www.ExpressGayNews.com • August 26, 2002 Q1 CYMK Cover Story Dancing with Tears in His Eyes An Interview with Andreas Lundstedt of Alcazar By Gregg Shapiro Ever since Abba, the world has been aware of the Swedish affinity for disco. With “Crying at the Discoteque,” from their self- titled domestic debut (E-Magine Music), Alcazar, the latest Swedish disco export, prove that they can also “dance” and “jive” and “watch that scene.” Openly gay front man Andreas Lundstedt and fellow group members Annikafiore and Tess, are poised to meet the needs of queer club culture via the dance floor (“Tears of a Clone,” for example, contains the lyrics “A room with a hundred men/The design of a perfect blend/ Identical strains of code/Dressed up in the fashion mode”). Gregg Shapiro: Many of the songs on Casino, including “Paris in the Rain,” have a vintage disco energy. That is especially true in the case of “Sexual Guarantee” and Photo courtesy of E-Magine Entertainment “Crying at the Discoteque,” which feature Andreas Lundstedt (center), flanked by fellow Alcazar members Annikafiorem Chic samples. Do you have a favorite period Johansson (left) and Tess Merkel, is poised to invade the North American dance circuit. of dance music? Andreas Lundstedt: Actually (laughs), AL: Well, not to cover a Pet Shop Boys for me in Swedish, before, when I did solo. it’s hard to decide, because I love them all. I song, but we would love to work with them. We have a good connection. must say for me, the ’70s crossing over to That would be a great thing, if they had a GS: Alcazar will be performing live at the ’80s disco music, I kind of like the most, song for us or something like that. You never the Billboard Music Summit in New York because when it was really hip in the ’70s know, maybe we will do a cover, because City in October. What are you most looking with disco and everything. I was too young their songs are so great. I don’t think we forward to about that event? to go out clubbing. I never got to go out would do it as good as they do, actually. It’s AL: Oh my God, we are so psyched. We dancing to that music. I did it in my living kind of like doing a cover of a song of Abba. can’t really believe yet. I used to live in New room. Now that I’m older (laughs), I can kind Abba does it so good themselves; you can’t York from ’93 to ’95. When I lived there, I of take it back, do it real, full out and record it really top it. If Neil Tennant or Chris Lowe didn’t work with music or anything. I was and sing it. would call us and say, “Hey, we just wrote a hoping and dreaming that one day it would GS: So, you’re reclaiming it for song that would really suit you,” we would be so cool to come back to New York and yourself? definitely be there in a second. They’re so actually be on a stage and perform. It was AL: Yeah, definitely, and for people who nice, and they are such cool guys. kind of one of my dreams, and now it’s coming love the disco. GS: Alcazar does do a cover of the true. It’s really hard to believe. Also, we are GS: “Crying at the Discoteque” was Human League song “Don’t You Want Me.” going to the United States. included on the original soundtrack to the Why was that song selected? We were so happy when Alcazar was Showtime production of Queer as Folk. AL: It was actually one of our producers, breaking in Finland in the beginning. We What did it mean to you to be included on the Alexander Bard, who got the idea for us to were like, “Hooray!” Then it spread out CD? sing the song and record it. When he asked through all of Europe, and we thought that AL: A lot. We’ve never had one of our us, “What do you feel about doing a cover of was amazing. Then we got to go to Australia. songs on any kind of soundtrack. I’ve never ‘Don’t You Want Me’?,” we immediately got That was even (more exciting), because it’s seen the series, though. I’ve seen the English all of these memories from the ’80s. It’s kind of another continent, just like the United States. version, but I’ve never seen the American. the same with the ’70s music as well. It feels really weird. Because we’re It’s really cool that they picked it for the We were kind of too young to be out Swedish, typical Swedish people, we don’t album. It’s really great. clubbing. The song is so kind of funny, fun take anything for granted. We certainly don’t GS: Dance music is very popular within lyrics. They’re very desperate, “Don’t you take it for granted with the United States the queer community, and it’s refreshing to want me?” and we love desperate lyrics — thing. Maybe we’ll get it when we are on the hear these songs sung by a gay man, as “Crying at the Discoteque,” “Don’t You Want plane, or maybe when we land, or maybe opposed to a big disco diva. Me,” “Sexual Guarantee.” Maybe that goes when we are in the Lincoln Tunnel or AL: (laughs) hand in hand with the gay thing, the queer something, and we’ll be like, Okay we’re here. GS: There’s the Pet Shop Boys and thing, like “I will Survive,” “Disco Inferno,” We are really here. We’re going to kiss the Jimmy Somerville, to name a few, but there everything is kind of desperate. We like that. ground. No, not really. aren’t that many openly gay men singing in Desperate lyrics are always welcome for GS: The predominant musical trends the realm of disco. How does it feel to have Alcazar. Also it’s kind of funny that Human currently emerging from Sweden appear to that distinction? League are one guy and two girls, so we be dance music, such as the songs on Casino, AL: That’s something that I don’t really thought that it fit pretty well with our line-up. or garage rock, performed by bands such as reflect on. I don’t think about that really. It’s GS: What was it like working with The Hives and Sahara Hotnights. What do just my sexuality. I don’t think it comes across Alexander Bard, formerly of (Sweden’s) you think about those musical extremes? in the music—my sexuality. Maybe because Army of Lovers, who co-wrote and co- AL: I think that it has to do with in the I like disco, and maybe that’s very queer produced most of the songs on Casino? winter, Swedish people don’t have a lot to music. Other than that, I’m just a singer like AL: Hell! No, I’m just kidding. do because it’s so freaking cold. What to other singers, straight or bi, or gay. I don’t GS: Would you work with him again? do? We go down in the basement and write see it as a big thing. Maybe other people AL: Definitely! He’s writing new songs songs. Or, when we were in school we had a do—or as a good thing or whatever. I think for our next album already. He’s kind of like lot of music classes. We were always in there’s more gay singers, but they just aren’t our guru. He’s the one that molded Alcazar different choirs. It’s the way that we were saying they are. and the sound and the songs. He’s really good. brought up, we Swedish people—choir GS: Speaking of Pet Shop Boys, Neil He’s a tough guy, and he knows what he wants practice and you always learn some kind of Tennant, of that group, had words of praise and we know what we want. He’s very instrument. I felt that was so boring; I just for Alcazar. intelligent in so many ways, not only in music. wanted to sing. I didn’t want to play piano or AL: Yeah! He does so many other things. He’s really cool. the flute or anything. A lot of people stay GS: Does Alcazar have any plans to ever We have a really good contact, because I’ve with it, and then all of a sudden they get to cover a Pet Shop Boys song? known him since ’96. He wrote some songs write music and become real big music writers. Q2 • www.ExpressGayNews.com • August 26, 2002 CYMK For the Love of Music Music Fest Miami Arrives Labor Day Weekend By Mary Damiano Miami-Dade County. There will be a tour in Convention Center. Music will fill the air this Labor Day Overtown highlighting the African-American Sunday brings the Marching Band weekend when Music Fest Miami comes to and Caribbean community; one in Coral Extravaganza in a battle of the bands, town for its second year. Gables that explores the European heritage; featuring many high school bands from all Patti LaBelle, Al Jarreau and Issac Hayes a tour in Little Haiti examining the over South Florida at the Orange Bowl. The will headline the three-day event, which is Haitian community; a tour in Little weekend culminates in an outdoor aimed at uniting the community through music.