New Accept bassist Martin Motnik outlines differences between the USA and Germany
New Accept bassist Martin Motnik outlines differences between the USA and Germany
New Accept bassist Martin Motnik was recently interviewed by Mick Michaels for The Cosmick View. Mortnik was promoting Accept‘s new studio album Too Mean To Die, which was released via Nuclear Blast Records on January 29, 2021.
Given that Motnik holds dual citizenship in the United States of America and Germany, the bassist was asked about the pros and cons of being immersed in two distinct and different cultures to which he replied:
“There’s an author whose writing I really like, his name is Bill Bryson. He’s a journalist and writes books about traveling. He’s American but he’s lived in England for many years, until he eventually moved back to New England (I guess he liked it better because it was newer – sorry, I forgot that Germans aren’t funny). He wrote about his move and the difference between the two countries, and he coined the phrase “when you move from one country to another, there will be things that are better, and there will be things that are worse, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” I can totally relate to that. It has been my dream to live in the United States since I was a teenager. I think it was because of American TV shows and movies that always made the U.S. look way cooler. Plus, I always admired American rock music and the L.A. scene of the 80s, and the musicians in those bands were my heroes.
I visited many times until I finally made the move in 2008; I was able to stay for a year thanks to an artist visa I got by touring with Uli Jon Roth, and later I was able to apply for a Green Card. Musically, coming to America felt like coming home. At first I didn’t really think much about Germany, until I started to notice some difference that annoyed me a bit. Germans are very punctual and reliable, which is something that’s not as pronounced in the U.S., at least not between many musicians. Driving a car is a bit of a hassle in the States because drivers’ education is definitely better in Germany, but then again a driver license can easily cost you a couple of grand and more over there. The quality of the food in grocery stores is usually better and healthier in Europe, while at the same time being significantly cheaper. On the other side there’s way more red tape in Germany, the taxes are higher (although you do get health insurance and a low but guaranteed minimum pension), the people are way more open for spontaneous conversations in the United States, and depending on where you live the weather is warmer in America which I like. In the beginning after my move I wasn’t able to visit Germany very often, but now I’m able to travel back regularly, especially now when we tour Europe with Accept. So I feel I get the best of both worlds now.”
You can read the rest of the interview with Martin Motnik at The Cosmick View‘s website.