Victor Smolski – To Rage or (not) to race, that’s the question!

Sometimes you just have to face facts: some people are gifted with many talents. Victor Smolski, known as guitarist of German band Rage, is one of those people. First talent: accomplished musician, producer and composer. Second talent: a skilled car racer. And if that wasn’t enough on the talent-market: he’s quite a handsome looking guy as well. The lucky bastard!

A short biography
Victor Smolski was born on February 1st, 1969 in Belarussian Minsk, in those days part of the Soviet Union. His father is a well-known Russian compose, so it’s no surprise that Victor already had his first piano and cello lessons at the age of six. Soon followed by a guitar and at the age of eleven, Victor is already a pro. When he is 14 years of age, he becomes a member of Russian rockband Pesniary, whose popularity can be compared with that of the Scorpions in Germany. Victor tours the Soviet Union during the next nine months to follow. In 1988 he founds the band Inspector and for the first time performs with them in Germany. In 1993 Victor decides to stay in Germany. Two years later he is part of Mind Odyssey and takes his first steps on the path to becoming a producer. In June 1999 Rage presents him as the new guitarist during the Wacken Open Air Festival.

And there is lots and lots more to be read on Victor’s personal website, which inspired Furyrocks to asking the first question. This article is about the musician Victor Smolski, the car racer Victor Smolski and, oh yes, the musician Victor Smolski...

There is quite some story about you on your website. Why is that? And did you write it yourself?
Victor: ‘I definitely have no time to do all website updates by my own, I have worked together with my webmaster Joe for many years, he does most of the website updates for me. I think it is always nice for fans or other people to know about someone’s roots and where everything started. By the time a lot of events and things happened in my personal history, which I think is very nice to be hold together in my biography.’

What was it like to be famous at such a young age? Did it make you grown up at a young age, for instance? That must have been overwhelming for such a young boy...
‘I was so busy with learning and playing that I missed the opportunity to “feel like a Rockstar” *lol*. All members of my family are born as workaholics, so I think this is also established in my blood. At the age of 16 I was in the lucky position to be able to perform in completely sold-out stadions, which is not usual. But in the same time it showed me that I was on the right way wich made me work even more hard on my profession.’

What about your education during that tour?
‘I was legally put out of school during the time I had to tour with my band and afterwards I had to re-do all the subject’s stuffs which was very hard for me. Touring during the 80ies ment “Sex, Drugs & Rock’-n-Roll”, but I was never really interested in the drugs!’

What does it mean to sell 10 million records in (at that time) the Soviet Union? Is it different from how things are nowadays in Russia, or, where you come from, Belarus?
‘I entered the band when they had been very successfull already and because in Russia there were no author rights back then, I didn’t earn money with the sold records. But you of course reach and get a lot of fans which show up at the concerts. A lot of things have changed in a positive way nowadays, except the f***** downloads on the internet which ruin the music industry and artists, who are no longer able to sell any records.’

What did your parents, especially your father, feel when you picked up a guitar and started playing rock/metal instead of the ‘classical’ instruments?
‘He never had any prolems with me being an rockmusician and he had always been supporting me in any music styles I make, wether it is classic, jazz or rock music. He only complained a little bit when I was too loud.’

You composed and toured with your father. What was it like to work with him?
‘It was always great fun to work with my father, because I can learn a lot from him and so I can develop my own music more and more. I wish my father’s health was much better, so we could tour again.’

What made you decide to stay in Germany? Was it mainly for a musical reason or other reasons as well?
‘The reason for me to stay in Germany was mainly because I was able to develop my musical career better from Germany than from Belarus. The visa-problems I was faced with all the time stopped me from touring world-wide, so I moved to Germany where travelling no longer was a problem for me.’

How did you get in touch with car racing?
‘When I was a young boy I lived quite near to a race track where I went to see the cars as often as I could. I was completely fascinated by car racing since I was young. Later then I started to drive a bit too, but back then in Belarus the cars were not so good, so I later started to race professionally as I degreed the Race Academy in Germany.’

And how and by whom was your talent discovered for this?
‘With my first race as a guest driver I was quite successful, later I was invited by the racing team Becker’s Rennsport, two times German Champion Team.’

Do you have a high insurance, because of this somewhat dangerous hobby?
‘Yes, of course I have.’

Do you have other hobbies?
‘Unfortunatley I have no time for further hobbies.’

How does your record company feel about this? And your band mates?
‘The record companies don’t really care about what I do in my free time, they are happy that I make some additional promo work. And the band members are afraid to see what I do and they are afraid concerning driving with me. It’s too fast for them… I guess…’

If you had to choose between a gig and a race, which would it be and why?
‘I have to make this decision a lot of times and of course I go for the concert, because this is my main profession!’

What if you had to choose between music in general and a racing career?
‘I will fortunately never have to make this decision, because I can enjoy both.’

What car do you drive and what are its specs?
‘I have a Ex-DTM BMW M3 racing car for the races and a powerfully tuned Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR for my private drifts.’

How long have you been racing actually?
‘I own my international racing license since 10 years already. During this time I have aimed some really nice goals, such as the 3rd position in my class at the 24h-race, the most dangerous race world-wide. I also reached three times the 1st position at the longdistance VLN series, 2nd position at the Formula Ford Cup in the UK and a lot of other nice trophies.’

Would you like to ride in another discipline in future and which one would that be?
‘So far I take part in all possible touring car series all across Europe. Definitely I would like to get more into the Rallyes Series, but my sponsoring doesn’t make this happen for me because the expenses are way too high.’

Back to music. Can you tell us more about the guitar riffs you use? What influences are important to you?
‘I try to compose my guitar riffs in a way that I can re-play the riffs in all keys, because I always make the chords comfortable for the vocals arrangement. Influenced I am by a lot of great musicians worldwide after I travelled a lot. Many of the names you might have never heard of before.’

Do you have a favourite musician/band/style? Can be metal or something else of course.
‘There are too many to be mentioned all in here, but I like musicians like Shawn Lane, Steve Vai, Scott Henderson ect. Concerning the bands I would mention names like Led Zeppelin, Dream Theater, Freak Kitchen, YES, Judas Priest ect. The main style I listen too is of course metal music. But I am open-minded for all kind of experiments!’

How did you get your endorsements?
‘I often perform on several music fairs worldwide and some companies have invited me to join their development, which is always very interesting to me. Since many years I present Yamaha (guitars & keyboards, etc.), ENGL amps, Thomastik-Infeld strings, Cordial Cables and Custom Shop Siggi Guitars.’

Why do you prefer Yamaha and Siggi guitars?
‘These guitars fullfill most of my claims. They are very comfortable to play and have an aggressive middle frequency sound. The quality is great and I never have any trouble on tour with these instruments!’

You are very active in teaching, seminars, producing, recording, workshops for drums and bass, studiorecording, editing and so on. How on earth do you combine this all?
‘All of these activities mean a lot of fun to me so it is positive stress. And like I mentioned before: my second name is “Workaholic”.’

What activity is your favourite and why?
‘I have most of the fun by recording new songs in the studio because it is always magic what’s happening. How from one small idea in my head the whole thing develops until you have a complete song on an album.’

What activity/accomplishment are you proudest of?
‘I am proud of everything I made during my musical career, I haven’t played a single note that I have to be ashamed of! I have never made any business compromises for earning more money and I always did what I want to and in what I believe!’

With which (famous) bands/musicians have you worked or do you work?
‘In studio I already produced Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian), Tobias Sammet (Edguy), Schmier (Destruction), Tarja Turunen (Ex-Nightwish), Andy Deris (Helloween) and I shared stages with a lot of great musicians such as f.e. Billy Sheehan, Steve Vai, Tommy Aldridge and many more. It always means a lot of fun to me to jam with other musicians.’

What advice can you give (beginning) bands/musicians?
‘Get yourself a comfortable instrument which stays in tune! Never judge your equipemt by its price or the company’s name. Always do what’s most fun to you, never make any compromises – and never give up! Try to compose your own music and learn how to arrange songs to make them sound tight with your band. For your first studio recording get yourself a professional producer, who can help you in may ways.’

Do you have a wish/dream that still has to come true musically-wise?
‘I would like to do a “metal meets classic opera” together with my father and present this live!’

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