With Trinity & Lloyed of the Kamikaze Queens
Interview w/ Kamikaze Queens
by Sabine Schenk
The Kamikaze Queens are a wild punk cabaret band straight out from Berlin. This time they were on tour with the infamous Eagles of Death Metal. The EODM are well known for their entertainment qualities. They always put on a great show, especially their live gigs are legendary but the Kamikaze Queens were just as entertaining but in a different way. Their 20ies-Weimar-Berlin-style mixed with a punk attitude adding lots of rocknroll is the only way to describe it. Plus they have two amazing and beautiful female vocalists: Trinity and Mad Kate. I had met Trinity years ago with her ex-band Sin City Circus Ladies. Everyone who liked that band will love the Kamikaze Queens. The other band members played or are still playing with other well-known bands. The band members are: Trinity (vocals, Ex-Sin City Circus Ladies), Luscious Lloyd (bass, Ex-Sin City Circus Ladies), Tom Schwoll (guitar, Ex-Sin City Circus Ladies), Tex Morton (guitar, Mad Sin), Nico Lipps (drums, Banda Veleno) and Mad Kate. I had the pleasure to sit down with Trinity and Lloyd after their performance in Munich. Let’s hear what they had to say for themselves:
Hello! First of all, would you introduce yourselves a little bit?
Trinity: Yeah. Hi, I’m Trinity and I’m a Kamikaze Queen.
Lloyd: I’m Lloyd. Contrabass.
KQ is a pretty new thing. Is it your main band right now or is it more of a sideproject?
T.: KQ is our main thing.
L.: It actually started out as a sideproject but now we’re doing it full time, full gas.
There are lots of other people from other bands in KQ. That’s quite a nice mix. Also the sound, it’s quite untypical I think. How would you describe your own sound?
T.: For me, it’s really like punk cabaret. I mean, it’s got the punk influence and rhythm for sure but for me it’s also cabaret. Weimar Berlin.
How does the audience react on you if they see you for the first time?
T.: The last few shows, the audience was really freaking out. We got Stuttgart. Usually that’s really a bad luck city. But three times lucky. It’s been a great show. First time in Bamberg yesterday and they were all on their knees in the end and I think that’s a good sign.
L.: KQ is a band everyone can love – the punkrockers, the rockabillys, the average student chick. It’s got such a weird mix as we all try to do it in our own style. The great thing about it is that everyone can get into it.
You put on a great show with the cabaret element in it. It’s also a little tongue in cheek. I guess that’s why you are on tour with Eagles of Death Metal. How did you get in touch with them?
T.: We did a show with them with our ex-band, the Sin City Circus Ladies. Queens of the Stone Age, Eagles of Death Metal and Sin City Circus Ladies. I mean, it was obviously a good match. They said to us that they wanted to do some shows with us when they’re back in Germany. In the meantime, Sin City Circus Ladies broke up. The guy was at our first show of Kamikaze Queens last year. And he said, yeah, we want you for the Eagles’ tour.
L.: We get along really well with EODM. They are really lovely people. They make us feel welcome.
Which record label are you on at the moment?
T.: We’re still fishing around. We might bring out a single on Built For Speed in spring time or summer. That’s probably the next thing.
L.: Actually the band is just really new. We started playing together like in July. Now we just keep on going and it’s taking up really quick. So we got people really interested. And after this tour we’re gonna sit down and see what our best options are.
What are your future plans?
T.: I don’t know. If someone comes up to us and says, guys, do you wanna play in China?! I’ll go like, yeah, Hong Kong Garden. Let’s do it. First we take Berlin, then we take Manhattan! Hahahaha
All of you guys are from Berlin?
T.: All of us live in Berlin but we’re a real melting pot of nationalities.
L.: 3 Americans, 2 Germans and 1 Italian. It’s like a goulash.
Do you think Berlin has a special influence on your music style?
T.: I don’t know…
L.: Well. I think so. You can find any kind of music style in Berlin.
T.: Berlin really inspired me in terms of our theatrical cabaret aspect. I mean, the 20ies in Berlin. If you read about it you get really inspired.
L.: There are always so many things going on in Berlin. And shows, yeah, one of our best shows of the tour was in Berlin.
So, you guys are a couple. How is it to be on tour together all the time? I think I would just go crazy and try to kill the other person or something.
T.: We had our moments- we had to figure out where our borders are.
L.: EODM in the first day, they asked Trinity on a date…
T.: One of them asked me to go to the movies with him but I just was like nah man, you gotta ask Lloyd and he said, well, you gotta ask Davey….
L.: We’re together for four years. And we’re also playing together for four years. In the early days there were many, many scars, scrapes and blood. But now it’s all cool.
T.: I try to be lady.
Your outfits are always really cool. Do you make them yourselves or how do you get them?
T.: These sailor costumes were made by a friend of mine from Berlin – Ricky van Heart. I did a fotoshoot for Ricky’s sailor series and I always wanted a really good sailor dress. I said I want a sailor dress with a corset inside and this and this. In the end they said it was the most complicated thing they ever did.
Kate just got into the room. Big Party. Lots of laughs. Lloyd: That’s why we call her Mad Kate.
Last words? Anything you would like to add?
Kate: Blood, Sugar, Sex, Morton!
Hello! First of all, would you introduce yourselves a little bit?
Trinity: Yeah. Hi, I’m Trinity and I’m a Kamikaze Queen.
Lloyd: I’m Lloyd. Contrabass.
KQ is a pretty new thing. Is it your main band right now or is it more of a sideproject?
T.: KQ is our main thing.
L.: It actually started out as a sideproject but now we’re doing it full time, full gas.
There are lots of other people from other bands in KQ. That’s quite a nice mix. Also the sound, it’s quite untypical I think. How would you describe your own sound?
T.: For me, it’s really like punk cabaret. I mean, it’s got the punk influence and rhythm for sure but for me it’s also cabaret. Weimar Berlin.
How does the audience react on you if they see you for the first time?
T.: The last few shows, the audience was really freaking out. We got Stuttgart. Usually that’s really a bad luck city. But three times lucky. It’s been a great show. First time in Bamberg yesterday and they were all on their knees in the end and I think that’s a good sign.
L.: KQ is a band everyone can love – the punkrockers, the rockabillys, the average student chick. It’s got such a weird mix as we all try to do it in our own style. The great thing about it is that everyone can get into it.
You put on a great show with the cabaret element in it. It’s also a little tongue in cheek. I guess that’s why you are on tour with Eagles of Death Metal. How did you get in touch with them?
T.: We did a show with them with our ex-band, the Sin City Circus Ladies. Queens of the Stone Age, Eagles of Death Metal and Sin City Circus Ladies. I mean, it was obviously a good match. They said to us that they wanted to do some shows with us when they’re back in Germany. In the meantime, Sin City Circus Ladies broke up. The guy was at our first show of Kamikaze Queens last year. And he said, yeah, we want you for the Eagles’ tour.
L.: We get along really well with EODM. They are really lovely people. They make us feel welcome.
Which record label are you on at the moment?
T.: We’re still fishing around. We might bring out a single on Built For Speed in spring time or summer. That’s probably the next thing.
L.: Actually the band is just really new. We started playing together like in July. Now we just keep on going and it’s taking up really quick. So we got people really interested. And after this tour we’re gonna sit down and see what our best options are.
What are your future plans?
T.: I don’t know. If someone comes up to us and says, guys, do you wanna play in China?! I’ll go like, yeah, Hong Kong Garden. Let’s do it. First we take Berlin, then we take Manhattan! Hahahaha
All of you guys are from Berlin?
T.: All of us live in Berlin but we’re a real melting pot of nationalities.
L.: 3 Americans, 2 Germans and 1 Italian. It’s like a goulash.
Do you think Berlin has a special influence on your music style?
T.: I don’t know…
L.: Well. I think so. You can find any kind of music style in Berlin.
T.: Berlin really inspired me in terms of our theatrical cabaret aspect. I mean, the 20ies in Berlin. If you read about it you get really inspired.
L.: There are always so many things going on in Berlin. And shows, yeah, one of our best shows of the tour was in Berlin.
So, you guys are a couple. How is it to be on tour together all the time? I think I would just go crazy and try to kill the other person or something.
T.: We had our moments- we had to figure out where our borders are.
L.: EODM in the first day, they asked Trinity on a date…
T.: One of them asked me to go to the movies with him but I just was like nah man, you gotta ask Lloyd and he said, well, you gotta ask Davey….
L.: We’re together for four years. And we’re also playing together for four years. In the early days there were many, many scars, scrapes and blood. But now it’s all cool.
T.: I try to be lady.
Your outfits are always really cool. Do you make them yourselves or how do you get them?
T.: These sailor costumes were made by a friend of mine from Berlin – Ricky van Heart. I did a fotoshoot for Ricky’s sailor series and I always wanted a really good sailor dress. I said I want a sailor dress with a corset inside and this and this. In the end they said it was the most complicated thing they ever did.
Kate just got into the room. Big Party. Lots of laughs. Lloyd: That’s why we call her Mad Kate.
Last words? Anything you would like to add?
Kate: Blood, Sugar, Sex, Morton!
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