Planet Interview August, 2007

The Politicians Are Too Old


Timo Sonnenschein, Frank Ziegler, David Bonk and Christian Linke of „Nevada Tan“ about the problems of the youth generation, musical rebellion attempts, the beginnings the band and the dependence on the teenage press


Timo, Frank, David and Christian, you describe the situation of the today's youth generation in your songs very pessimistically: Power on the playground and on the mobile phones, suicide attempts and deep lovesickness. To what extent do you find this in your own lives?

Timo: I have written most of the lyrics, and then of course many experiences and observations from my life or my sphere also find themselves there. For example, the colleague of a friend of mine jumped from the roof because he has seen in his life no more sense. This is of course a hard blow if one knew this person personally, and he is suddenly gone. The song „ Warum? “ originated from this, because this subject must be simply appealed.

Do you think that one day an answer to the question of „ Warum? “ will be found?

Timo: The parents are often not there, do not look after the problems of their children. Maybe there is one more clique, but in most cases these youngsters are simply outsiders who have nobody more to whom they can pour out their hearts. Then many look on the Internet for help, but because of the anonymity, and just because the Internet is so gigantic, cries for help are not often heard in the net and at last the young person remains alone with his fears and miseries.

As a musician, to what extent do you feel you are a megaphone of your generation?

Timo: We can only speak for the people of our generation whom we know. Of course there are always different characters and social environments and we cannot speak also for all people at our age. We talk only about our experiences, from what we get about the media and from stories and demonstrate our thoughts. We do not want to swallow everything, but get up and say: There is just something quite wrong! Maybe we get to rouse a few people by our music and give them causes for thought.

In your song "Revolution" you sing I always have to prove myself. Rules here, obligations there. Yeah sure. Am I just here to do whatever you say? School, parents, state. I ask myself what`s going on? Where do you see then, in Germany specifically‚ revolutionary need?

Timo: More money must flow again into the educational systems! I personally had school books which were quite old. Our drummer Juri had at school, for example, a book where was in it that in some years a person would go to the moon for the first time. Nevertheless, this cannot continue! Another example: In our home town of Neumünster a textile museum is built for umpteen million euros, but with the money for the school it sticks.

What also goes very much against the line for me are the considerations of Minister of the Interior Schäuble to terror and how one should handle it. The fact that private computers are thinned out that everywhere is supervised in towns – nevertheless, this cannot be. Where are we then then in 20 years?

In relation on the parents you sing: „Without you the world doesn`t seem so small. Without you, finally I can feel free “...

David: Of course one must also look to the parents. There are simply many youngsters who suffer from huge pressure at home, and if one has no clique, then one has no friends, a problem. Then one is absolutely alone. This is why there must simply be much more drop-in centers where young people can find help if there is stress at home.

If you take a look around at society you get the feeling that your song "revolution" does not take place basically at all. Headword "Tuition fees" - the fees were introduced, however, the initial protest has dried up meanwhile...

Frank: (interrupts) ... the protest has not dried up. There are not many federal states where those the tuition fees were paid where the students don't also want to go forward with the help of lawyers against it. Absolutely it is hard to go forward against the decision of a government, but I already have the feeling that the protest over this has not died down for long.

However, is there nowadays more youth movements strictly pursuing its own agenda and its own ideals?

Frank: If I think back to the Iraq war, in my hometown of Heidelberg which at that time was still the NATO-Headquarters, there were already 5,000, 6,000 youngsters on the street demonstrating against the war. There are lastingly protests about school reforms, for example. Only at the end it depends on what the media want to build up and what not. Some protests are completely built up on television: If a "reflecting TV" - reporter gives a pupil 50 euros to throw a chair from the window, then you see five months about the screens shimmering. But if somewhere 3000 people protest because there is just no money for books or whatever, and it interests nobody – then nobody will hear about it.

In your opinion, to what extent the policy passes the youngsters?

Franky: This is exactly what I mean! The politicians are too old, the youth minister is almost 50, Ursula of the Leyen has six children, but of course also has four domestic workers and does not look after her children, yet she wants to tell what to us what to do. These are always the wrong people. The people in Vatican, for example, want to tell people how to educate their children, however, they themselves live in the celibacy. It's not right that people open their mouths and talk about things which they don't personally know anything about. Now decisions about the climate protection are made by the ministers who, in 20 years, will be dead. But we will still be alive and our children – and in Japan they still dump the garbage in the sea.

You have a very young audience, and if you sing now about "revolution", the question presents itself: Is rebellion today Piece-far a trend appearance?

David: Rebellion is always a youthful trend. I believe there are no youth who have never rebelled. We have already done this music for many years and I would not say that there was a point where we said to ourselves: Now we are totally revolutionary sometimes because one can do with it well coal! The song "revolution" is already four years old three, and at that time we did not sit down at 15 and say: So, now we want to earn money. But we wanted to write about what concerns us. And apparently the people like it because it also concerns them. This has to do nothing with commercialization.

However, it seems that this type of thing is found with many newcomers: Die Killerpilze sing: „ Do not let regier'n, except from yourself “ and Tokio Hotel recommend: „ Scream, until you are you yourself “...

David: Then, however, one must also notice „ Die Ärzte “, Die Toten Hosen or Limp Bizkit who all write such songs because these are simply human problems which occupy everybody. It's not just Tokio Hotel and Die Killerpilze.

You are with Universal Music, one of the biggest record companies in Germany, under contract, on the cover of Bravo! every week and appear on Viva. With this you are integrated into a system which is governed by adults...

Timo: We have always done our own music and also no manager can force what we write and how our songs must sound. The people stamp us always quite fast, just because we became from Bravo! and from Viva quite well hyped. Then one always lands quite fast in such a teenage category.

Timo, you have told Bravo! about a special preventer experience: You had sex with a fan under the shower. Why must something like that be in a teenage magazine to the general public?

Timo: Basically it is not unusual for a young person to have sex. Why have I told this? These whole funny teenage magazines do not ask good questions and there is simply a lot of shit written. They just ask: Well, when did you first have sex? This is often enough very irritating.

Part 2:

But in certain ways you also depend on the teenage press. Would Nevada Tan be where they are today without Bravo!?

Christian: Absolutely it would have taken longer, but it would have happened eventually. Bravo! is absolutely one of the most important teenage magazines, but it is not the only way that one can become known. There are many other ways. Our whole existence does not depend on Bravo!.

The band history of Nevada Tan began in Neumünster. Timo and David already knew each other from the playground, David won prizes in the piano with " Jugend musiziert “, Juri started to play with six drums, your first band called "Pan!k". How can one imagine the beginning years, the first appearances?

David: As well as the first appearances of a rock band just run: One plays and everything clears out! (everyone laughs)

Timo: We had the worst experience with a concert in a small club. We played as the fourth band, the instruments were bathed in sweat and completely put out of tune. Then the technology failed after the third piece and then we became pelted with coasters. However, I think, every band must go through that. (laughs)

Christian: You are just a student, have no money for instruments, can not far travel to play. This was not always easy!

Now you are successful and have appeared before more than 10,000 people on TV events like „ The Dome “. How does this feel to be so young in the business and performing before so many people?

David: Oh well what is called "performed"? „ The Dome “ is always playback! I would actually rather talk about our appearance near the " Hallberg Open Air “ in Saarbrucken. There were just as many people, but this was live. This was simply super-cool!

Timo: We believe ourselves in this plastic pop world also always so'n a little bit lost. Then there the stars with their funny sunglasses and five bodyguards walk around, even on the after show party – this is already funny a little bit.

And also if we play at " The Dome “ playback, we try to contrast a little bit there. With the last „ The Dome “ - appearance we chopped up a guitar, while ran Guitar-solo and our DJ Jan had on his screen “ playback rocks “ . (laughs)

Your form of rebellion in the music business...

Timo: Yes, exactly! We want to show that we actually don't belong in this pop business, but pull through our own thing. For music there are simply no rules!

However, would one not have to then logically also consider the collaboration with the teenage press?

Frank: We said at the beginning of the interview that we have a message. But what good is such a message if you can only spread it Underground with an Indie label and it never makes it to anyone? So you get the title on "Bravo!" and know that a million youngsters have the magazine on the table and read the stories and then they also listen to your songs and they find your message. Then you just have to accept that it is the teenage press.

Some weeks ago “ Live Earth „ concerts took place worldwide. Stars from the music business played without fee and brought their message about the climate change to the people. Can popstars change the world?

Frank: A movement always needs a leader who takes the first step. Without Al Gore or Bob Geldorf the climate problems and the grief of the Third World would not be well-publicized, or maybe at all. In this respect I would say yes. I think that one can reach a lot with a certain name recognition. We have also already noticed this. Timo has recently written a Blog entry on the subject of Rape, and then people look simply read on it and can see our thoughts for themselves. In Trier a student disappeared, for example, two months ago, after a party, and I put a site on the Internet and with that I could move so many people to do something. Three days later there were twenty support sites which wanted to continue the whole one. And we can appeal to problems by our songs and our concerts.