Victoria, our Swedish writer once told me: "Hey Bruno, do ya know that we have also The Winters Gate here? They're cool! Wouldn't you like to publish an interview with them?" This question made me curious, so I went on the web to check out in their official web site and what I found was surprisingly interesting. So I let Victoria pose a bunch of questions to these four Swedish "outlaws" represented by their guitar man Pat Supreme.
What else could I say? Sometimes Winter's Gates are hot as the hottest of Hells!

Hi Pat, nice to meet you. Our Italian readers would be glad to know something more about you, so let's start from how did you guyz form this band?
Me (Pat Supreme, guitar) Shark Lightning (guitar) and Van Vulgar (drums) were classmates and shared the dream of becoming rock stars... this was back in 1995. The rest is history...

How do your songs get alive, is it a team work or just of one of you? Is there a more frequent mode you usually use to write?
Sometimes it's written all finished by a band member. Sometimes someone got finished lyrics and just an idea about the song and we work it out in the rehearsal hall. It's all different.

Is there any composition you feel closer to? If there is one, why?
All songs have their feelings, but I am very happy how the lyrics to "Beyond Salvation" turned out.

So let's speak about your live performances, which are the shows you still remember with more pleasure? And why?
Playing live for me is the best. That's when it's all worth all the hours in the rehearsal hall. Back in 1999 we did a funny gig at a MC Festival outside Gothenburg. It was very funny, with about 300 leather rebels in the audience.

Where would your dream gig take place at?
Don't know really know. But playing for something like 50 000 and more seater at Ullevi Stadium here in Gotheburg would be very nice - somewhere in time (laughs).

So who or what would you consider to be your inspiration when it comes to music? Which band has influenced you the most in the past?
Paul Stanley of Kiss and Mattias IA Eklundh of Freak Kitchen. But everything that cross your path in life is inspiration for me...

If you could share the stage or work on one of your next releases with a person or a band in the world, who would it be?
There are so many. But playing with Kiss and doing this larger than life show would be very nice.

Is there any band on nowadays rock scene you particularly like and what do you usually listen to in this period?
Well I don't listen that much to new bands. Haven't found any quality music for a long long time. I think it's funny the thing The Darkness are doing. I bought their album, but haven't listened to it that much. Most of today's music bores me. I know Shark and Van Vulgar listen to a lot of newer music like The Mars Volta and stuff like that.

Have you ever been to Italy before and what's your opinion about this Country?
Yes, I've been to Rome, Venice and some other places. Nice Country! Good weather but Rome was too much polluted for me...

What's your favourite quotation?
"Nobody wants to go into a grocery store and get an empty sack, nobody should go to a rock `n´ roll show and get an empty stage" //Paul Stanley, Kiss.
I also like this one: "Life is like sex, do it for free, do it for money, but never pay for it!"

Are you a happy person? What do you do when you feel blue?
Yeah, if life is a radio turn it up to 10 and when I'm feeling down I put on a good record and dance, dance, dance!

What's the most important thing, look or music?
50/50, it goes hand in hand!

There's been a revival of 80s' music recently. Do you see yourself as a part of that movement?
Well maybe, but we play the kind of music we like to play, if it happen to be "the thing" right now maybe that will be good for us, maybe not. It's funny that melodic music is back. So boring with all that grunge and nu metal stuff.

Do you already have enough material for another record?
We are currently recording a new CD. We have some new songs that was written during this period but didn't make it to the CD, because of lack of time. So maybe they will end up on an album later on. What made you want to be a part of the rock world? When I see all these new bands with no attitude I know it's time to bring back the big rock show!

What do you think about the never ending problem of mp3 and downloads. Which are pros and cons about this matter, in your opinion?
It's a great way to spread your music. But of course there are problems when the artists don't get paid in the end. I guess you have to do high quality music and great albums that makes people want to buy it. And actually in the world of hard rock I think most people still think it's cool to own the actual CD. At least I do.

Do you have any tattoos? In this case, what do they symbolize to you? What are they?
No way, I am clean and innocent. Van Vulgar and Shark got tattoos though.

Favourite porn star, drink, and top 5 albums of ever...
Porn Star... I don't know any names. Only watch sporadic. Drink... Mostly beer for me but once in a while I like to drink Black Russian. 5 albums... Kiss "Alive !", Freak Kitchen "Spanking Hour", Fate "Scratch 'n Sniff", Iron Maiden "The Number Of The Beast", Ratt "Invasion Of Your Privacy". There are so many... Classic stuff by AC/DC, Manowar, Blind Guardian, Marillion... The list is endless (laughs)...

Pat, this is a game we usually propose during our interviews. Associate what you think to the following words:
Night Club: Drunk...
Cigarettes: Urk...
Hail and Kill: Manowar!
Motorcicles: Manowar!
Rebel Leather: Rob Halford and a very cool song by Judas Priest of you switch the words...
Bootlicker: xxx!
Fast'n'Furious: Satan on speed...

Which is the craziest thing you did in all your life?
That's not up to me to decide. Ask our drummer, he's from Iceland and a crazy motherfucker!

Ok our time is running out, now you have free space to say final greetings and... whatever!
Greetings all metal heads in Italy! We hope to come and play some kickin' ass hard rock music for you soon. Thanks everyone! Spread the word, Winters Gate will bring back the big rock 'n roll show! Check it out at www.wintersgate.com!

Intervista realizzata da Victoria Gayford
Traduzione di Margherita Realmonte