by CHRIS BARRY

Fresh from touring Europe with Iggy Pop and Simple Minds last summer, Polish rock sensations Myslovitz are now strategizing to conquer North America with their whimsical, Québécois-sounding alterna-rock. The Mirror spoke with guitarist/keyboard wizard Przemek Myszor about what it is to be a Pole in a rock ’n’ roll world dominated by Yanks and Anglos. Przemek, with his impossibly difficult first name, still struggles with English but made a valiant effort to communicate with Mirror readers nonetheless.

Mirror: So can you make a decent living just playing music in Poland?

Przemek Myszor: Yes, we make a very good living. Not like if we were popular in the States. But in Poland we are big stars. Our last record sold 100,000 copies. Before this I was a teacher and that was not a good life, but now we have plenty of money.

M: What’s the Polish rock scene like these days?

PM: There are some good groups in Poland, but I think a lot of people, when they hear “Eastern Europe,” they go, “Oh Jesus, this is going to be bad.” Like, “What kind of rock are they going to be making in Eastern Europe,” which seems like the end of the world to some people. But we have the same influences as everywhere else in the world. You know, every country, every city where you have television and radio, they all play the same music. The same MTV.

M: Ah yes, the glorious rewards of cultural imperialism. So do you come across this attitude quite frequently? You know, that if it’s coming from Poland then it must be retarded?

PM: To a point. But after people see us they always go, “Hey, this is very great.” They know then that we are a real band.

M: As opposed to the unreal variety, I guess. Listen, if it makes you feel any better, I suppose Canadian bands are stigmatized to a certain extent as well.

PM: (incredulous) What do you mean!? Canada has produced some very big stars in the world.

M: Oh yeah, and good ones too. Celine Dion, Bryan Adams, April Wine.

PM: April what?

M: Nothing, doesn’t matter.

PM: What about Alanis Morissette, Nickelback? They’re all Canadian.

M: Thank you, I rest my case.

A strange state of mind

PM: You know, we are influenced largely by British rock—like the Stone Roses. Not punk, but alternative rock.

M: Hey, that’s terrific. Your new record is called the Korova Milky Bar, taken from A Clockwork Orange, I assume. Are you big Anthony Burgess fans?

PM: No, we saw the movie. For us, the Korova Milky Bar is a place where something different may happen to your mind. It’s a place like today’s Poland. You know, Poland is a place where very strange things happen to your mind. It’s a country full of crisis and everything around you is very sad, very dark, very fucked. There is an economic crisis here. People don’t have money, politics are fucked. The lyrics on our record are sad because of this. We sing a lot about being in a strange state of mind.

M: I see you guys took the name of your band from your hometown, Myslowice—in the tradition of all the great bands of the ’70s, you know, like Chicago, Boston, Chilliwack. What kind of place is Myslowice? Depressing?

PM: Yes. Like all small towns are. In Poland there are few big towns. And by big town I mean where there is culture. You know, towns that have big clubs. We still live in Myslowice, but this is a city to die in, not to live. Our region of Poland, in the south, is very industrial, coal mining, hard industry.

M: And you’re saying this is depressing? I suppose every young Polish musician dreams to maybe someday get invited to play for the Pope. You think you might get an invite soon?

PM: Huh? Um, I don’t think so. I don’t think he really knows about us. I don’t like churches. The Church here is very conservative, Catholics, and especially priests in this country, these are not good people. They don’t help people. They just tell them that they can’t do this, or they can’t do that. They just want to come into your house—and in to your bed especially. And I don’t like that.

M: Yeah, tell me about it. Them nuns are insatiable.

PM: (laughing) I think you know what I mean.

M: Hey, I hear your singer, Artur Rojek, is regularly compared to Thom Yorke of Radiohead. Is that a musical thing or more because they’re both kind of ugly?

PM: (laughing) No, no, it’s because we have similar sensibilities to Radiohead. We feel the same way as they do.

M: Self-satisfied?

PM: [Silence]

M: I bet it must be fun having to do phone interviews in English.

PM: (short pause) Yes, it’s a very, very strange feeling. Very difficult. :

With guests at Café Campus on
Friday, Nov. 29, 8:30pm, $18.40

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