It's now been nearly three months since Pels Raseri's inaugural concert, and the band prepares to head out on their first tour.
Bennie:"Hey! What's Up! Bennie Badger back at it again with LoudNoise. Today, I get to interview the biggest band of all time. The one and only, Pels Raseri! Here, we have Palmer Dulap, Winston Trundleby, Lizzy Slapdon, Duke Weaselton, Revi Hedensk, and, of course, Alister McFluff!"
Winston: "G'day Mate!"
Revi: "God morgen!"
Lizzy: "Sup"
Palmer: "Yeah, that's me"
Duke: "FUCK IS UP!"
Alister: "Oh, hi there."
Bennie: "So, it's now been three months since your first tour, and it seems like your band is still at the top."
Alister: "Well, actually the amount of popularity we have is sometimes overwhelming. Especially that first concert. We couldn't even really see the back of the crowd."
Revi: "Yeah, it's kinda weird hearing yourself on the radio nonstop. I came here a few years ago after hearing about the Tundratown metal scene. Both here and in Norway, I had only played in small, local bands that never went far. Fantoft, Revnarok, and BrentKirke were some of the bands I used to play in. Nowadays, everyone is obsessed with us, and even more so about my winter coat!"
Duke: "Yep, the winter coat. Everyone is talking about mine as well. It's kinda strange thinking that I used steal shit and sell bootleg films for a living, and now I have become the 'world's best guitar player' apparently. I'm not even one of the best."
Lizzy: "I haven't even finished high school, and yet I'm one of the biggest musicians in the world. I've now been taking some homeschooling. But I'd much rather tour the world in a metal band than sit in a shitty classroom."
Winston: "It is also completely overwhelming, just being this famous. I mean, we even are now appearing on the jumbotron in Savanna Central. All six of us welcome arrivals to Zootopia now. It's kinda weird when you go down there and see yourself.
Palmer: "Well, everyone used to tell me that I'd be a star one day. I believed it when I was young, but not so much later. I just planned to remain the keyboard player in some obscure band, and who gives a fuck about the keyboard player."
Alister: "Christoferret Bowes"
Palmer: "Well, you're right about that. Plus everyone has been asking when my antlers are going to grow back."
Bennie: "So, of your monthly residence at the Zoo2 Arena, you've already played three of those. How do they compare to the first outdoor show?"
Alister: "Well, I can tell you first that the indoor shows are MUCH better. Given that it is a real concert venue and the largest one in town, it is much cheaper. It is also much more intimate as well. This time, you can actually see the back of the crowd and it still maintains the concert atmosphere."
Duke: "It really is much better. We had originally opted out of using video screens for the arena performances but eventually did once we heard that those in the back of the audience couldn't see us too well on stage."
Revi: "It is always much better. We don't need to put up as much stuff as we did at the airfield show. Plus the indoor setting makes it even louder and hotter. I was told that even those in the nosebleeds could feel the pyro, because we use A LOT."
Lizzy: "It is pretty amazing. Everyone dreams of playing the Zoo2 arena. It holds 30,000 and is where the biggest stars play, and now we got an entire residence. We'll even keep it up even when on tour."
Palmer: "Indoor shows are pretty much always better. Even though that place is huge, it is still more intimate than the airfield. Of course, our surprise shows at Varg's Inferno and the Otterhole were wilde as fuck. I mean, those ones didn't have barricades, and everyone could get up close. However, at Zoo2, we can use pyro and still have plenty of interaction."
Winston: "Just like what everyone else said, the indoor shows are much better than the outdoor shows. I've been to some outdoor shows where the sound was weak, but it is always very strong in the indoor shows. Even the massive Zoo2 arena has some pretty good sound."
Bennie: "Also, speaking of the shows you have played so far, you are about to start your first headline tour. Are you excited?"
Alister: "Yes, of course! I always have wanted to play in a touring band, and now we are playing the largest tour in the world. We have dates mainly in indoor arenas, but also some in outdoor fields. It is also a very lengthy tour, and is coming to pretty much everywhere. I graduated early from high school just for this. Plus I'm bringing my family along, my aunt, Ashkii, will be playing some Hurdy-Gurdy parts as a touring member."
Duke: "The first date is just a week from now, in Worcester MA. We got a tour bus and a private jet to fly us around. We are coming to every continent."
Revi: "I'm extremely excited, as I have never played in a touring bad before. We even got a date in my hometown of Bergen in Norway. All of my old friends will just see how far we've come."
Lizzy: "It's also been my dream to be in a touring band. However, I mainly wanted to be in a small band but being in the world's biggest band is fine as well."
Winston: "I did once play for a band that did one Australian tour but then disbanded, but I have never done a full-on world tour like this one! We also got a date in my hometown as well."
Palmer: "I have only played in bands that have done regional shows but had wanted to do at least one massive tour. Now, it looks like, we got A LOT of massive tours."
Bennie: "With your popularity, you have also come with some controversy, especially given your image and lyrics."
Alister: "Well, I was expecting it. I received nasty mail from a Karen. Told me that I was a bad influence on the children. Said that our songs had too much profanity."
Revi: "I was told one time that a four-year-old went around preschool singing 'NO CHURCH SHALL EVER BE SPARED! GRAB THE FLAMETHROWER! TORCH A MOTHERFUCKING CHURCH!' Proud moment indeed."
Duke: "I was told that I sucked at guitar, bet they'd never played it before. I literally mastered the instrument in a day. Some still take issue that I call it the 'red rocket' but come on, it's red and pointy."
Lizzy: "I've heard some say that I seem to angry and violent, but hey, I'm a thrasher. I've also helped younger kids get into metal, being so young myself."
Winston: "Sometimes, I've been thought of as 'weird' for performing in my underwear. But, I've also gotten a huge Australian fanbase for the band."
Palmer: "Many say the whole 'evil wizard' persona is weird given that we defeated one ourselves, but even Christoferret Bowes approves of it. Plus, I've inspired many to take up the keyboard."
Bennie: "So, now that we have heard about your band a bit, tell us about yourselves?"
Alister: "Alright. I was born as Alister Winkler Otterton in Muskegon, Michigan in 2002. I'm 19 right now. I always came to Zootopia to visit my relatives every year, but moved here permanently 5 years ago after being kicked out of my house. At the same time, Emmitt, my uncle had been missing. He had been a victim of the whole night howler plot, which we found out later was a plot by Zargothrax. Last year, Duke and I started to form this band after I had assisted in the defeat of Zargothrax. However, I then had to assist in defeating Aires, which was when I found out that I was descended from Angus McFluff. After the Battle of Savanna Central, I changed my legal name to Alister McFluff. Everyone in my family goes by McFluff now."
Duke: "I was born as Dunderson-Alexander Nakamoto Vikernes Weaselton in Buffalo, ZY in 1992. I'm 29 and the oldest member of the band. I moved here after my parents' divorce when I was 12 in 2004 and started a life of crime. I was into stealing and selling bootleg films for years until 2016, when I was caught. I was bribed into stealing Night Howlers because I otherwise would have been another victim. Soon after, I decided that I should clean myself up. I have since been a metalhead and avid church burner."
Revi: "I was born in Bergen, Norway in 1996. I just turned 25 not too long ago. I moved here 4 years ago after hearing about the metal scene in Tundratown. I had been in bands in Norway and many bands here. Plus, I have been to a lot of concerts as well, most recently a Nightwish concert at the Tundratown Ice Center. I was offered the role as drummer in this band last fall by Duke Weaselton."
Palmer: "I was born in Alaska in 1994. I'm turning 27 next month. I moved here when I was 2 and started keyboard playing when I was 3. I joined a few Tundratown bands as keyboard player but most of them broke up. However, Pels Raseri hasn't broken up yet and even released an entire album."
Lizzy: "I was born here back in 2004. I am 17 now and the youngest in the band. I had started playing bass a few years ago but had never been in an actual band before until this one. I have been listening to metal since I was 8 and don't think I am ever going to stop."
Winston: "I was born in late 1997 in Byron Bay, Australia. I'm 23 as of now, and moved here a few years ago. I had been in my first band, Trundler, for one Australian tour. We were a metalcore band that got the opening slot for Aversions Crown. After we disbanded, I moved here and joined another metalcore band called Horizons, named after that Barkway Drive album. I was kicked out of that one and immediately joined this one.
Bennie: "What are your favorite bands?"
Alister: "Otter Ogan, as well as Alestorm and Gloryhammer."
Duke: "Iron Marten and Powerwolf."
Revi: "MAYHEM!"
Palmer: "Also Gloryhammer. Plus Alestorm."
Lizzy: "Megadeth motherfuckers."
Winston: "Oh, definitely Barkway Drive."
Bennie: "Best concert you've ever been to."
Alister: "Oh, definitely Otter Ogan at The Cupboard. Very small show. Up close and extremely personal."
Duke: "I've been to so many, but probably have to say Iron Marten at the Zoo2 arena."
Revi: "Oh, definitely when my old band, Fantoft, got to open for Mayhem at Varg's Inferno. Mayhem's set was also CRUSHING!"
Lizzy: "When Megadeth, Testament and Death Angel all played together at the Tundratown Ice Center."
Palmer: "Probably the Alestorm and Gloryhammer double bill at The Z Club a few years ago."
Winston: "Definitely that Barkway Drive show at Sound Galaxy back in 2016. Turns out, Alister and Duke were there as well."
Bennie: "Alright, anything else you want to tell us?"
Alister: "Well, last night I had a really weird dream. I was on the metro when it got boarded by Captain Yarrface. He told everyone to give him all of their mustard, but I didn't have any mustard. The Globglogabgalab appeared along with a smash ball in the air. Meanwhile 'Shotgun In The Bum' was playing in the background, and it got put over Harm's Way Running Man."
Duke: "Revi and I kinda have a thing going. The fans must have been right this time or something."
Revi: "I almost burned my entire house down the other day. I had just refueled my flamethrower and tested it out in the backyard, a bit too close to the house."
Palmer: "Well, Winston and I also have a thing going on for each other. Two pairs of lovers in the same band right now."
Lizzy: "I just finished sewing patches onto my fiftieth battlevest. I'm not going to stop soon."
Winston: "As I often do backing vocals in some tracks, and even co-lead in 'Don't Fuck With Down Under', I was just asked to be featured on an Aversions Crown song. It will be out pretty soon."
Bennie: "Alrighty, it was great talking to you. Pels Raseri's tour is entirely sold out right now, but it still looks to be an absolute rager."
Alister: "It was great talking to you."
Revi: "Tusen takk."
Duke: "Absolute honor."
Lizzy: "TANKS so much."
Palmer: "Goodbye."
Winston: "See ya on the road, mate."
