"Dr.Green" look for original clothes in secondhand stores
by Julius BALIUTAVIČIUS
a shitty article from a shitty paper -- don’t be scared.

Pupils loved the band

Vilnius ska music band Dr. Green is now well known not only by Lithuanian alternative music enthusiasts, but also by Duisburg (Germany) pupils. Vilnius musicians played a few concerts for them while participating in "Eurorock" seminar.

The "Eurorock" seminar is taking place in Duisburg for the sixth year in a row. A lot of Lithuanian bands participated there - Bovy, Merlin, SH, Empti, Sumerland. There is some kind of traditions, that the participating bands are the winners of the Wors Band Contest organized by local label Zona/BMK.

A fight because of football

This time "eurorock" seminar started in an unexpected way -- first evening of Lithuanian, English, Dutch and German musicians almost ended with a fight. The English drummer taught everybody how to drink whiskey and got quite drunk himself. His prey became Dr. Green guitarist Mindaugas Repsys, with whom the drunk Englishman stated discussing football, praising English national team.

"I asked him -- what about the world famous English football hooligans. He told, they're ok. I did not agree, and told they are just a piece of shit.", - M. Repsys told. Angry Englishman called Lithuanian by the same word. Angry musicians were calmed by their friends. The morning after now sober English appologised for his indecent behaviour.

Seminar participants were accommodated in former military barracks, where English army used to live, and the place is used to accommodate refugees from Albania, Pakistani and other states. Dr. Green also played for these people. As the singer Domas Kuncinas told, the Albanians are the longest lasting listeners.

These gigs in Germany we not the first foreign gigs for Dr. Green. The band has already played in St.Petersburg (Russia) and Minsk -- the capital of Byelorussia.

Ska pioneers

"We can be proud to be the first in Lithuania to play ska. We can get up on a big stage and say that" - said the guitarist M. Repsys. In fact, before 1996 only a few Lithuanian bands -- Studija, Vairas, Foje -- a one or two ska numbers in their repertoire.

What is ska? Dr.Green bass player Tomas Verbaitis offered an interesting story of how ska music appeared. "In the fifties Jamaican teens were listening to jazz broadcasts on the radio, horns and things, and started playing something similar themselves. Kids grew older, started smoking dope, things got slower -- rocksteady came. They were inhaling even stronger, everything slowed down more -- so reggae was born. And those who did not smoke that musch played on with ska."

Dr. Green singer Domas Kuncinas makes it simpler -- ska is fast and merry music from Jamaica.

Almost all Dr.Green musicians played punk and HC before. They found ska quite accidentally. During a rehearsal Mindaugas offered to play the song "Vitaminas K" (which usually played in punk style) differently, adding ska upbeat strokes. "We played that song - Hey! Let's try more? Then we made "Visuomene puva", which was a hit at least on the stage of "Gelezinis kablys" (famous local alt club)", - the guitarist told how they found ska music.

Three types of songs

Dr.Green -- one of a few Lithuanian bands spreading some ideas. The guys boldly oppose racism, current Lithuanian army politics and recruiting. "And disobeying speed limits", - add the bass player T.Verbaitis, famous for his subtle sense of humor.

Dr.Green musicians divide all songs into three kinds: songs for people, songs for girls and songs for the sake of them

"Songs for people are the best ones", - says T. Verbaitis. -" Songs for girls are also ok, but they lack something, girls are just a part of "the people". The worst ones are the songs made just for the sake of themselves". Dr. Green is trying to find the optimum while making all three kinds of songs.

Real story in a song

Recently Dr.Green released debut album, titled "Ska'n'go". One of he most interesting songs here is "Vitaminas K". It is a real story of a person who got addicted to ketamine. "We know that guy, he told us everything", - remembers Domas. "It's a funny and educating story", - T. Verbaitis added.

Their most famous song "Visuomene puna" they describe as a social one. "By the way, it is against the society as we know it", - said D. Kuncinas. "It's a position of guy sitting in he corner and watching", - T. Verbaitis added again.

Dr.Green musicians, aged between 19 and 24, play in various bands since their secondary school days. Yet thay cannot make a living from music. Didn't they ever think to leave music and get a stable job? "I had this choice", - admitted the drummer Arvydas Gilys. - "I stayed here."

"We get not only material expenses but also a great emotional income" said M.Respsys. Since ska is popular in Lithuania for a short time now, can their music be sold? "Everything might be sold" - thinks T. Verbaitis. - "There's advertising which tells what to buy. If our ads would be shown every evening right after "Always", there wouldn't be any problems. Not only with us -- anything else".

As an example of effective advertising the musicians offered another Vilnius band Biplan, who have recently released their second album 'Braskes". "There was a simple band and now -- great musicians, great band!" -said D. Kuncinas.

 Criticizing popstars

 "I lost my faith in Lithuanian scene, because the same people are making everything. Labels should change their approach. They should squeeze the band like an orange, throw it away and get another one. And labels are squeezing the same 'oranges'", - says Domas. Maybe they have a lot of juice? "That’s the problem, that the juce is long gone" said Dr.Green singer.

The band criticized the famous Lithuanian pop bands and performers - Naktines Personos, ZAS, Andrius Mamontovas. "It's always the same in Lithuania - band has ideas 'till it smells the money", told Mindaugas. "ZAS felt, that their 'way' is a phrase, repeated over and over in a song, they don't care about the lyrics. So now they work this way: producers are told in which place 'cheers!' is sang and that's it. 'Sit down and do your job and we're off boozing in "Muzikinis angaras"'. They don't care about the music, they're making money - it's their choice. They can and they do this, but we, the listeners, are getting pissed."

Newest song by A. Mamontovas, "TV daina" made the band laugh. "Such lyrics could fit only teen punk band", Domas says.

Mindaugas disagreed, mentioning that these lyrics are too bad even for a punk band. "Punk bands at least know what they mean", said M. Repsys, "and he speaks about it insincerely. A. Mamontovas is trying to speak the underground language, but he does not feel, that he's not here".

Don't like to sign autographs

Dr.Green are mocking pop star cults, their image. Still they do not go up the stage dressed in any clothes. "I want to look cool on stage. I think a suit and a hat look much mor einteresting", thinks D. Kuncinas.

The merry musicians usually find original clothes in secondhand stores.

Dr.Green are special among Lithuanian bands not only for their sincerity. These ska pioneers -- one of a few Lithuanian bands who hate to sign autographs. "People who like and understand our songs know, that it's stupid to as to sign. This usually happen when we play in funny places", told Domas.

Translated 1999/04/15 by ve

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