English
Cursed Ritual Records: Could you present Lady Macbeth for those who wouldn’t know you?How was the life of 5 young hungarian men like you in the end of the 80’s/beginning of the 90’s?
Zoltán Lakai: Members at the time of the formation of the band: László Balogh – vocalsLászló Láris – GuitarIstván Nagy – DrumsSándor Zombori – bassZoltán Lakai – GuitarLater line-up:Zoltán Matos – vocalsLászló Láris – GuitarIstván Nagy – drumsTivadar Szép – bassZoltán Lakai – GuitarIn the 80s/90s the new-coming bands had it fairly easy to impress the audience, but it was extremely hard to make it on official platforms. Mostly because there was only 1, state controlled record label, and only those who were accepted politically were allowed to release records. It was simply not enough to play good music to get a record deal. It was only one record label before the government-change, and the others finally started to appear in the early 90s.
CRR: What is the thing that incited you to grow a band and release music ?
ZL: We listened to a lot of music, we also played music in smaller bands before, and we knew that if we would come together, musically, we could create something good together. We found a common path, we all liked it, so we started it together.
CRR: Two years after releasing Lady Macbeth, you shortened the band’s name in Macbeth. What was the idea behind that change?
ZL: There were some member changes again, and at that point it was not possible to use the old name anymore. At the end-game it was actually only 1 member left in the band.
CRR: You’re celebrating the 30th anniversary of your self-titled album. When you released it back in 1991, did you think that you’d be here 30 years later, still promoting your first album?
ZL: We had no idea, that after all this time we would get together and start to play once again. We did not think that the kids of the old fans would appreciate us as well.
CRR: A part of your fans are now young people, or people who didn’t know about you when you released your first album. How does it make you feel, to know that 30 years later, there are still people that are about to discover your music and even to support you after all this time?
ZL: It is deeply touching that people are still interested in us after all this time.
CRR: The Cursed Ritual Records’ reissue of Lady Macbeth will be the first vinyl release for the band. Was it a choice to only release music on tape and CD or it’s just that you never got a chance to get a vinyl release before? What does it represent to you, to finally get one?
ZL: At those times, there was really no possibility to release a record only for the really privileged ones. But it was not so practical to attract the young fans with vinyls neither. A cassette was more flexible in that aspect, as you could play it in your car, walkman or at your home stereo tape deck. A vinyl release is/was a rank and a honoring one for a band.
CRR: How do you imagine your future, as a band but as musicians too? Do you have any desire of touring, or of producing some new material? Do some of the Lady Macbeth bandmembers have other music projects, or other non-musical projects?
ZL: We would like to do shows. Touring is not possible, as we all have full time jobs, and its not possible to figure it for everyone. Not everyone, but there is some currently active projects run by some of the members: Origó, Időgép, Queentett (Queen cover band).
CRR: Do you have a favorite concert you played, that is special for you?
ZL: No specific concert. All is/was memorable for us, as we always tried to do our best to satisfy the audience wherever we played.
CRR: Our interview reaches to its end, we thank you for your participation and we let the final word of the discussion.
ZL: The tracks appearing on the first album will soon to be re-recorded with the current technology, so it can match the current criteria in sound. We are also preparing/recording new music for our beloved fans.