The first single from "Adios" was the track "Onkelz vs. Jesus". What is this song about?
Stephan: It's just a fun song about our careers. It briefly describes what happened to us in our lives, and tells in a very ironic and fun style. We decided to release this song as a single, because it is not as serious as other songs in the album. Our fans are having hard times now, so we decided not to make their lives worse, and instead released a serious single farewell", chose a happy and cheerful song.
You have often mentioned religion is very flattering way, for example, in the "Kirche" ("Church") or "Heilige Lieder" ("Sacred Songs") songs. Now you have got "Onkelz vs Jesus." Why you so don’t like church so much? Have you ever criticized the clergy?
Stephan: We do not have anything against believers, but we do not like this business place under the name "church". It makes money on people's fear, and that is what we do not like. We do not fight with Jesus, "Onkelz vs. Jesus" - it is just simply a joke. When we were young, we thought we were as popular as Jesus, and so we wrote this song. It has no religious context at all, we just played with Jesus as name, because he is probably is the only person who as well known in Germany as we! (Laughter).
Today, you will certainly play one of your big hits - "Danke Fur Nichts" ( "Thank you for nothing"). Whom you are forwarding this song? Politicians?
Stephan: No, it's about the press. (Laughter).
Accidentely, the chorus of the song strongly resembles the composition of American thrashers Overkill "Thanks For Nothing". Did this song affect you in some way? Or did it happen by chance?
Stephan: I do not even know this song.
Gonzo: And I do not know it either. It’s funny that they have the same song. (Laughs) Maybe they have equally spoiled relationships with the press, as we have.
Speaking about influences: On the single "Keine Amnestie Fur MTV" (2002) you released two very interesting cover songs - Slade "Coz I Luv You" and "Je t'aime ... (Moi non plus)" by Serge Ginzburg. Why did you choose these two songs?
Gonzo: Because "Coz I Luv You" - a song by Slade, and this is one of our favorite bands of all times. And the second song Stephan really likes, he likes this sort of songs about love ...
Stephan: No, it's not true! (Laughter). When we decided to record a cover of English song, we were thinking how our fans would take it. Some of them would probably think: "Oh no, they are commercial, they sing in English." And then we decided: "Okay, let's also immediately record French song!". (Laughing out loud.) Then we began to look for a good French song, but I know only two good songs - this is ... (tells a song in French very fast and illegible - interviewee remark.) And "Je t'aime ...". And at the final moment I decided: "The first one is too little different from what we do, so let's record the second one. And we had a lot if of fun working on it.
And what of girl echoes in this track?
Stephan: I sing male vocals and this girl is just a studio singer.
Have you ever tried to play "Coz I Luv You" or "Je t'aime ..." alive?
Both: No! (Laughter).
Gonzo: I do not want to get hit with bottle while playing it. (Laughing out loud.)
Stephan: I think that "Coz I Luv You" everyone likes more or less, but that reaction to the second song can be very unpredictable.
Gonzo: By the way, I could sing female vocals!
Stephan: Oh yes!
Will be continued...
