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Please tell us what it's like in your live music scene over there? Please describe crowds, reaction at shows.
Chrigel: Hard to say for me, since I don’t go to concerts very often. But I guess, our live music scene round here is more or less like everywhere in Western Europe. What I’ve learned through some live-DVDs of bands like Machine Head or Lamb Of God is, that the crowds in America are more “rompy”. I mean, here you can hardly see stuff like circle pits and so. At our own gigs, I guess, the crowds are similar to the ones at other metal concerts round here. Beside the fact, that lots of people show up with drinking horns and sometimes even some Celtic outfits. But also, this is nothing too special within the pagan metal scene. Normally at our shows, we have a pretty good feast with our fans… they’re quite fervid and freakish, bawl along, dive the stage and so on. Good parties.

How theatrical are your shows? How much moving around vs. standing still and jamming do you do? Why is the visual element important to your live show? (or why not?)
Chrigel: I think our live performances are atmospheric and energetic. We partly work with sound effects (nature sounds) and so on. Furthermore our gigs always have some touchy, mystical, “ritual-like” moments; when we play the concert-opener for example (like “D’Vêritû agâgê d’Bitu”).

Besides this, I guess, we perform just more or less usual, yet pretty vigorous metal shows. Well, we’re not really standing still, there’s pretty much happening on stage – lots of moving around, banging (circle banging look quite okay, I guess, since some members hairs are pretty long, haha)and so on.
Why? Don’t know… it just happens that way, I think. What is worth to mention about our shows: We come up with quite a number of (partly historical) instruments, you know, all the bagpipes, fiddles and so on. What you get at an Eluveitie-concert (musically) is what what you get from an Eluveitie-CD – we don’t reduce the instrumentation of the songs to make it easier for us on stage.

What are your thoughts when people wonder 'How can Christian artists involve themselves in a scene that's called pagan metal?' (I know that may seem silly, like asking a death metal band how they can play "death" metal, but people actually wonder about this stuff)
Chrigel: You’re right; this question is asked from times to times. Well, first of all, I have to say: We’re not “christian artists”, so there can also not be a problem with it. ;) Eluveitie is not a christian band at all. We have two people in the band though, that follow these ancient ways of “those of the path”, but the other bandmembers don’t… so, this doesn’t make Eluveitie christian. Yes, we played a couple of times together with christian bands, mostly because our label – Fear Dark – has signed some christian bands. We’re neutral and open here. I mean, if we play– for example – with bands like Grabak, which are lyrically dealing with occult/satanistic topics (which isn’t very suitable to Eluveitie, haha), so then why shouldn’t we play with christian bands? We don’t have a problem with this. And people that rebuke us because of this and claim that a pagan metal band should not play with, nor support christian bands, we just count as bloody narrow-minded. ;) However, this all might be why some people sometimes ask questions on this topic. Well, but that was not your question actually. My personal thoughts are: This question is not silly (even if it sucks sometimes, haha), but it only reveals sincere concerns and interests, which is a good thing basically. Besides the fact mentioned above, I believe that such concerns emerge from the general misunderstanding, that “pagan” or “celtic” are religious attributes. Personally I’m often pretty pissed off when people look at “celtism” as a religion, for it simply is none! The Celts are a folk, a whole culture – even one of the most important and formative in ancient Europe’s history! There were/are own beliefs and philosophies maybe, yes! But it’s not basically about religion. It is actually quite ignorant to reduce the Celtic culture to a religious affair only. I compare it with the American Indians (the Lakota for example): A Lakota definitely IS an Indian, you’ll agree here. And maybe he also lives out the old Lakota religion and believes in “Wakan Tanka” (“God” in the Lakota language). But maybe he doesn’t! Maybe he once met the Christian faith for example and became a follower of Jesus Christ. And then, so what? Isn’t he a Lakota Indian anymore, just because he believes in Jesus? Of course not! He still is a Lakota, still an Indian and he’ll always be. He just follows the Christian faith. And so it is the same with the Celts, you see? “Being celtic” has more to do with a certain ethnical affiliation than with a religion. So I basically think that such questions don’t make too much sense in the end.

What is it about Celtic music and instrumentation that appeals to you guys?.
Chrigel: Hard to say. Guess, it’s the same that also appeals to fans of Eluveitie – ask them! ;) For me personally it’s two things: Firstly it’s just my culture, I mean, I just grew up with those sounds. Secondly I love the speed and the wildness of the celtic tunes, as well as the somehow heart-rending harmonies and atmospheres in them.

How did you feel about Switzerland's accomplishments or performance in the Winter Olympics?
Chrigel: Ahm… what did we accomplish there? I have no idea bout that, haha.
I’m not into sports at all. So, this all actually does not affect me in any way. I mean, it’s just a contest; it’s just a game in the end. And there’s always somebody to win. Of course it’s cool if someone from Switzerland wins something, but actually I don’t care at all. What I find pretty crazy about the whole thing is how much money is spent for such an event like the Olympics. I mean, come on, this is just mad somehow… at the same time people are starving anywhere else (or there are some Celtic Pagan Metal bands, that could use this money very well too ;)).

When you look around at the political scene around the world (Europe, USA, the middle east), what do you think the future holds? What are some scenarios you are afraid will happen?
Chrigel: This is a difficult question, because this is a BAND interview – we’re nine people, and for sure there are nine different sights on this topic! Those themes are something very personal and individual. For me personally, there are a couple of things, which look pretty scary… China emerging as a global power (don’t exactly fear it, but you just don’t really know what you’ll have to expect), or angry Islamists hating the western world, or an also sometimes pretty aggressive American President who’s quite quickly to bomb a country he fears (sorry bout that… it’s YOU who asked, haha), or global powers or individual states continuously disesteeming the laws of nature… Stuff like that. BUT: I actually don’t really fear such stuff. I mean, I know that I personally cannot affect those world affairs. But I also know that humans (whatever they might do with all their wars and destructive ideas) are just a part of the lot. The “great wheel” (some lesson in celtic mythology, haha) is revolving on quite underwhelmedly and sovereignly, no matter what humans do.
So what…?

Back to music, what are 5 or so bands that all readers of Heaven's Metal
Fanzine should be familiar with?
Chrigel: Well, the 5 bands, they like most, I would say! And Eluveitie of course, haha.

What would you like to say specifically to Heaven's Metal readers
(besides what you already touched on in question #3)?
Chrigel: Nothing specific. If we once play in America (we never did so far) and we probably meet some and can have a couple of beers with them, I guess, there’ll be enough to chat about.

What are your favorite songs on Spirit and why?
Chrigel: Hard to say. Guess, “Your Gaulish War“, “Of Fire, Wind & Wisdom”, “The Song of Life” and “Dance of Victory” I personally like the most. Why? Mostly because of the riffing in these songs. Like that a lot.

Anything else you'd like to add?
Chrigel: Thanks a lot for your interest in our work! Sláinte!

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