Interviews: Toxic Pub

On this new occasion, we had the opportunity to interview the Thrash Metal/Groove Metal band Toxic Pub from Greece. Check out the interview and follow this band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name? Did you plan it, or did it just happen that way? 

We wanted a name that felt like something we could build a community around, something reflective of who we are. Toxic Pub perfectly described the character and vibe we were aiming for, so once it came up, it just stuck.

2. Why did you want to play this genre? 

Thrash metal is our roots, it’s what we grew up listening to and what pushed us to deeply explore our instruments and seek out people to play this fast music with. Of course, there’s also plenty of vibrant shades of groove and death metal, so we can go through all the stank faces.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed? 

I (Andriano) knew Mitsos since elementary school. During our early teens, we started playing together in Mitsos’ garage; in short, we all met together after our previous lead guitarist, Stephanos, happened to be at a rooftop party, where, while conversing, he asked us if we would like to join Toxic Pub. We met George at our first rehearsal, where many of the riffs that would end up in “To Not Die Blind” were showcased by George and Stephanos. We immediately started jamming out the songs and began the process of writing our debut album.

4. Each band member's favourite band? 

Incredibly hard to answer this one. There are so many bands across all genres that it is impossible to pick one as the sole favourite. Let’s go with Megadeth if we have to; we think metal owes a lot to this band.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs? 

Our inspiration comes from life experiences, worldview, personal struggles, and generally anything that grips us emotionally or intellectually. The lyrical themes on “To Not Die Blind” lean toward the dark and reflective side because that’s where we find a lot of the energy for expression.

6. Where was your last gig? 

Our last concert was in Volos, on the 15th of June. It was a very exciting experience, we felt very comfortable playing there, the crowd gave us a proper metal welcome for our first time in Volos, we can’t wait to be back there this May!

7. Where would you like to act? 

Wherever people are ready to fuck shit up.

8. Whom would you like to feature with? 

If we could pick dead or alive, Doom Metal with Pavarotti.

9. Whom not? 

Fascist scumfucks that think that Neo-Nazi music is actually music.

10. Have any of you ever suffered from stage fright? Any tips for beginners on how to beat that? 

Of course we have. We still have our moments where, even though our minds are clear and we feel confident in what we do, our bodies react to the stress before we even get to feel stressed. Unfortunately, there is no tip that’ll actually help, as all things, if something scares you, then do it scared; it isn’t a feeling that completely goes away, you just learn to deal with it much better!

11. What bands have inspired you the most? 

Starting Toxic Pub, we were very inspired by the Big Four and other bands like Pantera and Sepultura, but as time passes, we draw inspiration from everywhere, even from sources that are not metal at all, or from things that are not even music. We feel that we have every tool we need to write what we want to express, so after this, what comes next is life and experience; a song can be written in 6 months or in 6 hours because of some life-changing event.

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for? 

Didn’t really ask us for anything. He just jumped on stage, headbanged for half an hour, stepped on pedals he shouldn’t have, and acted like he was ejaculating during solos. Pretty interesting, what a guy.

13. What do you think of your fans? 

There’s a real connection between the people who come to our live shows. You can feel it during the set, and it often carries on afterward with great conversations and lots of beer. Amazing fellas!

14. What do you think of our site?

Websites like yours are very important for the underground scene, it serves both the bands and the listeners who want to see what exactly is going on in the underground, I’d say 8 out of 10. Not enough porn for an internet website.

15. Something to add?

We’re currently organizing a series of live shows across Greece and internationally to share our new material with audiences in person. Getting back on stage is something we’ve really been looking forward to. Stay tuned for all the shows we’re going to announce; it’ll be insanely exciting. Also, our 2nd record is almost done being written, so you’re going to hear news of this pretty soon! Thank you for having us guys!

Support independent metal journalism — Visit the official BTC store