Rock Apostle
The founder of a website devoted to all things rock and heavy metal, Club Member Stefan Nilsson explains why Motörhead’s Lemmy is god.
Four American rockers, in outrageous outfits and black-and-white makeup, opened the door. Stefan Nilsson was about 10 years old when he first heard the music of cult American rock band Kiss. The Swedish boy was transfixed.
In the late 1980s, he channeled his passion for rock and heavy metal into a fanzine called Rock Soldier. Two years ago, he launched Roppongi Rocks, a website packed with album and concert reviews and interviews with musicians from the world of rock.
An investor and entrepreneur during the day, Nilsson, 43, reveals what metal means to him.
First live experience
I saw some local bands in Sweden first, but my first proper international rock gig was Kiss. I was 14 when I saw them live for the first time and I have seen and met them numerous times since. Seeing your favorite band as a teenager was fabulous. I still get that feeling whenever I see a truly
great band live.
Top three live acts
Tokyo is a great place to live, as many heavy metal acts come here on tour. Megadeth have really upped their game in recent years and are now a great live band again. Accept is another veteran band that is now better than ever. Swedish guitarist Michael Amott, who frequently tours Japan with his bands Arch Enemy and Spiritual Beggars, is always a fab live act. Among the Japanese bands, 1980s veterans Loudness are still going strong and are better than ever.
Top three metal albums
When it comes to studio albums, I’d have to say “Rust in Peace” by Megadeth, “Destroyer” by Kiss and “Razamanaz” by Nazareth. Then there are terrific live albums, such as “Live After Death” by Iron Maiden and Motörhead’s “No Sleep
‘til Hammersmith.”
Heavy metal god
Motörhead’s Lemmy, of course. He sadly passed away a couple of years ago, but he will always be the god of metal. He was always the same, on and off stage—no image, no gimmicks, just the real deal. He lived fast. I saw him in concert several times and met him in London once.
Thrill of running Roppongi Rocks
I enjoy meeting rock stars that I grew up being a fan of. And discovering new talent is a major driver. Sometimes, unknown artists I cover get record deals or management contracts, partly because of my writing about them. And getting recognition from your childhood heroes is always a thrill.
Meaning of metal
Not only are the artists different from one other, so are the fans. In Japan, it is quite common for salarymen or office ladies, coming straight from their offices in business suits, to walk into a thrash metal gig and start headbanging and crowdsurfing. It is a welcoming community of people who want to share experiences and make new friends. Being different or an outsider is not seen as something bad. One’s metal allegiance spills into all parts of life. I’ve had situations where I’ve been negotiating some business deal and realized the person across the table is a metalhead. Then it becomes much easier
to do business.
Words: Nick Jones
