..when his short U.S. tour arrived in San Francisco for a gig at the Red Devil Lounge:

Since the debut with Blood Panic in 2003, Moneybrother has been recognized as one of the most prominent artists of our oblong country. With the release of his fourth album, Mount Pleasure, in August 2007, the album instantly climbed to #1 on the Swedish album charts. Now Moneybrother is about to take on the U.S. market, and the former Ludvika resident will release his first U.S. full length album, Real Control in January.
As we sit down over a Heineken at a small diner we start off by asking why he chose to leave Sweden and the thousands of fans singing along at each concert, to tour the U.S. and play for a handful of people that has yet to be convinced of the greatness of his music.
“I have been doing this now since I was 19. Without passing judgment, the feeling of waking up in L.A. to go to the next show in San Francisco is slightly more thrilling than waking up in Hässleholm heading for the next show in Gislaved. I have always considered myself a hard worker and do not mind having to start over here in the U.S.”
Even if touring in the U.S. cannot compare to touring in Sweden, when it comes to attention and money there are some things that just do not happen in our small country.
“At our last gig in Seattle, the audience consisted of no more than 75 people. But we entered the stage, gave the crowd all we had and after the show we were told that a writer from Rolling Stone was in the club. So I end up at the bar next to him having a beer and he told me how much he enjoyed listening to our concert. This would not happen in Hässleholm.”
The conversation drifts over to talking about music culture and musicians in the two different countries, and Anders salutes his American band members.
“I am an easy going person, usually thinking anything goes, but when it comes to music I am very high maintenance and I have found a fantastic band here. These guys sleep in the car, they buy nuts at the local grocery store to ease their hunger and sacrifice most of modern comforts just to be part of this tour, and that tells you something about the mentality and their passion for music. It is inspiring. For the money I spend on musicians at one gig in Sweden I get four gigs here with the same quality.”
This is not the first Moneybrother tour in the U.S. and west coast. When we ask why he chose to tour this side of the country the simple answer is that the area has taken a big interest in his music. What luckily coincides with that are his many friends in LA. His schedule is tight for the upcoming year with tours in Europe, a fundraising trip to Mali and a new U.S. tour in February.
It seems likely that Anders will live in the U.S. and we ask how he would feel about coming back to San Francisco.
“I love to travel but I have never lived in another country besides Sweden and I would really like to try living in Los Angeles.”
Why not here?
Anders, glancing down at the jacket he is wearing, answers with a smile.
“The weather is not that nice.”
At the concert afterwards we get proof of what the writer the from Rolling Stone stated: The soul-oriented blend of music styles like reggae, punk, rock'n'roll, pub rock blends into great live music. From the start with the new single “Born under a bad sign,” Anders and his band give the crowd one hundred percent and Moneybrother’s stage presence and charisma engage the audience. “Showdown” and “Reconsider Me” are the highlights of the evening. If you have the chance, go see him in February.
For more info, see www.moneybrother.net

Submitted by Erik Bustad and Linn Glimeus, SACC-SF
(http://www.sacc-usa.org/sf)