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| Gudrun Gut to Ed Bahlman on opening for Kim Gordon (seen here performing at SummerStage in Central Park) at the Kreuzberg Festival in Berlin tonight: “I am totally excited about this. I thought this might not work out, but then…! You did magic! ” Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze |
From outside Berlin, Gudrun Gut on the Fourth of July (Independence Day in the US) joined music producer and 99 Records founder Ed Bahlman on Zoom for a quick update on her Malaria! film project with Bettina Köster, and opening for Kim Gordon in tonight’s sold-out Kreuzberg Festival performance in Berlin. Recently they both did shows in Graz, Austria - Gudrun on June 23 at the Sterrrn Festival and Kim at the Elevate Festival on June 28.
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| Gudrun Gut to Anne-Katrin Titze and Ed Bahlman on Kim Gordon: “She’s really into fashion. She always was.” |
In our excerpted conversation, Gudrun discusses hoping to work with Tom Tykwer, who this spring became Managing Director of X Filme, the Berlin production company he co-founded 30 years ago. The script, written with Köster, is coming along and they are putting out feelers for directors who could be suitable to tackle the story of remarkable creativity surrounded by the Wall in the 1980s. Gudrun is also working on a Monika Enterprise book.
Anne-Katrin Titze: Hi, Gudrun!
Ed Bahlman: You got your set list all organised?
Gudrun Gut: Yes, I’m rehearsing in half an hour! It’s great, I’m really looking forward to it. Thanks for setting it up!
EB: Kim’s show at SummerStage was super powerful. An assault on your senses!
GG: Nice!
EB: Where are you with your film project now?
GG: With Bettina [Köster]? When we have the script totally edited In German, then it’ll be translated into English. Then we have different opportunities for who is going to make it. We need it in English and German, I think. As soon as we find somebody who wants to do a movie out of it, we have to give them all the freedom they need. That’s why we want to do it so we are really happy with it before we give it away. You can’t change much afterwards.
I’m tending to do a more international production, maybe American, because the Germans are so conservative in their approach. You always have so many people talking you into something. I like to work more with directors who are going their way, not making it too complicated. Making it kind of fun too. I want to approach X Filme, because I know Johnny [Klimek] and Tom Tykwer. Tom Tykwer maybe has an idea. I know him and the style is kind of fitting. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a documentary.
EB: Ideally you would want someone who knows the time firsthand?
GG: Yeah.
EB: New people may have a superficial knowledge.
GG: But sometimes that’s good too.
AKT: Are you at all nervous before the performance on Saturday?
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| Gudrun Gut's (tentative) set list for July 6 when she opens for Kim Gordon |
GG: I’m more excited. I just played last weekend in Graz at the LGBTQ [Sterrrn] Festival, outside in a huge sculpture park. Super nice. If I play a new set, I’m super nervous. I always change it a bit, but I kind of know what I’m doing. I will be nervous, but not yet. Now I’m excited.
AKT: The two of you have never performed together?
GG: No, I don’t think so. I met them, Sonic Youth, a couple of times, we met in New York, but we never played together, no. So this is cool, this is really nice.
AKT: In New York for the concert Kim was wearing a silver mini skirt that looked terrific on her. Do you know what you are going to wear?
GG: I always were the same! She’s really into fashion. She always was. Even in the old days with Malaria!, she was always like, look what I got! I once decided, okay, I have stage clothes, normal clothes, but I always wear the same kind of outfit. Then I know, okay, stage time!
AKT: Ed is very happy that he could somehow have his fingers in there and make it possible!
GG: Super good! I am totally excited about this. I thought this might not work out, but then…! You did magic!
EB: Thank you, thank you!
GG: I am really looking forward to it! I think it’s a great match because we are both different but then a little bit similar. Again thank you for setting it up!
Kim Gordon’s The Collective world tour continues on to Australia for shows in Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Northcote; Niigata, Japan; Yeonsu-Gu, South Korea; Vancouver, British Columbia; Oregon, Washington, California and Arizona; Budapest, Hungary; Milan, Italy; Bern, Switzerland; Munich, Germany; Brussels, Belgium; Malmö and Johanneshov, Sweden; Oslo, Norway; Göteborg, Sweden; Utrecht, Netherlands; Ciutat Vella, Spain, and Lisbon, Portugal.
