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AN INTERVIEW WITH�
HEINIE FROM BITCH ALERT.

SO WHO IS IN BITCH ALERT AND WHAT DOES EACH MEMBER DO?
Heinie - vocals, guitars, Kimmo - bass, Maritta - drums. Heinie composes about 50% of the songs and the rest is made together. All the lyrics are written by Heinie.
HOW DID YOU ALL MEET AND COME TO FORM A BAND TOGETHER?
Maritta and I have known each other since we were 8 years old, we've been playing barbies together and stuff. We started to listen bands like Guns 'n Roses and Metallica and it slipped to Nirvana and other grunge based bands and rriot grrl bands and we thought that we could do it too. We started in 1997 as an all girl trio, but our former bass player left the band. Kimmo joined the group in the beginning of 1999.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE OF MUSIC?
Aggressive rock with the underground rriot bitch attitude.
WHO ARE YOUR INFLUENCES?
When we started the band, mostly late 80's - early 90's grunge and rriot grrl bands like Nirvana, Mudhoney, Sonic Youth, Hole, L7, Babes In Toyland, Melvins etc. but nowadays I don't consider anything or anyone as our definite influence anymore. We love different kind of bands, f.ex. Shellac and Blonde Redhead are my favorites, but also punk music and some
rythm stuff. It's good that the scale becomes more colorful I think. We are sounding more like ourselves now.
YOU WERE ORIGINALLY CALLED BITCH. WHEN AND WHY DID YOU LATER CHANGE YOUR NAME TO BITCH ALERT?
There were too many bitches in the world alredy! Yeah, in fact there had been a band called Bitch before and we didn't want to get confused with them so when we signed our record deal, we added the alert to our name.
YOU'VE JUST RELEASED YOUR DEBUT ALBUM, '..RRIOT', HERE IN THE UK. WHERE DID THE NAME FOR THE ALBUM COME FROM?
Rriot is k00l word and it sounds even better when finnish people say it with loads of R's!
WHAT CAN FANS EXPECT FROM IT?
Great songs, angry attitude and beautiful melodies. Lots of feelings.
HOW HAS IT GONE DOWN WITH THE MUSIC PRESS?
We're kinda surprised that so many people have noticed us. Mostly the reviews have been good or even great, but sure there's some sceptic reviews too and we think it's nice, because it tells us that we've made people react.
IT WAS RECORDED ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO. WHEN WILL YOU BE RELEASING SOME BRAND NEW MATERIAL?
We have already recorded some new material, but dunno yet when it's coming out in UK.
THE NEXT UK SINGLE WILL BE 'MONDAY'. WHAT IS THE TRACK ABOUT?
It's the feeling about monday morning. When you just have to start the week again, start the things again, get yourself together again. It happens to me almost every day, every day can be fucking monday to you. Really energetic song, though!
YOU'VE BEEN OVER HERE RECENTLY TOURING WITH 3 COLOURS RED. HOW DID THE TOUR GO?
It was amazing experience for us. We got along with the guys really well and everything went perfectly. We learned a lot I could do that again any day!
IF YOU COULD PLAY WITH ANY BAND IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?
Hard question, cuz there's so many great bands. Personally I would like to see Blonde Redhead and Shellac on tour with us, but I think Sonic Youth would do the trick too. Or Mudhoney. Or Iron Maiden, he he.
DO YOU GET NERVOUS BEFORE GOING ON STAGE?
Yes. It's a good thing because then you know you still care. And the show is always better if you have sit in the toilet for the last four hours before it!
HOW DO YOU STRUCTURE YOUR SET?
We do the set list always just before the gig. Starting with some energetic songs, then some slower ones and then energetic again and then two very intensive songs full of desperate feelings and the last song is usually Loveson so that I can throw my guitar away and just scream my brains out in the end.
WHICH TRACK DO YOU MOST ENJOY PERFORMING?
It depend. God Doesn't Like Me is cool and Heroine is cool and Loveson is cool. But we enjoy the whole set.
WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU DO AFTER A GIG?
Open a beer, wipe out the sweat from our faces and carry the equipment away if there's another band going on stage after us. Then we usually party.
IS IT DISHEARTENING ON THE NIGHTS FEW PEOPLE TURN UP TO SEE YOU?
We've got use to that along all these years we've been doing this. I think it's important to play the show even if there was only one person to see us, because maybe she's the one who will tell about us to all her friends and so on.. We're always trying to do our best on stage. Of course sometimes you get frustrated or exhausted, specially when you've been touring a long time, but we still try to get 100% out of us every night.
WILL YOU BE PLAYING ANY OF THE SUMMER FESTIVALS?
Not this year. Hopefully next year, though!
HOW DO BRITISH AUDIENCES COMPARE WITH CROWDS FROM YOUR NATIVE FINLAND?
In Britain there's more active crowd. In Finland people are more distant to bands. They don't come to you after the show and ask for a photos or autographs that much.
WHO ARE YOUR FAVOURITE BRITISH BANDS AT THE MOMENT?
At this point I have to say 3 Colors Red cuz they were so kind to us. They're our favorite boys at the moment! and so is Hollywood Ending. Boring answer I guess!
MUSICALLY AND LYRICALLY, WHICH OF THE SONGS YOU'VE WRITTEN IS YOUR FAVOURITE?
Musically I prefer God Doesn't Like Me. Lyrically I like Rockets. It's a story that happens very often: when you try to escape from your real life, it just always drags you back. And I like Sunsets You Know both musically and lyrically. It's a story about people who don't see the good things around them and can't never let go. They're gonna miss so much in their lives. And Dirty White which is pretty personal song for me.
WOULD YOU EVER CONSIDER DOING ANY COVERS?
Yeah, we've done one cover of the finnish band called Sielun Veljet. It was pretty interesting to sing in finnish.. And we've done Kim Wylde's Kids in America. But we don't like doing covers that much. We have enough own songs.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT YOU COULD MAKE AS A BAND?
Release our albums in as many countries as possible and play intensive shows around the world. And develope our musical skills, write better songs and so on.
IS THE BAND NOW YOUR FULL TIME CAREER OR DO YOU STILL HAVE OTHER JOBS TOO?
Maritta is studying and Kimmo has a day job. I'm the only one at the moment who doesn't do anything but the music. But our band is the number one priority for us all at the moment.
WHICH DO YOU ENJOY DOING THE MOST� WRITING SONGS, RECORDING THEM OR PLAYING THEM LIVE?
Playing live absolutely! We love sweaty, aggressive and intensive live shows.
WHAT FIRST MADE YOU WANT TO PICK UP A GUITAR AND JOIN/FORM A BAND?
Music has always been big part of my life. I played cello for seven years before I changed to guitar. Me and Maritta also played piano. Starting a band was really natural thing to do. We were listening to rock music and wanted to do it by our selves too. Like everybody who forms a band, we wanted to do it better and express our feelings!
WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR ANYONE THINKING ABOUT STARTING UP A BAND?
Go for it! Get your ideas together and find people who think the same way of things and just do it. And rehearse a lot and push your band ahead, try to get gigs and interviews and people listening your music.
Thank you, pink bunnies!
--heiniE / bitch alert

ALL QUESTIONS BY SCREAMING TARTS.

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