>> RONNIE LETEKROE ( TNT ) <<

TNT INTERVIEW

By David Madera & Pedro Alonso



Picture from left to right
(David, Pedro, and Ronnie)

The night before filming their DVD

It was just after the TNT show in Bilbao when we met Ronnie LeTekro, guitar hero and mastermind in TNT, in his own hotel room. The interview took place the night before filming their long awaited DVD, entitled “Live In Madrid”.

First of all, I’d like to know why you have chosen Madrid to film the new DVD. Was the great experience you lived there last year the main reason to do it?
Spanish audience is awesome! We feel the same in Scandinavia, Germany and Japan. These are the countries where we find the biggest support. Spanish fans are brilliant!

Last year Madrid’s show was great…
Yeah! It was unforgettable, the same than Lorca Rock Festival. Nice to remember!

Are you going to play an special show in Madrid?
We’re going to play more songs, like “Everyone’s Star”... Unfortunately, the show in Bilbao’s been shorter than Madrid’s.

What bonus features have you included in the DVD?
Our first idea was including backstage features and extra live perform ances.

And what about the new bass player?
His name is Victor Borge and is coming from a band called “Jack in the box”
He’s a really skilful musician and a great guy too. I can advance you that he’s for sure a fix member in the band.

What kind of reaction have the “All The Way To The Sun” songs received in this tour?
The response in Scandinavia was great. However, we have realised lots of fans prefer “My Religion” songs because they feel that this album was more hard rock oriented. “All The Way To The Sun” is more in the vein of Queen.

Do you feel “My Religion” was more connected to your first albums?
Of course, it was.

Could we expect the next album coming back to your roots?
Yes, it will be more heavy. Som e tracks have already been composed and I can ensure it will.

(Then Ronnie picks up his portable player and shows us some of his solo own material)
When will come up your new solo album?
It’s soon to tell, because at the moment I just have the pre-mixes of some tracks.

Who will play in your solo album?
Most of the musicians that played with me in the past will be in the new one as well.

What can you tell me about the experience of playing in Oslo with the Symphonic Orchestra and a Gospel choir?
It was really interesting. Surely you may know how did I experience with different styles in the eighties and in the nineties. As I’ve been into hard rock in the last years, it was really inspiring playing with the Symphonic orchestra.

TNT guys have had lots of projects in the past. I’d like to ask you about Harnell’s Morning Wood or Diesel Dahl’s Tindrum…
They were nice projects because skilful musicians were involved in those projects. But let me tell you that TNT musicians give the very best when we are together under TNT monicker. All the projects have helped us to grow as musicians and mature in our personal lives. TNT is the main job, the projects OK are for the spare time.

Let’s talk about Norway and particularly about Trondheim, cradle from brilliant bands like Stage Dolls, Da Vinci, Return, Dream Police… What’s your opinion about those bands? Do you prefer American or Scandinavian hard rock?
Generally I prefer European hard rock, although I’m a great fan of bands such as Van Halen or Aerosmith. The biggest scene in Europe is located in Italy, Spain… The biggest scene in Norway is the extreme one with bands like Dimmu Borgir, Satyricon, Mayhem, 1349… We have many international bands in Norway. Ah! We can’t forget bands like Turbonegro.

Do you fancy listening to bands like 1349?
Yes! I did produce their album. I like that incredibly brutal sound with howling and dark lyric. It is really blowing! I could not playing that style, but I love listening to it and producing it.

Most of your fans think that your best times came with “Tell No Tales” and the tour with Stryper in the States.
I do agree. It was a bit weird touring with Stryper. They were Christians and threw Bibles to the audience! Meanwhile we were smoking in the backstage. It was a sacrilege! I hate all kind of religions. Rock is the best and most international religion for me. I’m a spiritual guy, but not in the sense of religions!

You don’t have good remembrances from “Realised Fantasies” album. But it contained nice tracks such as “Indian Summer”, “Rain”, “Lionheart”…
Yes, they were good songs. Don’t forget “Easy Street”. We weren’t happy with the production and the sound. However some of the songs were great.

As guitar player you have always been interested in developing your own style. With Beat Heaven Records you released stuff like “Magica Interna” or “Ronnie Letekro and the Evil Elf band”. Have you got more projects in mind?
I’m going to produce a couple of unknown death metal bands. After that, I want to focus on TNT and my solo career. Those releases you mean were very limited, but there won’t be more reissues. They are collectable pieces. I have seen they are being sold for 70 dollars at E-bay.

What do you feel yourself when you see it?
I reckon I could get much more money if I released them, but I  don’t want to lose my credibility.

What are your main influences nowadays?
I like listening to European rock from the seventies. The best period for me was between 1974 and 1978. From the eighties I prefer stuff like Slayer’s “Reign In Blood”.

DAVID MADERA & PEDRO ALONSO