t complain about this aspect either, the sales have been quite ok. As we are 100% dedicated to the music, our whole experience is connected only with that, and the fact that we have been able to keep do the thing like this is the only relevant fact, which speaks for itself. Being modest is always an important part of the picture.

Metalfan: Did you videotaped anything along this tour? If so, what will happen with this vide material?
Negru: We did filmed several festivals and concerts, but for the moment there’s no concrete plan on how to use those materials.

Negura Bunget @ Ragnarock 2008

Metalfan: You also professionally videotaped you show opening for Paradise Lost in 2008 in Bucharest, for a possible upcoming DVD. What happened with this footage and what will happen with the DVD?
Negru: Yes, a live DVD with that concert will be released very soon.

Metalfan: The last albums were released by Code666 label. How are things going with this label? Don’t you think that it may be somehow too underground for your present demands?
Negru: Our collaboration with code666 is and always was easy and natural, but it’s now coming to the end. We already have a new contract with Prophecy Productions/Lupus Lounge, and they already released our older materials. For us it always felt natural to be a significant band on a smaller label, rather that an insignificant one in a bigger label. As a consequence we sought more to evolve ourselves as a band rather that search for a bigger label. And when the time was right, we got quite a lot of offers.

Metalfan: Have you written new songs? When should we expect a new Negura Bunget album?
Negru: We have some new materials already. There’s still a lot of work until completing a new album, but we hope to have it ready on the second part of 2009.

Negura Bunget @ Summerbreeze 2008

Metalfan: If you have new songs, how do they sound like? Should we expect to some new musical approaches? Some changing in style?.
Negru: I think it’s a bit too early for details… But for sure it will be something new. It’s not us doing the same thing over and over.

Metalfan: What are your plans for 2009?
Negru: We have many plans for this year. Soon there should be out a new version of our Maiastru sfetnic album, which will be more like a new album rather than a re-recording. There’s then the Live DVD, which will follow soon after. Both this will be released by Prophecy. We also hope to release before the end of the year a brand new album and a MCD, which will mark the end of our collaboration with code666. We already have some festivals and gig confirmed yet, such as Inferno, Roadbun, Graspop, Brutal Assault… and some more will follow probably, but this year we will be more focused on new compositions and recordings.

Metalfan: How do you see the future of the band, considering that in 2008 you were really close to the European metal elite?
Negru: It is easy to get lost into projections and expectations; we are more focused on the aspects we have to complete in this period and in the near future, we have a perspective vision as well, which all the times captures daring things for us, making a challenge worthy to be taken. This way we always try to overcome ourselves, as the first step in an authentic evolution.

Negura Bunget @ Wacken Open Air 2008: