Band: Got Blue Balls?!
Hometown: from Sliac to LA
Genre: Rock and Roll
Here are the members of the band:
Mike Minar - lead vocals
Dzurko Orawetz - guitar, vocals
Stanka Apfelova - bass, vocals
Richard Mikus - drums
Live member: Boris Štefánik - synth, vocals
General Manager/Booking Agent: Michal Očovan
Below Mike Minar is representing the band by answering the some of the group questions:
1. What inspired you guys to play music?
Mike: I am not sure what exactly. I guess the bands we were listening to when we were younger and the local bands, plus our friends we were growing up with. It is hard to say it for everybody in the band because everybody has his own story. For me, it was my father‘s good taste in music and his guitar I was always staring at and thinking that one day I’m gonna be playing this guitar. The guitar is older then me and it is a part of our family. So, I guess that made me think of music and pushed me to play.
2. How has music changed your life?
Mike: Well music is something you can identify with and you can connect it with every feeling people have and it always helped people to get through any situation in their life’s. I think without music the world would be just cold and grey. It helped us be open more with the world and it is the soundtrack of our life’s. It makes you stronger and more passionate. It is the most beautiful pieces of art.
3. What bands do you guys listen to and how have they shaped your music?
Mike: It changes from time to time but mostly we listen to rock music. For myself, I listen to a lot of stuff we would not do in our music, but I guess that's what makes you be more creative and helps you to create something more different. These days, you don't wanna sound like 1,000 other Rock'n'Roll bands. For a musician, is very helpful to be open for something different. During the creation of our debut album, we used to listen to a lot of stoner rock, blues and rock'n'roll bands. Everybody has his own favorite bands they like to listen to. At that time, I used to listen to a lot of Marilyn Manson, Lost prophets, Slipknot, Nine Inch nails, PJ Harvey, Melissa Auf Der Maur and to a lot of other bands. Now a year later, we are making new songs that sound heavier with more punk, and hardcore, but it is still us in those songs. You should grow with music and your music should grow with you. You have to believe in what you are doing. When you feel right about it, that is the way it should be.
4. What advice do you guys have for others that want to pursue in music as their career?
Mike: I guess there is nothing specific to tell. Do what you like and give it everything. I recall what Free Dominguez, from Kidney Thieves told me once: "You have to believe in what you are doing. You are gonna eat shit, but at the end it was worth it". You have to just try hard and push yourself even it looks bad. Don't give up on what you believe in.
5. Where did you guys get the idea for the name of your band?
Mike: I think all you guys know what it means (hehe). Few years ago, I was working in Chicago
6. What do you guys want your fans to know about you that they might not know already?
Mike: We are working on new songs, planning a festival tour during next summer, hope it is gonna be huge. I am still single, so girls feel free to contact me (haha :D). Oh and something more intimate: the song called heart of a rock'n'roll used to be called Kings of California
7. What are you thinking when you guys are on stage?
Mike: Most of the time I don’t think at all. This is the only time I switch my mind off and I just let go. It is a wonderful feeling to have the opportunity to feel free somewhere. That is the stage for me. Especially to see hundreds of people standing in front of you that are having a good time watching you play, that is one of the best feelings you can ever get and you don’t really need to think in that moment.
Dzurko: I try to enjoy the atmosphere as much as I can. For most of the time, I don’t even think because the atmosphere totally overwhelms me. It is pretty nice and funny to watch videos of our shows afterwards. There is always something new that surprises us.
Richard: During the concerts, I am totally focused on what I am playing and following the metronome I have in my in ear monitors.
Boris: When I am on stage, I just feel the music structures flooding around me.
Stanka: Just like Mike mentioned, when I walk on stage and I start playing. I switch my mind off and it often happens that I don’t pay attention to the world around me. For example, I think that every musician that walks on stage feels well even if he is really sick. It is a positive state of mind.
8. What does your family think of your music?
Mike: They take it little different as I do. They wanted me to be a good IT guy, I guess. But, now I think they respect what I am doing. My Brother likes it and he is with us sometimes on shows and is helping us out with some stuff, it is cool. I think they all like it, even they don’t really tell me (hehe).
Richard: My family likes the music we play. They are totally standing behind me.
Boris: In my family, there is only my father and brother who understand what i am doing and why i like it. When I was younger, my father told me everything about what he knows about music in 70's and the classical music, my brother told me about Marilyn Manson or prodigy and stuff like that. So I think that this kind of connection between us makes both of them fully stand behind me. The other members of my family are proud of me because I am doing what I like and I am doing it as best as I can.
Stanka: I live for music and my parents brought me to it. They always supported me in what I was doing and they still are supporting me. When we play somewhere near by our so called "home town“they are attending our shows. They are huge fans of ours.
Dzurko: My father attended just two of my concerts, since I am playing music. The first time was when I was 15 years old. I was playing with my old band at a local bar and we were playing some covers. He told me that it was good, but after that he stopped to come to our shows. The only thing he was telling me was that I should stop putting money in new instruments and music. 10 years later he just came to see our show and he realized that I am not a 15 year old kid anymore and I take it seriously. After that situation, he is supporting us as much as he can.
9. What is your favorite food that you guys eat when you are on tour?
Mike: Mostly it is wine (haha). I think there isn't any special meal we enjoy on tour. We take what we get. You stop at a gas station and buy some snacks, nothing really like food, it is mostly fast food :D, but when we were on tour with the Shifoomies band in France
10. Which song is your favorite that you guys created together as a band?
Mike: I think it is always the newest one: D I don’t know, everybody has his own favorite song. "Heart of a rock'n'roll", is a strong song, when we play it live. I would say that "Devil in Bed" is the one.
