Samurai Pizza Cats: “Everything is possible.”

There are bands you follow purely for work, and then there are those where professional curiosity naturally meets genuine fan enthusiasm. Samurai Pizza Cats belong firmly in the second group for me personally. Their combination of modern metalcore, electronics, humour and sheer live energy has appealed to me for a long time, which is why it was a genuine honour to prepare this interview for Rebel Sound. I am even more pleased that we managed to cover everything from the band's rocket-fuelled start and crazy ideas to Tokyo, Czech fans and their return to Masters of Rock 2027. The following thirteen questions reveal Samurai Pizza Cats as a band that has built its own identity, never lost its sense of humour and, above all, still enjoys every moment on stage to the fullest.

From the very beginning, everything around Samurai Pizza Cats took off at an incredible pace. When was the first moment you looked at each other and realised: "This isn't just a side project anymore. This is a real band"?

Everything that has happened since we started still feels like a complete fever dream to me. Two albums, and both made it into the Top 100. We're four guys from a small town right in the middle of Germany's Ruhr area. I never imagined I'd one day be playing on international stages, so I'm incredibly grateful for every moment and every memory we get to create.

Your music combines metalcore, electronic elements, humour and complete chaos into something unmistakably your own. Where is the line between carefully constructed madness and pure improvisation?

I think that line is mainly defined by who we are together. We've known each other for so many years and yes, sometimes things get completely out of control. Somehow, though, we usually manage to steer the ship back in the right direction.

On stage, you look like you're having at least as much fun as the audience. Do you have any pre-show rituals or traditions that get all of you into the right headspace?

We simply love being on stage, presenting what we have created together and celebrating with the people who come to our shows. The guys warm up, while exactly 30 minutes before changeover I put on Paul Elstak backstage, sing "I wanna see a rainbow high in the sky" at the top of my lungs, and get ready to hit the stage.

Slowly, the guys are starting to accept my excellent taste in music.

Your songs are full of references to pop culture and internet culture. Has there ever been an idea that was too crazy even by your standards and you had to let it go?

If there's one thing we really do, it's follow through on the things we set our minds to. I think all the crazy ideas have actually happened at some point – even the spontaneous idea of simply flying to Tokyo to shoot something. I think that's a big part of what makes us who we are.

In 2027, you will return to Masters of Rock, one of the biggest rock and metal festivals in Central Europe. What does playing this particular festival mean to you personally?

Just stepping onto a stage is always an incredible feeling for us, but having the chance to play on such a huge international stage makes it even more special. Just look at the line-ups from recent years. It's great to have the opportunity to share a stage with so many amazing bands.

Czech fans have been calling for Samurai Pizza Cats to play a standalone club show in the Czech Republic as headliners for quite some time. Are you aware of those requests, and is there a realistic chance it could happen in the near future?

Everything is possible. Let's see what happens in the near future!

If you could choose one band from the Masters of Rock 2027 line-up to join you on stage for a surprise collaboration, who would it be and why?

Me personally? I'd cry like a little kid if I had the chance to exchange even just a few words with someone from Lagwagon offstage.

Your shows feel like one huge party from start to finish. Has an audience ever surprised you so much that you walked off stage thinking: "We really didn't expect that"?

Every time. After every show, we're completely blown away by how much energy and love the audience gives back to us. At every show, we make a point of saying how grateful we are for every single person who is there and sharing that exact moment with us.

A lot of people first discovered Samurai Pizza Cats through your previous bands. Do you feel that you've now built such a strong identity of your own that the past no longer defines you?

I think Samurai Pizza Cats are definitely seen as a band in their own right by now. Of course there are some overlaps, but that doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing, right?

Looking back at everything you've achieved so far, which single moment makes you the proudest? And why?

I think overall it's simply the fact that we've been able to experience so many incredible things. I never thought I would one day step onto a stage in Tokyo, do an autograph session at a club in Shibuya, or get the chance to play on stages I dreamed about as a kid while jumping around on the sofa with some improvised instrument in my hands.

Is there a song in your catalogue that you think deserves far more attention than it gets, even though it's one of your personal favourites?

I love "Error 808". I just can't get that synthwave thing out of my head.

If you had just one sentence to convince someone who has never heard Samurai Pizza Cats to come to your show, what would you say?

Come along and let's dance! We'll get you! <3

And finally, looking ahead: when we sit down for another interview after Masters of Rock 2027, what would you like to be able to say was Samurai Pizza Cats' biggest achievement over the previous year?

I hope we'll be able to say that we simply carried on doing exactly what we do, and that we were lucky enough to experience even more amazing things and create even more unforgettable memories.

After thirteen questions, one thing is clear: behind all the chaos, electronics, heavy riffs and humour is a band that is very aware of just how extraordinary the journey they are living really is. And perhaps that is exactly why Samurai Pizza Cats feel so authentic – they do not pretend, they do not take themselves too seriously, but they give everything to the music, their fans and every moment on stage.

For me personally, this interview had another dimension. Samurai Pizza Cats are not just another band I write about. They are one of the bands I genuinely enjoy listening to and whose journey I follow as a fan. That made it an even greater honour to ask them questions on behalf of Rebel Sound and receive answers filled with gratitude, perspective and enormous joy in what they do. I would like to thank the band for their time and openness, and remind Czech fans of one of their answers: "Everything is possible." So perhaps one day we really will get that long-awaited standalone show in the Czech Republic.

Denča