“The Blues is rooted in everyday experience. It’s a way to communicate our immediate feelings, all our highs and lows. I believe the world without a vivid Blues scene would be much poorer and colder. The Blues also helps you to develop a certain serenity. I think that is much needed with all the craziness going on around us right now.”

The Badrock Blues Band: Blues Shadows

“Shadows”, the debut album from The Badrock Blues Band is all about perseverance. Formed in 1992 (The BBB's) by Gerald “Mercy” Schuldenzucker on guitar, vocals; Siegfried Horvath on bass, vocals; and Franz Kollmann on guitar, the band has spent over three decades shaping its own take on the intersection between blues and rock in a myriad of ways. All along they were continuously refining their sound, which touches on almost every facet of the blues spectrum and the roots of rock and roll, and building a fanbase across Europe with non-stop live performances. As the idea of finally making an album became a bigger and bigger part of the conversation, Badrock’s world was flipped upside down by the pandemic. No sooner had they begun recording in July 2024, creating the basic tracks for all 12 songs in under a week, they were hit with the sudden passing of guitarist/vocalist Mercy.

(Photo: The Badrock Blues Band)

“Losing Mercy was a gut punch like no other. He was the Blues anchor of the band, a walking encyclopaedia of the genre whose presence could not be replaced. We put the album on hold, but we knew we wanted to continue. It wasn't until several months later that we began working on the record again. We were determined to complete the album without making any major changes, we wanted the songs to sound the way Mercy had heard them,” notes Horváth. “When we all listened back to it together for the very first time, it was a truly special moment; the spirit and unbridled joy of playing that’s defined the band since the very beginning are clearly audible. Shadows is an album with a moving story and a great deal of emotion behind it. It’s a testament to the music we love and to the friends we will always remember.” The band are: Katharina Kollmann (vocals); Siegfried Horvath (bass & vocals); Franz Kollmann (guitar); Christian Zellner (guitar); Julian Höckner (keys & vocals); Dominik Saloberger (drums).

Interview by Michael Limnios                Special Thanks: Larry Kay (Night Train PR)

How has the music influenced your views of the world? What moment changed your life the most?

Siegfried: That’s one hell of a question. To begin with, music was never just a combination of sounds and rhythms to me. It’s a lot more in ways I can hardly express. It gets deep under your skin. It brings people together. One thing I can say for sure is that music taught me how to listen. And I mean really listen. Listen to other’s perspectives on the world, their emotions, how they cope with all the stuff that is going on in their lives. Without all these records in my life I would be a completely different person.

As for the second question, there wasn't one single moment that changed my life the most but rather a chain of lucky events. First, there was my uncle. He loved listening to Blues and Rock 'n' Roll, and he would often play for hours on end, playing various Blues riffs, fingerpicking Blues, and typical Blues songs on his acoustic guitar. This fascinated me even as a young boy and led me to start teaching myself guitar at the age of 10. I wanted to be able to play those cool songs, too.

At 14, I bought my first LP: Bob Dylan/The Band "Before the Flood." I love that record. I must have listened to it a thousand times. Later, Chuck Berry, CCR, Johnny Cash, Buddy Guy, Status Quo, Bob Marley, B.B. King and many more came into the picture. I've always been open to all kinds of music. Blues, Rock 'n' roll, Country, Folk, Folk-Rock, Hard Rock, Psychedelic, Reggae, Jazz and much more—I was fascinated by the different styles and their various expressions and influences.

At 17 I went to my first live concert, Queen. It was one of the most special moments of my life; the four musicians, especially Freddie Mercury, were absolutely stunning. Shortly afterwards I saw Bruce Springsteen, and that really got the ball rolling. It was incredibly moving; there was melody, poetry, rhythm, sweat—that was Rock 'n' Roll. From then on, I dreamed of having my own band.

At that time, I didn't have a plan yet for what kind of music I wanted to play; I liked so many things, but I also wanted to be on stage. Around that time, I reconnected with my school friend Franz Kollmann. He was also playing guitar by then, and we jammed from time to time and dreamed together about having a band. Sidefact: Since we didn't have enough money to buy a proper guitar amplifier, we each built one ourselves using a DIY guide and used it for our rehearsals.  

One day, at a friend's garden party, I heard a guy playing a few Blues licks and a short solo on a guitar. It was our later friend and guitarist, Gerald "Mercy" Schuldenzucker. He played so convincingly that I asked him if he wanted to start a band with me and Franz. And that's how “The BBBs” (a few years later we changed the name to “The Badrock Blues Band”) was born. Mercy was an absolute Blues fan — on stage we would always introduce him as Mr. Blues. He played and sang the Blues with incredible feeling, with heart and soul. He knew an enormous amount about this music and all the relevant musicians of this genre. He brought the Blues into the band and back in my heart. And with that, our musical direction for the next decades was formed.

Franz: My parents mainly listened to folk music and German pop songs. It wasn't until secondary school that I first heard rock, hard rock, and blues songs on the radio's Top 10. AC/DC, Status Quo, and others were on the playlist, and I recorded them on my cassette recorder. This music captivated me, and I also started playing guitar around that time. That was also the inspiration for writing "Caught by Rock 'n' Roll".

(Photo: The Badrock Blues Band are Katharina Kollmann, Siegfried Horvath, Franz Kollmann, Christian Zellner, Julian Höckner, Dominik Saloberger, Austria 2026)

When and how did the idea of The Badrock Blues Band come about? What is the story behind the name of the band”?

Franz: At the age of 20, I met my former schoolmate Sigi again, and we both dreamed of a band. After a few bumpy attempts, we had our lineup and founded "The BBB's" in 1992. A few years later we wanted to change the band name, and turned "The BBB's" into the "The Badrock Blues Band".

How do you describe band’s sound and songbook? What keeps a musician passionate over the years?

Siegfried: Describing our sound is like cutting a tree and looking at its rings. One can hear how our sound is influenced by the likes of B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Chuck Berry, Gary Moore and many other great artists but it’s also constantly evolving. We come together, we jam, we experiment. Everyone in the band has their musical heroes and heroines. In a way they all take part in our sessions. As a band, we all know and trust each other and try to give everyone the space to express themselves in their own way. This is also what’s kept us going for so many years, we never stand still. There are always new ideas, new music, new equipment, new influences to bring into the band and be excited about.

Why do you think that the Blues music continues to generate such a devoted following in Austria?

Siegfried: It’s hard to say specifically for Austria but I think people here value the authenticity and simplicity of Blues and Blues-Rock music. No fancy stage outfits, no playback, no lavish packaging. Just a bunch of humans with their instruments playing together. In pop music you can hardly play a solo that lasts longer than half a minute. With Blues, it’s pretty much the opposite; people celebrate it when it’s raw and spontaneous, and when they see you get carried away in the moment.

Franz: If you let yourself be swept away by the blues, you can quickly go from a sad mood to a euphoric mood and back again. Memories are awakened and images are formed in the mind. Unfortunately, many young people no longer have any connection to this music.

(Photo: The Badrock Blues Band, Austria c. 2000)

Are there any memories from gigs, jams, open acts and studio sessions which you’d like to share with us?

Siegfried: There are so many I don’t know where to start. Our first gigs as a band are still very vivid in my memory. We were lucky enough to quickly find a devoted fanbase with our mix of Blues and Rock 'n' Roll. It was a wonderful feeling for me to stand on stage as newcomers in front of so many enthusiastic people.

One of the memories I’m deeply fond of, is our first studio session for our debut album SHADOWS. We basically recorded everything within a weekend, and had such a cheerful and creative time. Only a few days later, “Mercy” passed away. Having played together for over 30 years, I’m thankful beyond words that we had those final days of love, peace and music together.

Franz: Over 30 years in the band business, you experience quite a lot. Referring to the last question, I would like to add that many young people particularly like our style of music at gigs, even though they don't usually listen to it. You simply don't hear about it in the media. Maybe occasionally in a commercial or as film music.

What do you miss most nowadays from the blues of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

Siegfried: It’s all about how people look at it. I think in the past Blues music was more appreciated as something timeless. Even people outside the Blues scene would recognise this. Nowadays there’s a tendency to make it a thing of the past, to put it in a glass showcase and straight into a museum. On the contrary, Blues and Blues-Rock music have never lost their liveliness. It’s probably more difficult to promote on TikTok and other social media because it takes longer than 20 seconds to get to a point.

Like many artists I’m worried about the impact of AI music. The Blues has been around for such a long time. It sends shivers down my spine to imagine that most Blues music in the future could be produced by AI, trained on tons of legendary material. Do we really need an artificial ghost B.B. King producing new music? Rather than digging legendary artists out of their graves we should listen to the new voices in the genre. If more and more people listen to Blues by clicking on an AI generated playlist, we lose what Blues music used to be all about— listening to each other.

Franz: I find the old blues songs more honest. The musicians may not have been technically perfect, but that's not really necessary. The point is to evoke emotions in the listener.

(Photos: Franz Kollmann on guitar & Siegfried Horvath on bass / The Badrock Blues Band) 

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?

Siegfried: It sounds trivial but the most important lesson I can think of is to always follow your passion. You can probably become more successful by compromising your musical vision, but I doubt that you will be happy. Especially in the long run. Most music groups split up within a few years because they don’t share a vision or they lose it along the way. If you stick to what you love, it’s much easier to attain the perseverance that is needed to continue your musical journey.

Franz: I never had to make a living from music. There are so many musicians and bands, you shouldn't expect too much success. What's most important, in my opinion, is that you enjoy playing music together with the band. It's a long road, but in the end a great gift.

Why is it important we preserve and spread the blues? What is the role of music/musicians in today’s society?

Siegfried: The Blues is rooted in everyday experience. It’s a way to communicate our immediate feelings, all our highs and lows. I believe the world without a vivid Blues scene would be much poorer and colder. The Blues also helps you to develop a certain serenity. I think that is much needed with all the craziness going on around us right now. At days I have to stop myself from reading the news because it drags me down too much. In these situations, good old real music is a safe haven for me. It brings us together, makes us forget our differences, and encounter each other as human beings. I won’t say it’s the solution to all our problems, but it’s definitely a big part of it.

Franz: I'm not that fixed on blues. I also like folk, blues rock, rock 'n' roll...

For me, it's important that the music is handmade. That should be preserved, but unfortunately it's currently under serious threat due to the new possibilities of generating songs in seconds. Musicians should continue to be a voice of society. They must continue to express their opinions and convictions, even if these are perhaps not welcome.

The Badrock Blues Band - Home

(Photo: The Badrock Blues Band)