Festivalphoto: Spiritual Front have just released "Open Wounds" a few months ago, an album that took old songs and gave them a new, more mature, perspective. Some of those songs had been included in "Satyriasis", the wonderful split album with Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio. Should we expect any more collaborations with other artists in the future?
Simone Salvatori: If you meant with Ordo, yes… I think so… we plan to do something together again. Yes, we must do it! We have many things in common and, every time we meet, we plan to do something special again. We're both quite busy and lazy maybe, but we plan to do it for sure.
Festivalphoto: If you could collaborate with any artist [dear or alive] who would it be?
Simone Salvatori: Hmmm, I think some of those old Italian composers, like Ennio Morricone or Bruno Nicolai, those who belong to the 60's and 70's soundtracks.
Festivalphoto: Because you really like spaghetti westerns…
Simone Salvatori: Yes, that kind of atmosphere… I really like the soundtracks in general, so I would like to collaborate with some of them. If you meant more recent artists… there are many artists that I like… and many artists who I would like to steal something from, and learn something from them.
Festivalphoto: Spiritual Front had some Neofolk influences in the past, which are many times associated with right-wing movements, and some years ago you appeared on a tribute album to the Romanian ultra-Fascist Corneliu Zelea Codreanu alongside names like Von Thronstahl, Dernière Volonté and Blood Axis. How do you feel about these labels? Does it bother you? Or nowadays you are all just nihilists who don't give a damn?
Simone Salvatori: In my opinion this is quite funny… funny and embarrassing at the same time, because first of all we have never been right-wing artists or even interested in that kind of stuff. Maybe I did some mistakes in the beginning, because I was young, very anxious to do many things and publish everything. So every time they would propose me something, I would accept it. I was a little bit unconscious about these things and I'm still paying the price of these collaborations. I know personally the guys involved in those bands you mentioned but… I don't think they are dangerous nazis or whatever… I think dangerous nazi people do different things. They are fascinated by those aspects, those symbols, etc, and they can be easily misunderstood. But I don't think they are fascists. We could spend a lot of time talking about those things, but I can't say I regret, because it's stupid to regret what you did. I've done it, it's ok… I didn't plan something like that… the consequences of this… It's in the past… There's no point to complain or to apologize for something you did in the past. But many times people do accuse me of these things and forget that I did many things for the gay scene or the left-wing scene. Very often those people like to criticize… they will accuse me of being fascist, forgetting what I did on the other side. We are not interested in politics, we just do what is exciting at the moment.
Festivalphoto: It's not your first time in Leiria, you had been here at "Fade In Festival 2006". Do you remember that night? I heard it involved a gay bar and watching the sunrise in the house of one of the members of the Fade In organization.
Simone Salvatori: Yes, It was a drag queen show in a small club… I can't remember the area… it was very nice… They refreshed my memory yesterday.
Festivalphoto: How does it feel to come back here now?
Simone Salvatori: I'm not saying this because you are Portuguese, but I like Portugal so much… the people are very kind… And I really enjoy the company of the guys involved in the organization, they are very nice people. So we accepted to perform here again with pleasure and we are glad to be back.
Festivalphoto: Me and my friends invented a drinking game. When listening to Spiritual Front albums, every time the words "sex", "saliva" or "sperm" come up, we have to drink a shot. It's alcoholic coma just after 2 songs! Are you a pervert or are you just trying to send subliminal messages to your listeners?
Simone Salvatori: Hmmm, I might say that the elements you mentioned before are not necessarily related to sex. It's something related to the body, sensations, emotions… those things belong to everybody! So I like to mention them not as sexual things, but as something that belongs to everybody. Because we are a sort of slaves in that cage, the body… So we are condemned to pay this price everyday… So you should keep on playing that game for ages.
Festivalphoto: What song would you want played at your funeral?
Simone Salvatori: My song or any song?
Festivalphoto: Any song… you die tomorrow… you have to tell me the song so I can tell your family to play it at your funeral.
Simone Salvatori "The Winner Takes It All", by Abba.
Festivalphoto: Good choice! Thank you so much Simone. I wish you a good concert later!
Simone Salvatori: Thank you so much. See you later!
