Writing drummer Weber in an interview: flowery truths
Munich – There are many musicians who are actors. But few who are also successful as authors. Florian Weber, drummer with the Sportfreunde, is presenting his third novel with “The wondrous aesthetics of the protective posture when drowning”.
While the beginning with a llama swimming in the Atlantic Ocean, a clown and the protagonist Heinrich Pohl still shows absurd Beckettian traits, the book full of stories soon turns into a touching road trip across the USA.
This is how Weber’s third novel found its strange-looking title
AZ: Mr. Weber, the title of your novel sounds odd. How did you come up with that?
FLORIAN WEBER: At first the book was supposed to be called “The Story of a Drowning Man”, which I found pretty lame. The “Rüde”, our bassist with the Sportfreunde, brought me to the current title. As a joke, I once asked him at a concert that he finally got going. Then he got a pull on his back and just said to me: “That’s the aesthetics of the protective posture”. And I found this funny remark to be an apt attitude of my protagonist towards life.
You once said that when you were a student, reading wasn’t exactly your hobby.
In fact, I used to have a lot of trouble getting involved with books. Maybe I was still too restless, too much on the way towards ADHD. It was my sister who seduced me into reading when I was a student. She is also the first to whom I present my works. And after my first book, she encouraged me to continue writing.
Saying goodbye plays an important role in your novel. Was there a specific reason for this?
Currently not. But I had to accept a hard loss at a young age, with the death of my mother. It no longer irritates me today, but it always accompanies me, especially when I look back on my life.
“My father was great too, but he had to work a lot”
Is this Uncle Wendelin, whom you describe in such warm words, a character you long for?
I never had an uncle like that myself, although the ones I had were okay. I then felt such warm-heartedness for my grandmother, with whom I grew up. My father was great too, but he had to work a lot. But the idea of having such an environment as described in the antiquarian bookshop inspired me even more for this figure. These shops, with all their special items, always have something mystical about them for me.
Doesn’t the description of the antiquarian also contain a sense of melancholy? After all, shops like the ones described in the novel are dying out more and more in Munich.
That’s correct. But clubs, record shops and pubs are also affected. In other words, places that determine the atmosphere of the city. The bad topic of gentrification plays a role again. Luckily there are guys like Till Hofmann or Bellevue di Monaco in Munich who make sure that houses that are supposed to disappear are kept up and do so with the best social ideas. I’m also counting on the mayor to ensure that everything doesn’t fall victim to the real estate sharks.
“It’s a lot more fun when everything isn’t sticking to the truth”
As a trained musician, how do you imagine the writing process to be?
I get an idea first, then I start writing. I don’t have a specific writing schedule, which doesn’t necessarily make things easier. But this way I can react immediately to spontaneous thoughts and ideas. And that’s what excites me about it.
A central motif in your novel is the filling of memory gaps with fictitious stories. What do you use it for?
I myself am not one who spreads passionate untruths, but one who adorns experienced stories with a few flowers. It’s a lot more fun in life when everything doesn’t stick to the truth. But perhaps it is also in human nature to embellish an experience a little more over time. I have no problem with that.
The book is also a journey through the United States. How much is really experienced here and what is fiction?
I have a good friend in Salt Lake City, which is also where parts of the novel take place. I visited it twice. He is now a professor at a sports university. And with him I also traveled to Arches National Park. The place where the two main characters in the book smoke the peace pipe. We both walked and drove through this area with quads. Those were wonderful moments, but from that moment I had to move on with Google Earth for my novel.
Concerts after the Corona break: “I don’t have any great expectations”
You write: “None of our heroes is unpunished. Not even Franz Beckenbauer.” Is that a self-deprecating reference to the author himself? You are a known fan of 1860 Munich.
That wasn’t planned. In my first book, Uli Hoeneß got hit in the ass. I also thought about whether Franz had to get his fill, he’s one of the good guys. But in recent years his status has crumbled a bit.
They also explain the true origin of Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind”.
It could have been that Pete Townshend, who I’ve loved since childhood, and Elton John were sitting at the bar and someone was plucking their guitar in the background until the song was finished. But I wouldn’t put my hand in the fire for that.
A new album by Sportfreunde will be released soon, and they’re going on tour. Doesn’t that conflict with a planned reading tour for the novel?
There is indeed a lot going on, but I haven’t taken very many official appointments for five years now. In addition, this pandemic bad time came. You can always rank for heart blood things like the book or the new album.
Anticipation or nervousness – how do you feel about the expected performances that have so far been impossible due to the pandemic?
The desire is definitely there, but I notice that people still have certain doubts about the Corona development. At the concerts, I’m curious to see how they will be received by the people. I don’t have any great expectations beforehand. You could probably assume that every fan will explode after the difficult Corona period, but I also have a lot of understanding if you wait and see what will be served on stage again. But it doesn’t matter whether it’s a book or music – the food is cooked with absolute love.
Florian Weber: “The wondrous aesthetics of the protective posture when drowning” (Heyne Hardcore, 320 pages, 22 euros). Reading in the Volkstheater: April 9, 8 p.m., admission: 20 euros
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