HALMSTAD - Mats MP Persson
Age: 45.
Family: Live-in girlfriend Åsa-Caroline and bonus dad to Mikaela.
Lives: A house in Halmstad.
Car/MC: One of each.
Hobbies: Car/MC.

What is the most important album in history?
John Holm’s “Sordin.”

First record you bought?
“Ett litet rött paket” by Sven-Ingvars.

What’s your biggest concert experience?
The opening act to Black Sabbath 1978 at Olympen in Lund: AC/DC.

Which is the best party album before going out?
No album, but a good day in the studio.

Your best memory from Återtåget?
Stockholm Stadium.

What do you remember from the Gyllene Tider hysteria during the 80s?
The open-air folk park tradition at its best.

What Gyllene Tider song do you refuse to play today?
“Upphetsad.”

What’s the best song off “Finn 5 fel!”?
“Tuffa tider.”

What ring signal do you have on your cell phone?
“Knaswobbel.”

What household chore can you manage?
Turning on the dishwasher and changing the dust bag in the Volta.

What pet do you have, or would like to have, and why?
I’ve had a cat and I’m getting a dog.

Are you superstitious?
Yes. It can be about doing things in the right order. For example, I wear my t-shirt backwards before I change for a concert.

Do you believe in God?
Yes I do. Not that I run to church, but I believe there is a different dimension in life, a higher power that justifies your actions. And hopefully, there is a life after this… even though I haven’t been there checking.

What was your best subject in school?
Electronics.

Do you usually cook?
I’m not that good at it, but a quiche is doable.

Your worst vacation memory?
Midsummer in Torekov, 1977. We were camping. Anders was there, so was Isildurs Bane and a whole gang. But it just kept on raining, so finally we gave up and went home. It was a real anticlimax.

Guitar in Gyllene Tider… but drums in Back On Stage . Which was the hardest to learn?
I started with the drums, and knew how to play them before I could even play the guitar. And I’ve had a lot of use of that as a guitarist. Partly the rhythm and partly the ability to listen to what the others are playing, because you do that more as a drummer or a bass player.

Describe what’s so special about driving a bike?
The work stays home, you’re on a roll. I can imagine it’s the same thing with golf.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?
Dunno, I’ve eaten my words many times, but I don’t know if that counts.

How’s life looking after the summer tour? Any new projects or albums planned?
First normalization; then work and vacation mixed.

Your favorite restaurant?
Bengtsson’s.

Are you nervous before a concert, and in that case, how do you handle it?
Yes, I tell really bad jokes to my friends and everyone around me.

OK, so let’s hear a really bad joke then…
Do you know why the cell phone doesn’t sink when you throw it in the water?
It has a SIM card [“Sim” means “swim” in Swedish].

What does Back On Stage mean to you?
The best band in town without a career.

Tell us something that people in general don’t know about you?
I’ve understood it all, but I can’t give any details.

Translation by Thomas Evensson for TDR