Interview with Cecilie taken from the
Norwegian magazine
PLAN B, November 2000.
English translation done by Rolf Klausen.
Most people know who Motorpsycho is. But who makes it possible for them to express their inspiration in peace? We walked to Svartlamoen one hot day in autumn, and were met by the most normal being. A harmonic person in white "woodshoes" [1], short brown hair and silver jewelry. Meet Cecilie Lykke (33). [2]
It takes time to get a hold of Cecilie Lykke. And when she's finally on the phone, the will to be interviewed isn't very big. We are in fact warned. She won't talk about her grandmother, or about how it is to be a women in a man-environment. Living together with Bent is her own business, not the press'. The only thing we might be allowed to talk about is her work. And that's fine. Motorpsycho's greatest fan is hardly the most "rocked" boy you know, who's got everything you can find by and about the band. We'd rather think it's the woman who took the trouble of finding gigs for the boys countless years ago. She met the band through common friends [3] and UFFA nearly ten years ago. Now she's manager and pal. What does she think it's like?
It's really exciting. I'm a big Psycho-fan, so that helps, she tells from an old chair in Motorpsycho's office. The yellow and white attic is stuffed with pictures and posters of the band. I actually played in a band with Bent before. But we never got further than the rehearsal-room. Lykke does nearly everything for the boys, except playing and singing. She books gigs and takes care of all the paperwork. Is a link between the boys and recordcompany, the boys and the press. Sells t-shirts and records via mail-order. Makes sure most of the practical issues work out. Motorpsycho doesn't have to think about anything except the music.
Everything is in perfect order, thanks to one single person.
That's why I'm here. So they don't have to use their minds on that, and
rather concentrate on practicing and playing.
There's got to be a lot of trust here, from them to you?
Yeah, it's got to be! I can't see anything else, she says and takes a
sip from the Imsdal-bottle.
But we do know each other for a long time now. Worked close together in good and
in bad days. We are very much on the same frequency in private life as well. I
think that means a lot.
Living together with singer Bent Sæther is a topic she doesn't find
interesting to comment. She doesn't think it's worth writing about it at all.
It gets too "se & hør"-ish [4].
And she claims that the relationship hasn't had any interference with her
professional tasks.
It doesn't really make a difference for the job. More for the private
life, that you have to split the professional from the private, so it doesn't
mix up. We can't talk business from morning til' night.
Cecilie hasn't been manager for any other groups than Motorpsycho. Most likely she wouldn't have been even that, if it wasn't Motorpsycho. She can't really imagine working for someone else, and that's how special she thinks the collaboration is. And she likes the life on the sideline of success.
To be in the shadow, i guess that's a natural thing for the job i've
got, she smiles with her head resting in her hand. It's just no point
in showing off.
So you don't want to say "Hi, i've got so-and-so many percents of the
Spellemannspris"?
Her laughter becomes warm. To prices shine delicately from the top of the small
kitchen behind her.
No, I don't feel any need to say that, she says, slightly in control again.
Perhaps if it could help them or the job, but my job is here on the attic.
Personally I like it here.
So you don't feel ignored at all?
Not ignored. I feel that I can sit by the side and behold the whole
thing. See the big picture. Keep my head cold.
The rock-"environment" and UFFA may have put their marks on the lady, but
Cecilie doesn't think she's become "hard as rock" ... she may have been influenced
by the masculine way of communication.
Talking about being a woman amongst rockers or the manager job is something
she absolutely doesn't want to. She's done it before, and don't like the results.
No, I feel that it's a stupid angle-of-view, in a way. It gets so unnatural and often does
the opposite of what was intended.
[--SNIP--] [5]
Right now there's a small tour ahead for the band. Then Cecilie and the
boys will stay low in the terrain. The judging in the trial against the
record company (VoW) is to be appealed. A case one could talk about for a long
time. The result was so complicated that you had to really get into the case to
understand it. But Motorpsycho wasn't satisified. And now the band prefers to meet
the rehearsal-room instead of the press. They want to make more music.
Then we'll leave them alone, says Cecilie. They have asked so nicely
for that. Now they want to make a record. It's quite a long time since they were
in that process. They haven't had the time to be creative until now.
She is still in the chair. Now and then she takes small sips of water. We chat a little bit before we think it's about time to stroll out again. Up amongst the spellemannsprices are some toy-musicians from Lego or Playmo. Drummer with equipment. Guitarplayer. Three men in total. Ready to play as soon as they can. But until God makes toys real he'll only let them stand there and watch. Watch Cecilie work on. For the real them.
1) "tresko" ?
2) btw, for foreigners: Lykke does in fact mean 'happiness'
3) "felles bekjente" ?
4) anyone: explain what Se & Hør is ...
5) ... because of some bad print in the paper, i couldn't read some lines ...
