Fender paid a visit to Springbok Nude Girls as they completed their December tour schedule. The final gig of the tour was at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town on 29^th December and we had a quiet word back stage with SNG Fender endorsees Arno Blumer and Theo Crous.

In fact it was nothing like a quiet word! The band has an abundance of energy and enthusiasm and it is clear that they enjoy every minute together. Their sense of humour and fun is contagious and when they performed, the crowd of all age groups was drawn rocking helplessly along with them.

It was a memorable interview and all that was said cannot be repeated verbatim here!

Fender: Has the solo work of the various members affected the music of the new album “Peace Breaker”? If so, how?

Theo: Yes. Arno Carstens gained a lot of experience from his solo projects and this resulted in quite a different perspective on the material. Also, I did a lot of production work during our break and between us all there were a lot of new ideas.

Arno: The whole process seemed more relaxed – no, I don’t think relaxed is quite the right word. Maybe magic? Yes, there was definitely a type of magic and renewed energy when we did the album. I think the break was a really good thing. Springbok Nude Girls never broke up – we just took a break.

Fender: After touring the new album, what’s next for Springbok Nude Girls and the members?

Arno: Arno Carstens is going to the U.K. to work on his next solo project early in 2008. We’ll be concentrating on bigger gigs and fewer of them during the year, but we don’t plan to do any tours.

Theo: I’ll be developing my studio when the band is not doing gigs. I have this thing that nobody knows about. On every recording I produce for other artists, I do a backing vocal. It’s just one of those quirky little things and unless you were told, you’d never know.

Fender: Having toured overseas, what image does South Africa hold in the minds of punters there? Are we building a reputation?

Arno: We played in the U.K. with the new album and did Belgium and Germany with previous ones. Particularly in London, you find many nationalities at the gigs. There is a big Australian and New Zealand crowd at the venues we do like Shepherds Bush Empire and The Astoria. The support is great. We are gradually finding that the U.K. crowd is growing each time we play, but it’s a difficult market to break into.

Theo: The album is in HMV and we even did an in-store launch! I just feel that to make it as a South African rock act is really difficult. Take people like Dave Matthews. He’s South African but perceived as an American and made it, but to make it internationally as pure South African is yet to be done.

Fender: Which countries are the most open to South African music and the South African sound?

Theo: As we said before, from our own experience in the U.K. the crowds are beginning to like us more each time we play. We have been to Germany and Belgium too. We also went to Holland – we were there but not really there. Let us just say that it was a cultural experience!

Arno: Yes, in Holland we were incognito, but the U.K. reception improves every time we play.

Fender: Which artists and bands have had the most influence on the band?

Theo: Led Zeppelin and The Smiths.

Arno: Black Sabbath and Joy Division.

Fender: What music are you currently listening to?

Arno: Arcade Fire and Raconteurs.

Theo: Fantômas is in my CD player right now! Did you know that I’m an Elvis fanatic? (Evidence of this is on the front of his T-shirt – a drawing of the King). I found an original autographed Elvis photograph the other day and when I had it checked out, discovered that it was signed by his secretary. (Arno Carstens shouts in the background ‘that’s ok ‘cause she’s also dead now!’)

Fender: The band has released the DVD ‘Live at the Astoria’. How did the DVD come about?

Theo: While in the U.K we played a gig with Glen Hughes (Deep Purple's ex bass player) and he really liked us. Through a promotion company called Metropolis Music, the Astoria DVD gig came about. We recorded it onto ProTools and then mixed it at my studio with surround and Dolby 5.1.

Arno: It was an idea our record company came up with. From our point of view it’s a great way to say thanks to all our supporters including the sound companies and engineers, sponsors including Fender, and of course the fans. It will also be something for us to show the grand kids one day!

Fender: What Fender gear did you use when recording ‘Peace Breaker’?

Arno: I used my Precision® clean, and with a Neve® overdrive channel on the desk.

Theo: I used my Sunburst Telecaster®, the same one I used on this tour. I changed the neck pick-up and put in a DiMarzio® stack. The body needed no modification because the stack fits perfectly to replace the original. The amp is my DeLuxe™ 90 even though some purists would think I'm crazy. I have tried all the class A tube amps and there's just something that I prefer about mine.

Fender: If you’d never begun playing an instrument, what would you be doing now?

Theo: I’d either be a street bum (expletive) or maybe still working for Bothners selling musical instruments.

Arno: I would probably be a philosophy professor which financially may not be that far off street bum!

Fender: What advice would you give to musicians starting out in South Africa now?

Arno: If you are serious about playing rock, do the South African circuit for about two years and then try somewhere abroad where there is a bigger market.

Theo: Always serve the song, not the instrument.

Fender: Can you remember the very first time you picked up a Fender?

Theo: I played a friend’s Strat® when I was in Grade 7. His uncle played me a Hendrix record and I saw Jimi’s Strat on the cover. I was the first customer to buy a Strat at Bothners in Bellville. It was black with a Kahler® tremolo.

Arno: In 1989, at the age of 16 in Grade 10, I played a friend’s Jap Jazz Bass®.

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