When it comes to hard rock n roll, Rhino Bucket are in insitution.  Breaking onto the scene in 1990, the self titled debut album featured a couple of US Top 40 singles, as well as seeing the band on regular rotation on MTV.  One of the bands most widely played songs Ride with Yourself was featured on the Wayne’s World soundtrack.

Taking a hiatus in 1995 having released 3 albums, the legacy of the band continued to thrive during this time, with Rhino Bucket truly re-emerging again in 2006 with the release of And Then It Got Ugly featuring the single Welcome To Hell that featured in the Oscar winning film The Wrestler.  

Fast forward to 2011 with a couple more album releases to their name and the band have established a strong presence in Europe with relentless touring in support of new album Who’s Got Mine, culminating in upcoming appearances at some of the major summer festivals, most notably Sweden Rock 2011.

Rhino Bucket’s lead vocalist and guitarist, Georg Dolivo filled us in on the upcoming Sweden Rock appearance, as well as new album Who’s Got Mine.


Georg, thanks for taking the time to chat with May The Rock Be With You.   In a few weeks you will find yourself playing a bunch of shows in Europe where you have toured extensively in the last year or so. Has Europe been a strong market for Rhino Bucket over the years, or is it just recently?

We only just recently started touring Europe these past two years and the response has been fantastic. In June, we'll be going back for the second time this year which is nice. The people that come to our shows are true rock fans and have a genuine appreciation for our brand of hard rock.


A couple of these upcoming Europe appearances are open air festival shows, one of which I will be seeing you perform at, Sweden Rock and I have also seen you perform at Rocklahoma in the USA back in 2007.  What do you find the most enjoyable thing about playing festivals, as opposed to normal gigs/touring?

There is something grand about being on the larger stages and bigger crowds. Although, I must admit, that I really enjoy playing the clubs. You have the crowd right in your face and it keeps you on your toes.


Do you have a favourite ever festival experience?

Well, lets see what happens at Sweden Rock this year, but as of now I would have to say headlining the Milwaukee Summer Fest was a highlight.


What can the Sweden Rock Festival goers expect as far as the setlist?  Have you been playing a bunch of tracks off the new album?

We always mix the new with the old, you know, try to make everyone happy. We enjoy playing the new songs just to see how people will react to them.


Have you checked out the Sweden Rock Festival line up at all?  Are there any bands specifically who you are interested in checking out or catching up with? 

You know, we're in and out of there so quick as we have to go to Finland right after that to continue the tour, that I won't have a chance to check out anyone else.


Festivals are often the scene for many classic stage pranks, what has been one of the greatest you may have played on someone, or maybe been played on you?

Hmm, I can't really think of any pranks that we have played. When we toured with The Angels in Australia, they hired a 70 year old stripper to do a dance for me (it was my birthday) on stage during our set. That was kind of weird.


Now I stand to be corrected, whilst I didn’t see the show myself, I believe you toured Australia many years ago?  If this is indeed correct, what are some of your memories from that tour?

Please see above. Haha Lets see, I remember getting along great with all the guys from The Angels and The Poor. And being amazed at the amount of beer that the crowd consumed every night. Also, there was some bar . . . Springfellows, Springfields? I can't remember the name but the place was cool and reminded me of the Coconut Teaszer here at home. Great people, great country!


You recently released your new album “Who’s Got Mine” where you took an unusual approach with funding it by opening it up to the fans to contribute via “Kickstarter”.  What led you down this path and now that the album has been released, how did you find the whole experience of Kickstarter?

By using Kickstarter we were able to have full control over every aspect of making the album. We are lucky in that we great friends and fans who really came through and helped us hit our goal. And yes, I would do it again as it is a great way to make an album with the fans and for the fans.


On “Who’s Got Mine” you used producer Doug Boehm (Dirty Sweet, The Vines). Going into this record what were you shooting for in terms of your sound/production and what led you to Doug?  Were you looking to change it up in any way from your past couple of releases?

We wanted to go into a proper studio with enough rooms to be able to truly record the band live. Doug understood this and came through with flying colors. He was one of us from the moment he came into the first pre-production session and we knew that we were going to have a good album on our hands.


What was the songwriting process for “Who’s Got Mine”?  Did that differ significantly from your past couple of releases?

We tend to write together as a band and have done so for a very long time. Sometimes one of us will come in with a near complete idea and sometimes its just a riff. Either way, we get together and jam on it until is sounds right.


As a band who tours extensively, is life on the road a source of lyrical inspiration and do you guys ever write whilst out on the road?

We write all the time. Quite a few good songs have come out of quick jams during sound check. Lyrical inspiration usually comes in form of a 12 oz. bottle. ;-)


Your music has been featured reasonably extensive in a number of movie and TV soundtracks over the years meaning either you have been great at marketing your music for this purpose, or your music speaks for itself and demands to be used for such purposes?   Your thoughts on this?

It's both. We get on the soundtracks because they want real bands that write real music and because our record label, Acetate Records, is very aggressive in seeking placements. It's kind of cool to be watching sports on a Sunday afternoon and hear your song on the TV or going to a movie theatre and hearing yourself in surround sound.


What are your thoughts on where the state of ROCK is at here in 2011, compared to the 90’s when Rhino Bucket first hit the scene?  I mean here in Australia the supply of rock bands seems to be as healthy as ever, with the likes of Airbourne ruling the world!

The State of Rock is fine! There are just as many good bands today as there were back then. The great thing about the internet is that, with a little effort, you can find great bands from all over the world. Airbourne is a great example of our type of music never really going out of style. Great band, great guys.


You have had over 20 years with Rhino Bucket and the band is still going strong…15 or so years ago the band disbanded and the legacy grew stronger and now in 2011 the interest in the band is still great.  What do you consider to be the key factor for the continued success of Rhino Bucket over the years?

We just a honest, straight forward, hard rock band. We don't follow trends, never have, never will. When every mother's son was doing a ballad we said, "NO FUCKING WAY". We know who we are and we like the band that we have. And I think people respond to that.