For those that aren’t familiar with STARGASM can you tell us a little about the band, who are STARGASM and how did you all meet?

It all started with a few instrumental tracks posted on MySpace. The tracks were written, programmed, and recorded by Schmerz Meister (aka Listan of ROTTEN CROSS). He tried to combine dance music with heavy guitars, and judging from the response these tracks received on MySpace, it worked. Most comments had the same question: what about the vocals? So the first lyrics were written about a rebel battleship roaming the ‘endless seas of space’, because the music was so out-of-this-world. Can you guess, which songs were written first?

By that time, Schmerz Meister had written and recorded three albums for ROTTEN CROSS (a symphonic black metal project). He tried screaming vocals for STARGASM, but it limited potential audiences. So, after a few auditions, Mad Commander was chosen to join the project. The search on MySpace landed Iron Fist on bass and Angelique Pleasures on vocals. Thus, the first ineup of STARGASM was complete.

Soon we realized that for live shows, Angelique had to play keyboards. But, due to her unwillingness, we decided to replace her with Princesse DeGlace, whose strong vocal abilities and musicianship made our choice a no-brainer.
This lineup recorded the full length CD in 2007. However, after playing several live shows, it became apparent that to strengthen the image of the band, Mad Commander and Iron Fist had to leave. They were immediately replaced by bassist Gunblade Knight and guitarist Atrum Cupido, whose vocals are very similar to Mad Commander’s, so Atrum will sing his vocals parts during live shows without compromising the original sound.

And how did you decide on the name STARGASM or dare I ask?

When the title track was created, the imagery it conveyed was so beautiful and powerful, almost climactic. It’s the most intense pleasure a human body can experience. We think that the name fits our music perfectly.

What made you want to be in the music business and is it all that you expect it to be? What are the highs and lows?

There is more ‘business’ than ‘music’ in today’s music scene. We put more emphasis on music. We want to create something fresh, a completely new style of music, which will appeal to everybody: dance beats for pop fans, heavy guitars for metalheads, neoclassical guitar leads and operatic vocals for experienced listeners, synth effects for techno lovers… We didn’t have any illusions about the business from the beginning. It’s OK, as long as we can cover our expenses.

The best part is the flattering feedback we receive about our music from listeners and music professionals. The downside is when we hear: “We love your music, but we don’t know how to market it.”

How important has MySpace been to the band as I read on your profile that when STARGASM first started out there were no vocals and that after some instrumental tracks were posted on MySpace you were inundated with requests to add them.

MySpace has played a major role in making our music heard all over the world. It has become one of the few significant venues for new artists to show their talents. The positive response we’ve received from listeners on MySpace is what motivates us the most. We believe that the internet is the future of the music business, so we’re launching our official website by the end of March 2008. Check it out: www.stargasmband.com.

Who writes the songs and where do you get your inspiration from?

Schmerz Meister and our manager/producer Mr. D. wrote all songs on our first album. Melodies and ideas for songs are the product of our imagination. They sort of pop up, and all we have to do is write them down and record them. When a song is being written, it’s like a journey into the unknown: we don’t know what the final result is going to be.

Do you find it easy to write?

Yes. We still a lot of unused melodies that we recorded over the last six months, and about a dozen themes that we would like to explore lyrically.

Is there one song that you wish you had written and why?

We would love to write a song, which gives multiple orgasms to everybody who listens to it.

When you were a child, who did you listen to musically and do you own any embarrassing CD’s, and if so would you admit it?

Just to name a few: Black Sabbath, Slade, Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Scorpions, Ozzy, Stratovarius, Rammstein, Marilyn Manson, Nightwish, Dimmu Borgir, Cradle Of Filth… And Schmerz Meister owns the first Britney Spears CD.

What was it like to play your first gig and where was it?

The first show on Earth took place at The Box Office on July 14, 2007. We brought a truckload of sound and light equipment, set it all up, had a proper soundcheck, and played seven songs from our first album. You can look at the picture from that show on our MySpace page. We felt great, being able to finally see the faces of our fans and hear them cheer.

You opened for The Birthday Massacre last year and in March of this year you opened for W.A.S.P, what was it like to open for them?

We crave every opportunity to feature our music before any audience. However, The Birthday Massacre show was very special for us. When we first started thinking about playing live shows, The Birthday Massacre came up as the most likely choice to fit our unusual style of music. Our dream came true on September 24, 2007. We were happy to notice that during our entire performance not one person moved away from the stage. And the cheer of so many people was a pleasant surprise. We were also asked for our first autographs after the show.

But it was the W.A.S.P. show that finally brought us up to the attention of the Las Vegas press. We really enjoyed the publicity and the record sales of our merchandise that night.

Is there one band that you dream of opening for and where would the dream venue be?

We’d love to open for Pain, Dope Stars Inc., and Deathstars at the Madison Square Garden three nights in a row, each night with a different band. That’s our dream.

Do you ever get nervous before a show?

It is more a feeling of excitement than nervousness. Why worry? If something goes wrong, it’s beyond our control: the show must go on.

Any plans to play any part of Europe or are you concentrating on building up a fanbase in the USA?

We had some invitations to play in Europe, but it could destroy us financially. So, for now, we’ll try to secure an American tour backing a national band.

Do you enjoy playing live or would you rather be a band that sells lots of CD’s and spends time in the studio?

Yes, we do enjoy playing live, and we’d love to make our shows more elaborate with large screens, pyrotechnics, etc. But we cannot do it without selling CDs and spending time in the studio. We think that both aspects are equally important, yet playing live is a lot more fun and exciting.

You seem to have a very strong 80’s style goth/rock look, how important is your image and do you spend a lot on it?

Our image is very important to us and our fans. We believe there’s nothing exciting in seeing a band perform in their street clothes. It’s like they don’t even try to entertain their fans, as if they’re saying: “Look at us: we’re just about the music…” Well, then their fans can just go and buy their CD, instead of coming to their show.

We’re not going to go all crazy like Gwar or Lordi, but we feel that our fans deserve a lot more than coming to see the band just play music. So it takes some time to get our costumes and make-up ready for the show.

Is there a new CD coming out in the near future and what can we expect from it?

Yes, we’re writing and recording songs for our new CD. It should be released by the end of 2008. Samples of the new songs may appear on MySpace and our official site as soon as May 2008. Our new bassist Gunblade Knight is actively participating in creation of the new material. Our signature sound will not change: METAL YOU CAN DANCE TO – that’s what STARGASM does best!

Where can we catch you playing in the next few months?

Definitely in Las Vegas. There are also a couple of offers to support a national band on tour in CA, AZ, TX, etc. Any dates will be announced on our website as soon as we confirm them.

Interview written by: JJ