Mike Tramp as a living legend tells his opinion and memories during five minutes at Rockmässan Malmö…
*Which was that moment when you decide to become a musician?
‘It was a kind of big surprise, because I have never planned that. Eventhough I’ve played a little bit of sort of guitar in my class, and things like that, you know. A guy had discovered me and decided he would move me in a band that was much older than me. But all before I knew it to join the band, I left everything, I left my mom, I left school, I was move out from the house, and I wasn’t even 16years old. And it just all happened. After you just look back, when you grow up, that you was only a teenager, and you say, oh my God..’
*Do you think that rocklyrics as ‘When the children cry’, could really help, or change the world somehow?
‘If you just pick up a piece of trash on the street, you’ve already helped a bit in some way, of course you do. Naturally we all know, it’s not really a big deal. But you can do it. It’s the gesture. With music, if you reach a million people, they will buy the records, and ten million listen to your album, your lyrics lives on to the next generation. Then, somehow you are a part of the possible, just one part of it, but you are a part, and if we would remove it, it would be missing. I haven’t seen my lyrics change the world, but I know, that people are follow me, and like the lyrics, what I write, maybe I also influence these people in what they do, and later they will influence others. It’s again one little thing, which could come bigger and bigger, and maybe takes two generations to had the impact. But it will have. So I think everybody helps alone a little bit.’
*What was the best moment of your career till now?
‘I really think, it’s the first time you hear your music back. Building up the White Lion was the greatest moment. The show, the videos, and all these things, like fame, are coming after. But writing the first White Lion song, and listen then back: I said OK, this is what I was looking for.’
*What do you think how will be the rock music fifteen years later?
‘The sound will carry on, I’m sure. We will talking about, and playing it. The industry we have will have a bigger and bigger impact, I mean I wrote a song in the 70’s, 80’s, I got to go through the industry, and it was working, without Facebook, and Youtube, but I don’t think 80’s would happen, if there would be internet. Anyway, future is the thing what I don’t really like to think about too much. I like my life, and I don’t want things to change anymore.. but I can’t stop that..’
*What are you doing nowadays?
‘You know, I’m just doing it, on a little bit different level. It’s almost the same, a solo-career after the bands. I’m here just because I’m here, and this is who I am. I don’t really need to think so much better. I am just try to find the balance, with what I feel my life and the world around make sense. I don’t want to spend in any energy thinking about what is impossible. I just do what I can do. Just put a guitar, I just play the songs, what I’ve written thirty years ago..’
Rocket Queen
