Mezarkabul is often considered to be the pioneers of metal in Turkey. The band’s work has inspired all forms of rock music and helped it to gain popularity in Turkey since decades. They have gained the metal heroes status back home, but they are also heroes for turkish metal fans abroad, especially in Germany with it’s strong turkish community. In Turkey they are well known as Pentagram – and under that „home name“ they appeared to play the TUROCK Festival in Bochum/Germany. After a much acclaimed performance in which Pentagram hammered out their original mix of english and turkish metal songs with strong folkloric influences, and after we made friends with some of the turkish die hard supporters, we had a beer with Tarkan, the legendary bass player and famous producer.
(interview by Martin Hannig)
entertaim.net: We just learned you played Cologne yesterday, which is our home town!
Tarkan: That’s right, yesterday we played Cologne at the Yard Club, and the day before we played Berlin. Really great shows, we played a full set. And the people were like half german half turkish. You know there are many turkish people in Berlin and Cologne as well. They miss home, and when we meet at the concert, it becomes emotional fopr them. They feel like at home, they feel safe. It’s an adventure for us playing outside of Turkey. And the people who organzied that 3 shows, they helped us a lot. Today it wasn’t that great for us technically, we had very little time to adjust our technical equipment. I think because of the 2 shows before, we got a little bit spoiled about that. We thought it can be easily done here, but it wasn’t that easy today. We had to adjust to the conditions on stage, but in the end we enjoyed it a lot! It’s very special for Pentagram to be here in Bochum to play that festival, along with bands like Death Angel and Sodom. Amazing!
entertaim.net: You are not that often in Germany, you mentioned it. I which countries are you playing?
Tarkan: Mostly we play in Turkey. Sometimes we manage to play here, or in Austria, Holland. We’ve been in Denmark. But it’s still an adventure! The band formed back in 87, you know, you should have seen us when we were younger, my friend! (laughs).
entertaim.net: Hey come on, your show was amazing, great songs, especially the last one, and with 2 singers, you are very special!!
Tarkan: Thank you! Actually there is one more singer in the band, but he has that disease MS, he is in a treatment right now, so he couldn’t come with us. Usually we are 9 people on stage ….
entertaim.net: 9 people, so that’s expensive to travel to abroad shows….
Tarkan: That’s why we have difficulties to travel around the world, we have a crowded team. Accomodation and travelling costs a lot nowadays. We don’t mind about profit, but it has to be like even for us.
entertaim.net: How did it camt to Bochum today, what was the idea to play that Turock festival? It’s kind of unusual to have Pentagram here…
Tarkan: There is a guy he lives in Germany for a long time, he organises this kind of events, he likes Pentagram! He invited us like 5 years ago, and we did a small tour, with Oberhausen and Essen. And 4 years ago we did another tour with Berlin, Essen and Cologne. We are very good friends, and this time also he made it happen. In terms of visibility it’s almost impossible, but he sacrifices a lot to make this happen. So we owe him a lot, it’s a great adventure for us actually.
entertaim.net: So he organised all 3 shows for a little tour package here in Germany.
Tarkan: It’s the 3rd time we do this, last time 4 years ago, it was christmas time, and it was Berlin and Amsterdam. Then 2020 the pandemic started, and we had a break for 2 years. Right now, this is the first time after Covid we do this again.
entertaim.net: Tell me about metal in Turkey – do you have festivals like this, in Istanbul for example?
(Pic: Pentagram live in Bochum)
Tarkan: Yes, between 2000 and 2013 Istanbul was very active , we had big festivals, not only heavy metal but all styles of musicians were coming to Turkey, mostly to Istanbul. It was a special period, also local musicians had learned a lot from the visiting colleagues, you know. It was like a constant revolution that time. But after 2013… you know the Gezi events?
entertaim.net: Of course…
We are trying to stand for freedom and justice.
Bands like us, we keep the fire burning.
Tarkan: So, after that, politically and economically, it was a challenging period. And right now, very few foreigners coming to Turkey. Because of the ecomomical situation actually, but local bands still keep playing. We are like „defenders of the faith“ (laughs), a constant struggle. We are trying to stand for freedom and justice. Bands like us, we keep the fire burning.
entertaim.net: Must be quite hard, I guess…
Tarkan: That’s what we love, you know.
entertaim.net: You still got fire burning in your musical soul?
Tarkan: Yes yes yes! Because, if you are not having fun, it is pointless! You got to be having fun, doing that for so such a long time!
entertaim.net: Is this your profession? Is this where you make a living?
Tarkan: Yes! We don’t only play Pentagram, everybody in the band produces other artists. We do studio recording, we do different things as well, other than Pentagram. Mostly music and film making.
entertaim.net: I’ve been to Istanbul the first time this summer, it’s such a wonderful city.
Tarkan: .. as a tourist it’s wonderful (Laughs)
entertaim.net: Yes, very! I know what you mean… Do you have some special places to enjoy your music, maybe like a club or venue for metal music?
Tarkan: Yes there a places playing rock and heavy metal music. They are basically located in 2 areas: in Kadikoy, which is on the asian side, and the other point is Beyoglu/Taksim, near Gezi park, more european style. So Taksim and Kadikoy are the basic areas for visiting rock clubs.
entertaim.net: In which club we will find you, Tarkan?
Tarkan: Hey I am 53, (laughs), we usually work in the studios, we are not that kind of nightlife people. But, you should have seen us when we were younger as I told you before… (laughs).
entertaim.net: Do you have good concert venues for rock music?
Tarkan: Yes, there are many live music venues, in different sizes and shapes. In other cities in Turkey as well, mostly Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, Bursa, the big cities. Smaller cities, they are mostly very conservative. Sometimes it’s very hard to find a place to buy a beer…
entertaim.net: You are still creative as a band. Will there be some new songs out, or maybe an album, in the next future?
Tarkan: As long as we are healthy, we are going to play. We released an album, like least than one year ago. Now we are making concerts, promoting these new songs. I guess in 2 years we will be recording a new album. You know we are not like a corporate band, like: „we got to record a new album“. When we feel like it, we will do it. It takes time to make things happen, it’s a little bit like fishing you know.
entertaim.net: … fishing for ideas…
Tarkan: Yes, you can work every day but, that doesn’t mean you come up with a good idea every day. It’s more like it happens simultaneously , there are like small miracles, and you have to chase for them. And then they start to add up, and they become songs. That takes time!
entertaim.net: So you are still on the road, and you still will be Pentagram ?
Tarkan: Yeah, we play approximately like 5 or 6 shows a month. We make ends meet you know. It’s fun!
entertaim.net: Thanks for talkin to us, Tarkan!!
Text: Martin Hannig
Foto: (c) Pentagram
Foto live: (c) entertaim.net
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