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We all know who Mat Sinner is. Or at least we think that we know.Everyone who ever listened to some heavy-metal has heard of the legendary band SINNER.Yet, probably each and everyone of us has wondered at some point who is Mat Sinner the man and musician, how did he get here,and most important what is it that makes him tick...So I asked him to write a "Story of Mat Sinner", but he replied that, due to the fact that he is very busy, he would rather have me make this in the form of an interview. So, here is the first part of this-I hope that I did a good job... Enjoy!
WHEN DID YOUR INTEREST FOR MUSIC HAS BEEN BORN?
I was 12 years old and wanted to buy a guitar, but my father was and is really into soccer.I was a great player and so he didn't want me to make music.Anyway, my aunt bought me a guitar and i started to take lessons aside from
training soccer.I founded my first band at fourteen,bought equipment,played with other guys and our first real good band was named "Electric Pain",incl. my former Sinner friend Franky Mittelbach on guitar. "Electric Pain"
became "Crayfish" with Armin Sabol & Franky on guitar and we started to get known in our area and played a lot of shows. But as always the characters in the band were so different, that this talented band talked more, than making music.
2.WHEN DID YOU DECIDE FOR THE BASS?
Exactly at this point.Franky left and we changed our name to "Shiva".Armin was the far better guitarist and we were really into this three piece thing. I took over the bass and I had really fun. We decided to continue as a three
piece.Shiva was a really great talented band with touches of Jimi Hendrix - cool! We were sucessful in our part of Germany, toured with "Whitesnake" and Gary Moore for example.We recorded an album called "Crossfire" but the record company sucked big time and I left the band to found my own band SINNER. More metal, with two guitarists etc., my very own songs ........
3.WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST AXE LIKE?
It was a Stratocaster guitar from a German company called "Framus" in white,
then I bought a Les Paul from Aria - I was always a collector. One of my finest
guitars was an Ibanez with a plastic see-through corpus, but idiot me, I sold the
guitar ......
4.WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST EXPERIENCE IN A BAND LIKE?
It's not easy for me in a band with 5 people for example, 'cause I'm a kind of
leader with visions and a hard working guy. I hate to make always compromises, I
can't support 100% - this was not an easy experience, but a thing to learn, how
I can work in the future. Now it's really ok for me, to work with 5
professionals together. This makes sense!
5.HOW DID YOU START SINNER?
I wasn't sure about Shiva anymore. Too much discussions, too much talking - less
action. I think it was the right time and started the band in 1982 with friends
to make the music I like. Franky who was not invloved in Shiva came back on
guitar and Edgar Patrik was the drummer (later in Tyran Pace and Bonfire). It
was a great band from the start. We recorded two demos (which are available
today on CD - but please don't ask me ......) and we signed a deal with NOISE
Records.
6.WHEN WAS IT THAT YOU KNEW YOU WANTED MUSIC FOR A CAREER?
Very early, I think live performances have something really special, even if you
start and play before 50 people. We had not only great times in our careers -
there some really tough times, but anyway nowadays, I remember this years Wacken
Open Air before 25.000 screaming people. This gives you the power to go on.
7.WHAT WERE THE EARLY DAYS LIKE?
My brain isn't that great at this, but I have some far away rememberings. We
played every show we can get - every little place and we were 100% dedicated,
but when I remember now, I'm really the only guy who survived in the business,
besides of Ralf. Armin has it's own recording studio, but the rest of the guys
are still playing in small bands, but not more
8.WHAT BANDS/MUSICIANS MOST INFLUENCED YOUR STYLE?
I really started to think about Rock'n Roll as I heard Deep Purple's Burn -
cool band, great vocals, great song - then I leant a lot from Led Zeppelin and
my favourite band Thin Lizzy. Priest came a little later and influenced only a
little. I think Phil Lynott was a bigger influence for my and till today he is
one of the best songwriters - too bad that he died far too early.
What happened after the first SINNER album was released? How did that affect you?.
It was great time, we got former "Victory" drummer Bernie Van der Graaf joining
the band and we have a tour announced together with our labelmates of running
wild. the album got greatb rviews all over and a great start for the band! I
was really in a good mood. Cool rocking band - fans everywhere and a record
deal for another 3 albums in our pocket..
Between 1984-1987, SINNER released an album each year.The line up is different on each of these albums.Why is that?.
In that time, every band tried to steal great musicians from other bands. It was
like a nightmare to me and even we were great in sacking guys. I think the line
up with Mathias Dieth and Angel Schleifer on guitars was the best of the
eighties. We got a huge offer from EMI for the "Coming out fighting" album, but
Noise Records sucked. We recorded superb demos with this line up for the
Dangerous Charm album, but Noise sucked again, 'cause they forced us to use a
producer, we never want and he made sounded like a pop band. Angel left the
band to join the "pretty maids", later dieth left to join "udo". this was a
really tough time for me, but as you see.....what doesn't kills you, makes you
stronger.
Was that period significant for your evolution as an artist?.
I learnt a lot in the recording studio and "Touch of sin" was the first album I
co-produced, but the first album I really produced was my Solo album "Back to
the Bullet" together with my friend Albert Boeckholt. We played a lot of shows,
were on tour all the time - but the changes in the line up sucks. anyway it was
a tough learning time for me and a reason, what I can say "NO" today to things
which are unpleasant!.
.What was the best concert of that period?.
I think the concert in my hometown Esslingen directly after the release of
"Comin out fighting" was an outstanding one. it was like the backstreet boys
today. girls were screaming etc. after the show a girl asked for the shirt
Angel wore on stage ..... :-).
What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about that period?.
Again the great outstanding line-up with Angel Schleifer and Mathias Dieth!
Great band, good looks - great performance and mega talented guys!.
When did you decide that you wanted to become a producer?.
Very early, as I told you, I've co-produced my second album "Touch of Sin" but
then came a break and from the fifth album on, I was the co-produced and then
producer of all my albums and it's always a great challenge and an important
thing in my career!.
After the "Dangerous Charm" album,you took a 3 years pause and came back in 1990 with your solo album.What can you tell me about that album?.
It was not a three year break - we toured a lot in 1988 - incl. a headliner
tour through Europe and we had a huge hit in Germany with "Kinfe in my Heart" -
some TV performances and already in 1989 I started to write songs for my solo
album and have talkings with other record companies! You see, what sounds like
a break, was hard work!.
Can you tell me how did all that period of hard work affect your personality?.
I learnt a lot - I was too kind in these days to the bosses of our record
companies, but anyway learning is always a hard, but important thing.
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I have to say at this point that what you see here it's just the first and second part of"the Story of Mat Sinner"
and when Mat will have some time we will probably get the third part nailed down as well...so.....stay put
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