Q.1 (From Docteur Wilhelm, on behalf of The Nude Pube Banglers)

On 'Never is Forever' there's a great bonus track with you singing 'Staten och Kapitalet' (Ebba Grön), where you seem a bit drunk... Anyway,I wonder did TRBNGR ever record that song or did you play it live??? Canit be found on any record??

A.1 The story behind the infamous "Satan och Kapitalet" was that it was recorded with the whole band, as it was one of our usual covers. When it was time to do the vocals, it was late in the evening and Hanky was shit-faced. I guess we all were. The point is: I was supposed to do a sort of lead vocal that Hank should follow, on account that I knew the song by heart from my days as a teenage punk. Of course I did it with the sort of enthusiasm I felt the song deserved. The other guys liked it so much, they decided to delete all music (‘cept for the three second guitar solo). I REALLY hated that!

And no, it's not on any other record.

Q.2 (From Docteur Wilhelm, on behalf of The Nude Pube Banglers)

Why the HELL did you quit the greatest band in the world???

A.2 Reason? Demons, drugs and teenage sex. No, frankly, the thrill was gone. My heart was no longer in the live performances. It became sort of acting, instead of doing. This, in addition to the troubles related in pt.1 of this interview, made it absolutely necessary to throw in the towel. I was a wreck after a five year emotional rollercoaster ride with Turbo, combined with an alcohol and substance abuse gradually undertaking enormous proportions. I just couldn't cut the mustard anymore. The heroin did me in.

Q.3 (From Russ Heffington in the United States)

Whats the real story behind 'a career in indie rock', like who is the actors in this skit? Also who is playing piano?

A.3 The whole of this little "skit", as you call it, was in it's entirety lifted from one of Happy-Tom's numerous porn videos. Tom has always been a real conneiseur of porn; in fact he even gets Christmas cards from different mail-order companies. I can't recall the title, but the piano was played by a well-known radio-reporter from the state broadcasting company and singer of lesser-known "Country Faggots". The name says it all.

Q.4 (From the Eurogirl (Erin) - Turbojugend Canada)

What were the circumstances of Rune's brutal beating on the first US tour?

A.4 Don't ask me, I wasn't there!

Q.5 (From the Eurogirl (Erin) - Turbojugend Canada)

How did the Jolson years affect attendance?

A.5 Don't know if affected anything, except us making fools of ourselves yet again. Suddenly people said "Why don't you wear the Turbo-uniforms anymore", the same uniforms they used to brand us as fascist a few months earlier. Some people though, people with something like a forehead and some knowledge of entertainment history, got the joke.

Q.6-11 (From Martin in Nuremberg, Germany)

(6) One of the first things I read about Turbonegro was that they claimed to be 'Norway's most-hated band' and 'had no friends'. So, what was the situation with the 'enemies' like and has there actually ever been people taking action against TRB, like show boicotts etc. ?

A.6 For one thing, Turbo never got the recognition it deserved here in Norway, all thanks to the enemies we made, people who through backstabbing and manipulations had secured some sort of power within the media and music scene. Clearly, they were intimidated by Turbo as we would not play the mutual admiration game they're so fond of.

And, yes, there have been occasions of boycotts and threats. One time in Berlin, on the Stierkampf tour the Autonoms had decided we were sexist. The evidence: The poster sporting the picture from the Stierkampf e.p. To bad for them, the woman on the poster was a transvestite hanging around the S.F. punkrock scene in the late seventies. 5 people showed up for the show, daring death-threats doing so. There were also other incidents

After I quit I also heard there was trouble with Nazi-skins beating up people attending a show in Stockholm.

(7) A lot of people who got turned onto Turbonegro after the release of AssCobra have probably never seen the original lineup that recorded the album. On their tours throughout 1996 Turbonegro then had Euroboy on guitar and Tom switched back to bass. Do you see any significant differences/changes in aspects of the stage performance compared to when it was still you on bass and Pal on guitar ?

A.7 I only saw Turbo twice after I left the band so I don't have that many points of reference. But I feel that the focus shifted towards Hank and what he was doing, as both me and Pal usually went nuts onstage, and maybe took some of the attention away from him. I also feel that the whole band used to move around a lot more before I quit. Me and Hanky also had good communication onstage, which resulted in a lot of half-assed homo-erotic situations.

(8) BTW, has Hanky's 'ass rocket' thing already been part of the show back then ?

A.8 Nix und nein.

(9) One issue that was occasionally discussed - back in the day AssCobra got released - has been 'the credibility' of the band, i.e. 'actually they are just regular guys, dressing up and pretending to be the bad boys on stage' like it is all about a well exercised fake. Any thoughts about it ?

A.9 Do you mean, did we wear denim all the time? And what do you mean by "bad boys"? Tom IS a BAD. BAD boy, an intellectual bully, an agent provocateur, INSANE! In fact he is one the better read people I know, not exactly a regular Joe. Pal just HATES people. Full stop. Rune used to be a bum. A bum with a college degree, but a bum nonetheless, living on well fare for seven straight years, with the occasional girlfriend chipping in. A regular tomcat. As for Hank, and me we both lived in this world of drugs, petty crime and shady deals.

You see Turbo was always about provocation, putting on a show, make people react. If you wanna call it a fake, fine by me.

(10) You have played live with Turbonegro in scandinavia, europe and USA. Did you ever notice any particular differencies in the way TRB was received by the audience, according to levels of enthusiasm or acceptance, for instance?

A.10 I've only played the states the one time, where we were sort of breaking new ground, sowing our wild oats. So except for Portland, where we had a small but very enthusiastic following, it was just plain hard work, trying to make a name for ourselves. So, without a real basis for saying so, I think that people in Europe and Scandinavia is more open to things that they haven't already been told is cool. There is of course exceptions to this rule, as Europe has it s own brand of so-called hipster, know-it-all types.

Denmark almost always was good, Bergen usually was good. But France was fucking insane. The only time I played there was at the St.Amant festival in the Massif Central. 5000 punks and no-good-nicks on acid, Hank harassing the audience in his school French, bottles literally raining onstage, the Hells Angels security leaving in disgust, one of the promoters begging me to shave of my little Adolph mustache as he told me people were looking to kill me, only LSD for painkillers….best time of my life. I love those french froggers!

(11) Allright, trivia time ! Any particular story about that tattoo on your arm ? What does it actually show ?

A.11 Do you mean my skin rash, resembling a bad tattoo of a pizza pepperoni? It's actually another form of the swastika with all the usual connotations (not the Nazi ones, though). It was done by a friend of mine who was so lousy at tattooing we had to go over it three times.

(12) (From B) - Whereabouts ?)
Stor Fan av Turbo, har vært med dere fra starten av. Bengt, is it true that there are 2 books in the making about Turbonegro? And you would you contribute if i were to try and write my own?

A.12 I haven't heard about any books, but that might just mean I'm in the dark. If the project look interesting I would like to contribute with what I can.