Q:What does "Chumbawamba" mean?

A:Nothing, it's meaningless. It's the chimpanzee hitting the typewriter keys and trying to write shakespeare.

Q:I know Chumbawamba for a long time, but I can't understand one thing; you started longtime ago, you have played popular and loved music, but you became music stars recently. Why is it so?

A:We're not "stars". Stars are people who think they're better than other people, who treat people like shit, who equate record sales with power - people who think that when they make a succesful record, they're suddenly elevated as human beings. We're Chumbawamba, we don't believe in pop stardom, we believe in having a good time, spreading information and causing trouble.

Q:How do you feel about your latest success and media breakthrough?

A: It's fascinating, like suddenly being on the inside of the castle and getting to play with all the torture machines and the boiling oil and the big round table. It's fascinating having the voice to say things on bigger media. It's great to say "I hate the cops" when you talk to 400 people at a concert, but for us it's "better" - for now, at least - to say "I hate the cops" to 11 million people on a live tv show. That's why we changed, that's why we think it's worthwhile.

Q:Basically your music is called pop, but how would you describe it, who influenced your music?

A: It's pop music, we want to be part of popular culture. But to us it's always punk. Punk influenced our music and also our attitude. Not punk ROCK, not just guitars and shouting (although that's fine also) but punk in your heart, tattooed on your arm, the slits, the fall, sex pistols, atv, wire, raincoats, patrik fitzgerald - very different musicians but all punk. Until death!

Q:What does your record label think about your political act&attitude, did they ever asked you not to do something,or something like that?

A: No they've never asked us. If they did ask us to change our ideas or attitude or anything like that, it would be the end of a relationship. This is a business relationship. If it end s tomorrow then fine. We'll carry on being what we are with or without a record company. the album was written, recorded, designed, etc etc with no help from the record company.It's their job to sell those ideas we make as a record; this they're obviously extremely good at. So we're happy with that.

Q: Do you "cooperate" with other bands and musicians ?

A: Yes, we work with other musicians etc from time to time. Bands like the Levellers, Oysterband, Credit To the Nation, Gunshot, etc etc.

Q: Do you have any other occupations except music (other jobs,obligations...) ?

A: No other jobs. We all have jobs within Chumbawamba, jobs which other bands get outsiders to do - like design, production, finances, tour managing, web site, press releases, publishing, mail-lists, etc etc. When we go home we don't stop working. Partly because we all had very ordinary and sometimes boring and crap jobs before we could make a living with Chumbawamba - and we work hard because we don't want to go back to those jobs.

Q: Are you connected with some political (anarchist,eco,anti-fascist,...) group or organisation,and do you still support direct acting (by playing benefit gigs, playing on A.F.A. fest, or something like that) ?

A:Yes, we have connections with local anarchist/anti-fascist groups. We play benefit concerts for anti-fascists, strikers, community groups, pirate radio stations, etc etc etc. We always will. It's better now because we can create more publicity.

Q: Do you think that your music can change somebody's attitude ?

A: Yes. We have to believe that, even in a small way. Music changed our attitudes, so why not someone else's? Music works on different levels, emotional, intellectual, we have to think that somewhere along the line we can make someone think about racism, homophobia, power, sexuality, homelessness, etc.

Q: You were playing fuckin' great gig on Pepsi Festival in Budapest; that's near Yugoslavia,would you like to play here and what's your oppinion about conflicts in ex-Yugoslavia?

A: I can't talk about conflicts in former Yugoslavia in print, cos I don't know enough. I can talk to someone in person but that's just as much for me to learn. We played in Lubliana once about four years, maybe six years ago. It was good. We have to play in formar Yugoslavia sometime, of course.

Q: Your message to your Yugoslav audience.

A: See you at the world cup in France 98.