MY FAVORITE INTERVIEW with UK journalist Batttttty in 2004. Read about my work with Michael Schenker, Leslie West and others.

This interview © Batttttty - 31st March 2004
Gunter Nezhoda is a name to conjure with - 'A Zen Dog Hunter', 'Great Zen Hound' and 'Head Grunt Zone' are all anagrams of his name... but apart from that, he's the bassplayer on the Endless Jam album which features Michael Schenker and Leslie West on guitar duties. I met up with Gunter for a game of Scrabble, and after I'd frisked him for hidden vowels, we got talking about his early life in Austria, his views on the the greatest invention ever ever ever, and his deep love for the Bee Gees.
OK, here we go...
I would imagine that when you were growing up in Vienna, you were exposed to more classical music and opera than rock music, yes?
My dad was an opera singer and so was my step-mom and both sisters Tatjana Schullern and Patricia Nessy are also opera singers. As a kid I always had to attend rehearsals with my dad as they didn't have childcare like they do now. From the day I was born, I have been surrounded by music and it is in my blood.
You actually performed in an opera when you were six years old... blimey that sounds a bit heavy - what can you remember of that experience?
My big performance was to walk from one side of the stage to the other holding up a candle in Tosca because nobody else wanted to do it. Took me lots of rehearsals to get it right... hahaha - I have taken a lot of bass gigs in my life under similar circumstances too. But seriously, I love opera and classical music and I'm glad to have had it as part of my childhood. It inspired my bass playing later on. The same is true with Michael Schenker as you can hear so much Mozart in his licks. We share that classical European foundation in our music.
You learned to play the piano and then changed to playing bass guitar. Why bass? Do you still play the piano, or any other instruments?
It is not unusual for young people to start with piano but many give up as it is not for them. In my case it started a spark that will not die. Later on I was in a band playing keys and they decided they needed a bass player. Prior to that I had to play all the bass parts with my left hand. We met somebody who played organ and he was much better than I was, so they literally handed me a bass guitar and asked me to learn how to play it. I fell immediately in love with that instrument and preferred to be up front on stage, interacting with the audience. I like that, I love people. I can musically express myself best when I play bass. Creative bass players who have feel and soul are what I grew up listening to but today they are very rare. Groove, melody and simplicity is the secret and I try to accomplish that. It takes five years for a bass player to learn what to play but it takes a lifetime to learn what not to play.
Hmmm... you mean bass solos, yeh? Okayyyy, I take that all back! Bass solos are a GOOD thing!
You worked with Leslie West on the BLUES TO DIE FOR album. How did that come about?
Mike Varney, President of Shrapnel Records recommended me to Leslie. He is another one of my favorite guitar players. I'm very proud to be on that album, considering the bass players he used before - Jack Bruce, Felix Pappalardi, etc. I feel very lucky to be involved with that project.
Soon after that, you were working with Michael Schenker on the ENDLESS JAM album. For a person who has a classical background in music such as yourself, was that a dream come true, to be working on an album with such gifted and competent musicians as Leslie and Michael? Did you have much/any contact with either of them, or did you record separately?
Every record I make is a dream come true, but those two are truly very special to me. The West album was recorded in Vegas and Leslie did his tracks in NY. Similar situation with the Schenker album. Michael did his tracks in San Francisco but I met him a couple of times. I got a real good vibe from him. We have that 'German' connection. One of these days, I hope to get the opportunity to have a deep conversation with him. Besides sharing the same nationality, we are only one year apart in age.
Tell us about working with Pat Travers - a phenomenal player, who I'll hopefully be seeing at his London gig in June, which will have another friend of mine - DEL BROMHAM of STRAY - as special guest. Will you be touring with Pat?
It was a great learning experience to work with Pat. We were all in the same studio and did the album and pre production together. He is a total pro and unbelievably gifted. Although he has a legion of international fans I think, relative to his immense talent level, he is still under-rated. Since I'm working in the studio a lot, I haven't had time to tour. In Pat's case, he typically uses different musicians than he records with, so I will not be part of the European tour. Tell Pat I said Hello if you see him over there.
***Will do, for sure. You also worked with George Lynch... ***
George was great to work with, he is very calm and creative and has the same fable for gear as I do. When he is in the studio, nothing matters to him, it's all about the music and that's a good thing. He is a genius. The album is called 'Furious George'and is in San Francisco at Prairie Sun for mixdown as we speak. It will be released in May. An outstanding pleasure to work with was Kelly Keeling who is the vocalist on this record. Wish I would have had more time to chat with him.
The Bio page on your site includes a resume of your work, but can you tell us a bit more about 'the story so far', i.e. the early bands you were in, and how you progressed musically.
Well, I was in lots of bands, I did rock and I also played in Austria and Germany in beer-tents and ski resorts for a living. Over here I did the Las Vegas strip and just about every dive in this city. I will not turn down a gig. I feel very lucky that I can live my life with music and be able to make a living. So as long as I get hired I will play, and if I get a call and I have nothing else scheduled that day, I will accept a low-paying gig. However, recently the gigs are getting better.
Since you met Me, huh? Yeh, that's often the case.
Of course, but apart from that, I'm constantly progressing, and having the opportunity to work with all those great artists was very beneficial for me. A person can learn a lot from those guys and I certainly did.
Are you also involved with record production and sound-engineering etc?
I have a small studio at my house but I don't engineer. I'm terrible in that, I have no patience. Some day I might produce when I can't make it up the stairs on stage anymore.
Hah - good plan!
How do you think the Internet could be used more effectively to promote music? What do you think of all the music downloading and file-sharing and all that side of it, and how do you think it affects the artistes in the short-term? And in the long-term?
Big subject. First I must say I don't think it's right that you can download somebody's property for free and basically steal it. Then again, since we use CD's as media for music most of the stuff appears to be overpriced. Still when you are dealing with artists who do not sell a million records, if CD's were cheaper then advances to the bands would be less, the budgets to record records would be less, etc. Smaller artists need to have their records sold for more money as this is their only source of income in many cases. I want my music out there and accessible for everybody but I also need to make a living. Imagine if nobody had to pay for music anymore, music would likely die. I don't think the work of an artist should be free but I also don't believe that a band has to have their own Lear jet. So hopefully somebody will come up with something where fans can download their favorite music affordably and we all get along together.
For the future I believe record stores will be obsolete and all music will be distributed over the net which is a big opportunity for unknown bands and will enrich the quality of music. Mainstream consumers where kind of manipulated in the past as to what they where listening to and that has to stop. The Internet will do it.
What I miss is the artwork on album covers.
Oh yes yes yes YES! Me too - much so! The switch from vinyl to CD did already some damage there. But I'm sure somebody will come up with something to make it exciting again. When VCR's came out, they said nobody would go to the movies anymore. False! The film industry makes more money than ever. We all just need to work together and pull on the same string, and making music and buying music will be fun and lucrative for everybody involved again. The Internet is a big change in our industry and every big change in a market leaves some companies behind, but at the end it will be all good and everybody who is open minded will succeed.
I often think that the Internet gets a lot of negative publicity for the bad stuff that happens, but never seems to be commended for all the wonderful, exciting and great things that come from it. Would you agree or disagree?
I think the Internet is as important as the invention of the wheel or the discovery of fire to mankind. It changed definitely my life. The opportunities to communicate and network with other people are unlimited. There are many people who make money on the net and were able to quit their day jobs and live a better life. We can learn so much and feed off each other. Before the Internet most markets were controlled by big companies. Now everybody has a chance. Of course, like with everything, there comes some bad stuff with it but it's not comparable to the positive things happening on the net. The Internet made more millionaires than all other industries combined in history. How about that. I'm happy to be part of this generation. It's all very exciting and I don't believe in the 'Good Old Times' theory. Did you ever look at dentist's tools from the year 1920?
Ouch!!! Well, for me it's more about instant communication than about making money, but I know what you mean.
So... how big is the Internet in YOUR life? Are you ever scared that if you logged off for more than an hour, the Internet would cease to exist?
Yehh.... Yehhhhh.... we can't risk it, can we....? No...... gotta keep on top of it, between us, you and me... we can't let people down... it's our duty.
Yes, you're right, it is and we must.
OK, now what has been your favorite era for music, and why?
1350 - 2004 because...
Hahah, good one!
My favorite era is, of course, my generation, because I can identify with it the most which is only natural. I like it all though, it's very interesting to listen to music from other eras and learn about other generations and their problems. Music documents history. Beethoven for example... go to a record company today and tell them you will write a piece for them. Tell 'em it will take you five years and you might never finish it. I wonder what they'd say. Hmmm, Uli Jon Roth's tried that one a few times ... Those guys definitely were not under pressure in the old days. It was all about the music. Then again I would hate to wait five years for the next Schenker release.
And so say all of us!
Who are your favorite bands and performers from the 70s, 80s, 90s, and now?
There are way too many to list, but I would like to say something here. What's up with so many musician buddies of mine who say in interviews that there is nothing good out there? They complain about electronic music and that it's all computers that make the music.
They say it's not honest. I get really upset about those statements. Every musical performance uses a tool unless it's vocals only - and even that's changed over time. The first band ever (I think they where called 'Meet The Homo Sapiens') had only a couple of rocks and some wood sticks.
Now compare that to anything that came afterwards. If we play an electric guitar we look like we use very advanced tools to the guy who plays the rocks. I'm sure you saw 'Back To The Future' where Michael J. Fox plays that red 335 Gibson in front of an audience that has never heard anything like that.
There are always changes in tools and techniques and you have to accept and respect it. I don't like rap either but there is some good stuff out there and if somebody sells millions of records the music must be pleasant to the fans and that does the job.
I remember when my parents generation rejected John Lennon. Today he is an icon and in 100 years he will have the same place in history as Beethoven. They said the Beatles and the Stones don't play real music and sound like a bunch of animals in heat. They said rock creates violence. Just compare the Lyrics. How many songs can you name that promote violence - of course there are some but the majority are about peace and love. Even the oldest Book of all promotes violence if you wanna see it that way. "Eye for Eye, Tooth for Tooth", remember. If you are at peace with yourself, you don't need to be violent, no matter who or how many people tell you to be. Motivation is the key, not restriction. If we as parents f!&#$ up, (and we all do, don't we?), then how do you expect our kids not to? So be a good example and motivate your kids, then they will be invulnerable to bad outside influences. Nowadays these kids use lots of computer chips but they are as much creative and talented as we are. I have a 19 year old son who is into that stuff and sometimes he comes up with things that blow my mind. And it's not all made by machines. Led Zeppelin used all kinds of technical tricks to achieve certain sounds and effects. Listen to Pink Floyd, how they where using effects. I would love to hear 'Brain Damage'in a completely dry mix. Maybe I wouldn't like the song anymore. That's the way we used electronics in our music. How many Heavy Metal guitar players do you know who can actually get something decent out of an acoustic guitar compared to Al di Meola or Paco de Lucia? The majority of them, if you take their distortion pedal away, they are done, and I don't mean that in a negative way, it's just not what they do. They are good in their genre and deliver lots of enjoyment to their fans but they need their tool.
What's wrong with taking computer software and create beats, write lyrics, sing, or rap, and make that all into a song. These are the tools of a new generation. It's all music, whether you like it or not. Musicians use the tools of their times. The art is to deliver a message in a song and entertain the listener. If somebody does that, don't ask how it was done. If you don't like it, don't listen to it but respect it. Music is always honest. It's all about soul. There is no backwards in art. Let art grow. LET THE CHILDREN PLAY.
Good point, well presented!
What songs or pieces of music have a special emotional wibbliwobbliness for you when you hear them?
Bridge Over Troubled Water, Like A Rolling Stone (the Stones version), Here I Go Again (Whitesnake), - Imagine, Take It To the Limit (Etta James version), Funny How Time Slips Away (Al Green version), How Deep Is Your Love (I know, I know, but I have great memories with that song), Love Over Gold (Dire Straits, the whole album), lots of stuff by Pink Floyd, The Doors, Van Morrison and so on ....
Hey, I've been reading your philosophies on your Links page, and I gotta say I agree with them, especially the one about 'Get as much as you can, without taking away from somebody else' - that is so ME!!! Also, the quote from Michael about bad things being part of a learning experience, he also said that to me, almost word for word, when we talked in England on his recent tour. How come you picked out these quotes? Are there any other sayings that have inspired you and the way you live your life?
There are so many wise men we can learn from and plenty of good books. Yeah, and now you can find it on the Internet too. It's all very inspiring. From Socrates to bumper sticker wisdom. I can't get enough of it. Here's another one I like: 'Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocre minds. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence' - Albert Einstein.
Who would you like to work with? What would be your dream line-up and dream gig?
Wow, there are so many people I wanna play with, but, let's see: Mark Knopfler & Michael Schenker on guitars - Aynsley Dunbar on drums - Keith Emerson & Elton John on keys - Freddy Mercury and Sheryl Crow on vocals - Jagger/Richards/McCartney/Lennon/Mozart/Beethoven/Rachmaninov as a songwriter team - Guiseppe Verdi & Brian May as producers - Mooka Rennick as engineer and Batttttty as my personal assistant.
Hmmm... you could probably afford the others, but...
So, what's next in your life? Any unfulfilled ambitions?
I'm open to anything as long as I can be with music. I hope I can grow musically and as a person and I hope somebody out there enjoys what I'm doing. I hope I can live my life in peace without harming the planet or any other form of life.
Any message to the people out there...? Save the Planet, Peace, Love, Rock and Roll, teach your children well, be honest. If everybody would be honest - we all could know the truth. Be yourself and be nice to Batttttty.
Hahahah - yeh! And on that excellent note, I will say thank you for taking part in the interview and good luck with the Endless Jam album and with all the other things going on in your life. 'Be nice to Battttty' - what a sensible, intelligent, level-headed and gorgeous fella you are, and I'm sure our readers will all agree!

For the latest news on 'Summit - The Endless Jam'
and other happenings visit Gunter's website which also has a very comprehensive page of Gear
for all you amp'n'valvaholics... and always remember... 'Be nice to Batttttty'
This interview © Batttttty - 31st March 2004