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FrequenceRock.com interview with Karl Koch - August 10, 2000
Conducted August 10, 2000 - Posted August 12, 2000
Roadie, assistant, manager, best friend of the members of the group - the words are not lacking about Karl Koch. Faithful from the first hour of the group, Karl has long been the roommate of Pat Wilson and he is considered the fifth member of Weezer. Exclusive interview from Japan.
Fréquence Rock: What is your job?
Karl: I do many things for Weezer; on tour I set up the gear and take care of the guitars, and I update the website, and work on artwork for t-shirts and CD's. And advise the band on songs and such.
FR: How did you get your work with the band?
Karl: I was a roommate of Pat Wilson's a long time ago and knew everyone in the original line-up before they were a band together, in LA. I offered to make their fliers and drive their gear to LA gigs, and later when they got signed to Geffen, my job became official.
FR: Tell us more about the story with model Christy Turlington!
Karl: ??? Uum, I believe this was a silly rumor. I wish there was truth to it! ha ha! The only Weezer person to do anything with a supermodel was Matt Sharp who got one (I forget which one) to be his date at the '95 MTV Video Awards. I don't know how he did that.
FR: Oasis lately left the stage before the end of a concert because of some people throwing plastic bottles on stage. Did that ever happen to Weezer before? Or did they only get bras?
Karl: Everything you can imagine - bottles, glass bottles, shoes, shirts, sweaters, stuffed animals, bras, panties, everything! But the band never walks off stage. It is frightening though...
FR: Can you tell us more about what happened to the band lately? Many journalists said Weezer was about to give up and now there is this persistent rumour of a new album. So what?
Karl: Rivers was writing songs for 18 months, alone, and finally was happy with his results, so they got together and re-started rehearsals in April. Then offers for tours started coming in, and they had a lot of new songs ready, so they started to go out. They plan on recording a new album by September/October.
FR: You were born in Buffalo, NY. Did you meet singer Ani DiFranco before?
Karl: Actually no, at least if I did I wasn't aware of who she was at the time...for the last few years she has lived in New York City anyway...
FR: Do you have any information on the new album?
Karl: It is not begun yet, but the band has a large amount of GREAT new songs. The album is going to be awesome.
FR: Are there any concerts scheduled in Switzerland or in Europe?
Karl: Not yet, but they plan on touring EVERYWHERE after doing the new album.
FR: Do you have any funny stories about Weezer to tell us?
Karl: Today at the end of the show Mikey shoved his bass up in the rafters of the club, and I didn't see him do that, so it took me a while to find his bass! Also Rivers stage dived tonight, the crowd collapsed underneath him and we had to pull him out. His glasses were lost in the crowd but the nice Japanese fans gave them back!
FR: Do you consider the band's members as co-workers or rather as true friends?
Karl: They are definitely my friends. Good friends. And with Pat Wilson I am very close friends. And sometimes I have been very close with Rivers, including now.
