Trula Koalicja

1. Who is in the band now and what are you doing in your normal lives?

 

TK: Trula Koalicija are:

Vocal: Milosh – became a new member few days ago, 25 years old, a student…

Bass: Dule – 24 years old, unemployed…Music is everything for him and apart from Trula Koalicija he has another band-“Boneyard”…

Guitar: Vuja – 44 years old, in the band from the beginning, owns his sound studio and plays in two more bands – “KBO!” and “Zvoncekova Biljeznica”…

Drums: Boban – 47 years old, in the band from the beginning, Vuja’s brother, Physical education teacher, also plays in “KBO!” and “Zvoncekova Biljeznica”…

 

2. Trula Koalizija started in the mid-80ies. Can you describe us in what athmosphere you started the band? What were your hopes by building a Punk-band in former Yugoslavia? How was the Punk-scene organised these days?

 

TK: The band was formed by ex-vocal Skaki, who is the author of all the lyrics of the band and who only wanted to realize his ideas on the tapes in the beginning…He asked the Vujic brothers for help and they were eager to help and then during the time the band came to life! It all began as kidding and then it turned out to be one of the best YU punk bands ever!

The lyrics were then the most powerful weapon of the band and very soon it became famous in every part of the ex-YU. The lyrics “hit” where everybody was silent, so the popularity grew from day to day. The punk scene and generally the punk population of that time were more sincere and “honest” than today; nowdays kids have never heard of the Sex Pistols, The Clash, Dead Kennedys…Many people think that punk originated from bands like NOFX and Green Day.

 

3. Why is the band still existing after 24 years and lots of changes, wars, time?

 

TK: The reason why the band has existed all these years is very simple: 50% of the band consists of the Vujic brothers who make 75% of the band “KBO!”(the oldest punk band in Serbia and ex-YU). That very strong basis doesn’t allow the band to fall apart. The life of every man is very unpredictable – job, girlfriend, marriage, wars…it all effects on drastic changes in everyone as well as in musicians and members of all the bands, even in Trula Koalicija! There must be at least one man in every band who pushes the band to go further and keep it alive…If it wasn’t for the Vujic brothers, the band would fall apart long time ago!

 

 

4. If you compare the Punkscene of the 80ies and your thoughts than about your life and the time now: What changed? What seems to be the same?

 

TK: Many things have changed – 25 years ago it was very hard to get punk music, it wasn’t on the radio, TV; fanzines were the only source for informations on punk happenings! The Internet didn’t exist, mail was the only way of communication and all those things were positive, so there hadn’t been “lost” people at the punk scene! You had to make some efforts to be the part of something called PUNK! Today the situation is completely different and there is very small number of true, honest young punkers who know the real meaning of that movement. Today a young man can decide by a simple click of the “mouse” if he’s going to become Hip-Hop, Heavy, Rap or Punk…Everything is available, whether it’s the Internet, Tv or radio. No “effort” is needed to get the entrance at the punk scene and the punk scene is not so pure any more, it’s all mixed up and blended. It’s very hard to hear some new band who has an idea which is not the copy of the copy or the clone of some clone! The idea is important and they is less and less present!

 

 

5. On your myspace you tell us about your lyrics and that the lyrics were mistaken with hatred and nationalism. For what stands Trula Koalizija?

 

TK: Trula Koalicija was the first band to sing about many things which were forbidden to talk about or to sing about. It was judged because of that by governing party as well as by the opposition. The concerts were cancelled, posters took down, and many boycotted… Because of the bad interpretation of texts, many thought that we were mercenaries of some radical, right-oriented parties, and some of them thought the opposite – that we were violent descendants and propagators of ultra left-oriented parties! And the truth is very simple – we are the ordinary men who were never in politics, but we are not blind and cowards to bring out the political shit through our songs and in a very cynical way! Our songs are mostly connected to the ordinary man whom we depict from love to the politics; but through the texts which are made of very strong and well chosen words; Skaki was meritorious for that. He’s very appreciated for that by punk population and even wider…

 

6. I really love the dark and sad sound, that remembers me on Cold Wave bands like Brygada Kryzys or Dezerter. Why do you use this sound? Is there a clear concept or is it just a 1,2,3, go/ we play, what we can play - sound? What are your influences?

 

TK: It’s very hard to talk about who influenced us the most, especially because we watch for the punk scene from the start. It’s hard to remember which band delighted us at the time when Trula Koalicija was beginning to work, but what is sure and follows us till today is that we always loved strong, uncompromising bands who can make a great song from three riffs.

It can be said that we’ve all always loved The Exploited, but there is the impact of Sisters of Mercy, Joy Division, Ac/Dc…There are many influences…

 

7. What can you tell us about you logo? What are your thoughts by using it?

 

TK: Our logo was made by one of the leading Serbian designers Vidan Papic. He likes what we do, he even took part at few concerts with us as a musician. Logo is very simple, resolute and clear! It flirts with Hitler’s idea and then you can see how small the difference between the “red star” and the “swastika” is! Communism as well as nacism is a disaster and we especially felt it here in our country through the history. We are sorry P.O.D. have stolen that logo from us and it’s not so strange since one of their members is from Subotica (the town in the north Serbia)…Here, on the territory of ex-YU everybody knows it’s our symbol, we’d like it to be known all over the world!

 

8. What were the happiest days you had with your band?

 

TK: Trula Koalicija is the band you won’t find on TV, radio, newspapers… We’re always happy when we have more visitors at our concerts than some bands which are advertised every day on the national TV. Few months ago we played in Ljubljana (Slovenia), the entrance was expensive (20€) like it was Metallica or some other MTV band. Many people came, not only from Slovenia but from Croatia and there were even many from Serbia…The atmosphere was great and it was one of our happier days when you can see at one place so many different people singing our songs together.

 

 

9. What future do you see for you and your band?

 

TK: It’s in the first place for us to complete our album which we have been working on for several years because many years have passed since our last studio album. We also hope that visas will not be needed any more and that we will be able to play more easily outside our boundaries, maybe in your country, too.

 

 

Best regards from Vuja and the band Trula Koalicija! Cheers!!!

 

Questions by Gunter

 

http://www.myspace.com/397172111