Interview with rock journalist and rock photgrapher
ANTON CHERNYSHEVICH
Hello dear Anton,
Welcome to the interviews with Rocket Queen. It`s my pleasure having you for an interview. So here`s some questions for you as well. Thanks in advance for answering. Hope you like the ones I sent – and if you have to add or change something feel free to add/change.
Please introduce yourself to my readers first.
Anton:
Hallo, Susi!!!!!!!!!!! Guten Tag und almost Abend, and let me say, it is cool to be interviewed by you)! I run rock magazine mainly these days, www.rock-dog.com which is a rock, metal and all in-between magazine. I also have this www.rock-faces.com which is full of photography from rock events and all of that kind. I also like doing street pictures or anything unplanned and it is better to be seen at www.dakota-river.com – just spontaneous stuff from streets, yards, homes, places and so on, thus I never get my vision narrowed to rock only J Within rock genre I also like to take pictures which show people in a different than typical ROCKy way, with a serious face, or something pretending, no, I don’t like this, so I try to get them laughing their guts off, or involve them somehow to do something. For example, last time it was drawing a dog by the band Poisonblack from Finland, and that was cool and home style atmosphere around it. It works much better if you get someone involved into action, just as a reason to make him or her relax and forget about the look, clothing, face, and all this stuff which doesn’t matter that much neither now nor in the end. I travel around a bit, to Finland mainly these days, taking interviews, finding rock stars of tomorrow and trying to approach the stars of today, too J you see, I do not try too hard, to get big names, because young bands are often very cool in human sense, very enthusiastic about their music and stuff, and still down-to-earth guys, so I don’t wait ‘til they grow global and become tired and unavailable)))
Also, I send letters to here and there to some exotic corners of the world, to see if there is anyone there in music sense, rocking and firing on stage. Indonesia, New Zealand, Australia, Antarctica… Kidding)))
If a band plays what each of the members feel like really, if they are true about what they are doing, enjoying the music game, then it’s okay, doesn’t matter what genre it might be tagged like, then I go for it and try to connect and get them to talk and have my part of fun, too, haha)))) Because whatever we do, it should be something easy going, as I understand it. At least, these days I realize it this way. No failure really, if some band says NO, okay, there is someone else coming to you, anyway, so you go and feel the wind going along and listening to some tunes as well. Things go okay if one doesn’t twist the hands of the flow too much, you know what I mean?)) Sure, you know)!
Do you want to give us a short introduction about the city you live in/you grow up in? (Only if you like if it’s too personal I surely understand)
Anton:
Sure, I live in St. Petersburg, it is a big city life, with its running here and there, and I actually don’t mind)) I sometimes also get carried away with the rhythm of this unnaturally fast kind, but then I stop and feel like, okay, enough of jogging for today, I have to check out the taste of air tonight and sniff some roses, too, as far as it is summer and as far as I am a Rock Dog, after all)))hah
Anton:
Both are not too old dudes, like the first one is a month old, so he is sorry as he got no authority of those dinosaurs existing for decades))) it is fresh youngster, with enthusiasm and interest to ask for stuff which is not all about music and songwriting but more on the other side, more informal and focused on what is going on right now – on the good talk, plain talk, some pepper, some sea salt, some dry mango and may be curry too – and absolutely no shit. Okay, almost!))) So what matters is people, not the genre or style or outlook, but energy. It is sort of cool if we happen to use it somehow better than habitual destructive way. Rock-faces.com is what I photograph in rock and metal. Trying to catch the moments when the musician or singer is lost within his feeling, not pretending to be, but really is, and it can be understood well from his eyes. Eyes is one of those exits for inner energy, you know. So when you focus really on the person on stage, not that you have to be very intense, no, just the opposite, relaxed, but concentrated, and then you sort of become that guy on stage and can predict, what will be his next move and follow him and catch the moment with camera… hahaha I am feeling like a damn lecturer on rock shooting!))) You see, that’s what I was warning you about – give me place to hold a speech and there will be an acute need in some tool to shut this all up))) So I do it better right now))
Well, so since you started which were the biggest stars you already interviewed for your rock-dogs.com Magazine yet? Anton:
The biggest name? Well, how to measure the name? by sales, by charts, by media coverage? I would leave it to the readers who take time to read stuff, not run thru that, and even if so, I do it because I like it, so no one has to read if one doesn’t feel like that. I started both because I personally like that, there is no mission or statement behind it, although at the header of the rock-dog.com it says something like no news, no rumors, no shit, just rock’n’roll))) that only means, I really do not deal with daily news. First reason is that it is tiresome for people to read so much, and all news come to the page of account of the band anyway, and second is, that I want to talk over things which show the personality, not just the musician, but person, you know, with his or her thoughts, worries and hopes, ups and downs and positive thinking all in all, because If we open up more than we do, probably we will see that everyone has the same shit kind of problems, or better say, wrong thinking, leading to problems, and then it all becomes a really funny situation, we see same problems revealed and then we stop to pretend and show off so intensely. It is about of freedom taste, may be, or may be I am totally wrong, but it is okay anyway J)) I mean, words, they always lead us into lots of troubles and interpreting them is different for all of people thru prism of their mind, so let’s better look at pictures than at words)))) may be this is one of the reasons, I have this rock-faces.com only stuffed with pictures and no words – because then it is less reason to argue with each other over opinions and all that shit. You watched the movie Apocalypse Now by Francis Coppola? Classics. One of the guys there, Kurtz, he says, have you ever been free from opinion - from anyone else’s opinion, and, which is more important, from your own?) Good idea! J And which bands or musicians do you like to talk to most in the near future?
Anton:
I find it cool to talk to absolutely unknown (unknown to me, for sure) bands and people in music these days, if we talk about Rock Dog magazine. It is entertaining activity for me, so I want to keep it a mystery for myself, too, and I like the unknown ones, really.
For sure there are bands I would like to ask stuff from, if they come on the way, or it happens by some unexpected way, but it’s really okay, if I never see them – they have their business and their wishes, and I am not necessarily on the list of those ))))) hahah
You already done some stunning band photos. It was really great to go through your photography’s. I think you must be really proud that Jeff Waters used one of your pics for one of his promo-postings at Facebook, aren`t you?Anton:
Thank you very much, Susi, for your super words about the pictures, good that you have fun looking at it, I do, too, and I find it really cool that Jeff took one, at least this expression on his face was so beast-like and thrashing, that he could not resist, I guess)))) haha anyway, we owe to Jeff for his ability and artistic drive for making faces like this. Actually, all you have to do is just not to sleep much, relax and catch the moments while standing near the stage in the pit.
While talking about photos. So which year do you take the pic of Jeff´s cool hellish grin? And is there any pro tips on how catching such moments on pictures?
Anton:
"It was this year’s Jalometalli festival in Oulu, Finland. 7th or 8th August. Good weather, good music and super cool Jeff. He got so much energy in stock, and he is such a cool man, really, no posing, no shit, just pure thrasher and guitar crusher."
When did you learn to take pictures? Did you take a class or did you learn it yourself? And did you start with nature pics first or with band pictures first? So what`s the most inspiring thing for you when taking pictures?
Anton:
I think I have been with camera for last three years and two as regular shooting. First what I did was as usual – buy a lot of books on how to become a pro, but I never read any and sold them all brand new))) haha too boring for me to read how to do something if I can just go and do it))) so it’s like if you love it, you will learn naturally, it’s easy really. No secrets behind, just you and your passion is more than enough. It should be fun, first of all, and shots should reveal energy of a person, I keep this as criteria for myself. My mother used to work as a journalist and she now does great pictures, too, in daily life style, when time allows, so may be stuff like this is just a heritage or inherited from DNA or how’s that called)))! Ahah but I never liked to learn anything really, I think it is cool to do your own way, totally)) but any other way is okay, I just talk of how I like it))
What was the idea about your homepage rubric “Draw A Dog”? Could you explain it to my readers please?
Anton:
It is just that I ask the band to draw a dog for me))haha It is the website called rock dog, so here I am asking for their interpretation of a dog, just give them a paper and a pen, and here comes a old school doggie))) just fun)! Some people sent dogs by facebook, and I will publish them soon. It is cool so you are welcome too, just draw me a dog, Susi!))) Bitte))) hahah you see? If you hadn’t asked, you would not have to draw it now)))))
Do you also plan on starting to review CDs as well or publishing band news to your pages? Or do you want to carry on with the rubrics you already have? Or do you want to work on something new in the future? Any plans so far?Anton:
No, as for news, I won’t, I focus on things that do not go by that quickly, and I run it alone, so it would be me exhausted in a day or two. I think there are resources more suitable for this activity than mine, and I do what others don’t – not because I want to stand out, no, but because it is just what I like doing. Some slow talk, some fun, and some relaxed stuff. The website is clean and easy, yes, it is fresh and not too much content there, but anyway, if it is updated every day, it is a hard chance that you will keep on reading it all, right? You have other things to do, anyway, so it is like that))) fun, easy, plain talking, and dog-drawing))))haha of course it is not limited by that, so if anything comes, I put it there, but mostly it can cover everything, but news. News … they become old the moment they are born, aren’t they?)))) so we keep timeless and newsless diet for rock doggy)))
You have lots of things going on you have a page where you post about street stuff and also a page where you post male and fe-male portraits. Would you like to tell us something more about those projects, please?
Anton:
Those are places, like warehouses for this kind of pictures. I go out and if I have a camera with me I can do some stuff. Not that I am looking or hunting for any on purpose, but if it comes the way I go, then I can probably make a pic. Sometimes not, because it is good to just enjoy the moment and not try to own it, or necessarily make shots of it. Good exercise to not develop art kind of greed, you know)))) you come to some awesome Norwegian fjord, and you have a camera, and you sit still there with eyes closed and make no single picture))))))))ahahaha that’s fun, that’s what makes experience cooler than it could be))) fjord is fjord, it will be there quite okay with you or without. But this sort of fun is really something changing approach) You sort of deal with temptation to shoot cool stuff but you don’t and just enjoy it instead, with all feelings you got. That’s probably a thing to try) hahah yes, I do female and male portraits (for some reason I got female ones so far, but all males are welcome, surely!))) as well, and that is fun time too. Its different. I don’t like studio light neither do I like posing, even if you re posing, it is good if we start with this, but along the time we start to go into that and forget about making pictures, in fact we don’t, we just have good time, and that should really be so, not a cover but truly so, a game, and there should not be something like ‘awww, how much time left, and how much will that cost” kind of hurry. That’s a bullshit, you know))) If we forget about time and money, we can do better things at smaller pay and shorter period, naturally. The prcess, I mean, is what matters, not the goal. Or, better said, the goal and process should be the one thing))) If you like doing smth, the goal is already achieved, so no worries anymore. Of course, this guy fails to follow these words, but from time to time it happens, ))))haha
You have been out of your country taking some pics outside your country. Which band was easily to work with taking pics of?
Anton:
I think all bands were cool to work with, they all are greeting this when the time is available, you should feel that to a certain degree, that this is a good moment, and this is time when they should have they privacy unspoiled, and again, being a hunter is not what I like in photography for myself, it’s not really me. It all comes naturally, either a band is on your way, or you are on the way of the band, and somehow it all works out. Or not)))))))))ahahah what sometimes make it all complicated at big festivals with big names are fences. You know, these things which separate you from the behind the stage area))))) guards are always cool, I put up with them perfectly, you see some of them at rock faces. Com, they welcome the idea to be shot (by camera)))). But smaller festivals are easier in that regard, so there is a lot of great stuff to do there at smaller ones. Smaller festivals have this special intimate atmosphere, home-like and very approachable. Less filtered access))))
Your favorite bands are…???
Anton:
They are very many, as you might guess))) look, everyone who has a feeling for what he is doing is nice to listen to, it always feels, and those are many, really. Today I listen to some thrash, like Waking the fury by Annihilator, tomorrow it is Tankard with Tantrum song and it’s Who stole my beer kind of lyric, then may be it is native American flute by traditional Navajo people, and then it is nothing, a period of silence, because you know, silence is music, and you can listen to it without any download links and free in the forest and all of that places. So you see, it goes beyond that. Ambient is cool. Some jazz stuff like Coleman Hawkins’ ‘The Hawk Relaxes’ – it is very relaxing jazz mood, sax is perfect there, Coleman felt what he did, for sure. Some Peruvian instrumental in its original way. I like to play some drums too, although far from being a pro, for sure, but as I assay, it is not about being a pro if you wanna play drums, it is about letting good energy flow, and what tool you need and how you play, doesn’t matter))) just take it and push the dust of your sleepy neighbors out!))))))
Which song is stuck in your head right now and why?Anton:
Honestly, I just have none in my head now, but recently there was one by Brazilian band Hunna, called Não Há Nada, I don’t have an idea what it means because this language is somewhat not my native, or any I know)) Also, it was Vader’s Triumph of Death, whose lyric I find very sober and… well, very sober) seems like)))
Any last words you would like to add?
Anton:
I would like that these words were not the last, ))))haha and we meet one day and do some cool rock stuff!)))
Please add all your media pages so my readers will find you. Thank you again!Anton:
Thanks so much for taking your time, was nice talking to you. So happy we have met and looking forward to many great cooperation’s. Have a super day and week and thanks for all again. Susi
Anton:
Thank you, Susi, so much, you did it so unexpectedly, so I decide to be unexpectedly back today, instead of tomorrow with these answers))) haha Have a day full of everything)! Yeah, I mean, of all that there is for you)
