ROCK KLUB IRON – interview with the owner Bogdan Świstak

There was a club in the city of Krosno, in the south of Poland, called ROCK KLUB IRON. I wrote was, because the owner – Bogdan decided to close it after 20 years of its existence. During that time, the club doubled its size and welcomed hundreds of bands, not only from the Polish rock and metal scene, but also groups from various corners of the world. IRON KLUB played very important role in the South-Eastern Poland, because thanks to that, the fans from that region could see both local bands as well main Polish acts like ACID DRINKERS, VADER, TURBO or DECAPITATED (band that originally comes from Krosno) without the need to go to bigger cities like Rzeszow or Kraków. Here’s the interview with the man who started it all and kept it going for twenty successful years.

To start with, an obvious question: how did it all begin for you? Do you remember any turning point, any particular song or band that sparked your interest in rock and metal?

I remember it as if it was yesterday – 56 years ago with BLACK SABBATH’s first album in 1970. I’ve been the band’s biggest fan ever since. That’s when I first became interested in heavy music.

Did someone introduce you to it, or did you stumble across them yourself?

I had a mate, a bit older than me – I remember he had a ZK 140 reel-to-reel tape recorder and he’d use it to record tracks from so called Radio Luxembourg. He was a really inventive bloke and, as he had family abroad, he had a few vinyl records. That’s how it all started for me. It began slowly with small amount of records and then the collection got bigger and bigger, but it all started in 1970.

So what was the first concert you ever went to?

Well, it wasn’t exactly a typical rock or metal gig, but I remember I was still a young lad. I think I was about 16, and it was a gig by the old line-up of BUDKA SUFLERA – it was the heavier version of BUDKA SUFLERA than the current one. It was at the Cultural Centre in Krosno. I vaguely remember that the ticket cost around six times of my weekly pocket money back then. Later on, I went to loads of great gigs at the same venue, including TURBO, KASA CHORYCH and many others, but I can’t remember them all now. As for foreign bands, it all began in 1982 at Spodek in Katowice, most renowned venue of that time. My first concert there was BUDGIE. This was the band that could gather maybe 200 people in their own country, but Spodek was packed with fans on that Polish show.

Well, rock and metal gigs were a real rarity in the 80s in Poland. Maybe that is why…

Exactly. So, I saw BUDGIE first in ’82, and then in ’83, of the bands from behind the Iron Curtain, I saw UFO. Next, I think it was NAZARETH in ’84. That year I also joined the army for the obligatory training. Before I went there, I’ll always remember 9^th August 1984 and IRON MAIDEN’s first concert in Poland. It was in Warsaw at Torwar hall. I spent the next two years in the army, but there was a good side of it –  all the soldiers in uniforms were allowed into concerts for free. Thanks to that, I managed to attend the first concerts in Poland by bands like SAXON or ACCEPT.

Great, did you also see METALLICA’s first concert in 1987 as well?

Yes, I was there too. A while later, I went abroad, because I wanted to earn the money to build the club. Originally, the club was supposed to be built 35 years ago, but I didn’t have enough money to build it.

I didn’t know that – so you had the first idea for IRON KLUB in the early 90s, right?

Yes, I’d already had the idea back then, but in those days it wasn’t possible to build anything in Poland. In order to get hold of a bit of land in the city you had to be the son of a doctor or a lawyer. So I went to Germany to earn some money. Once I’d made up my mind, I built the club within a year, and it’s been around for 20 years now.

The official start of its existence was in 2006. Had you run a similar business anywhere before that?

No, I’d just been working in Germany for a few years to save up for it all, and once I’d got the money, things just took off quickly.

That is also when the first gigs started taking place in the smaller, original version of the club. Local bands were the ones that played at the beginning, right?

Yes, we started with the Krosno-based band called MASKA. When we were wrapping up, I thought to myself that since they were the ones who kicked things off, perhaps they should also play at the club’s closing gig. On the other hand, the name – IRON KLUB was borrowed from IRON MAIDEN, so I decided to close the cycle with their music and the concert of the band called THE LEGACY that plays their cover songs.

Do you remember the emotions that you felt when you organised the first concerts of Polish legends such as TURBO, VADER or KAT & ROMAN KOSTRZEWSKI? Was it more stress, or was it excitement that the bands you admired were coming to your venue?

Of course there was stress, but these were the people I knew…

But did you know them on a personal level as well?

Yes, but obviously I wanted everything to be organised properly when bands come even to a small club like mine.

I remember that TSA’s first gig was completely sold out. I think it was 2010, so four years after you had opened your doors, the biggest names on the Polish music scene were already starting to play at your venue.

KAT & ROMAN KOSTRZEWSKI had already played there once before TSA, and I think ACID DRINKERS were the first of those bigger bands to play in IRON KLUB.

Sure, ACID DRINKERS were also playing regularly at the club. All those gigs in the first ten years were in the small hall, before you expanded the club with new, much bigger stage…

Yes, then in 2016 the extension paid off for us. At first, my wife gave me a hard time, saying it wasn’t a good idea, but after a while she said it had actually been a good decision, haha…

From my memories of the club’s early days, I remember TURBO’s first concert. They played in January or February, when it was freezing cold outside. The club’s entrance was right next to the stage, and since people were coming in and out quite often, every time the door opened, a cloud of steam would rush into the room because of the huge temperature difference – probably around 50 degrees or more.

Yeah, the moist was dropping from the ceiling on that day. That was extreme. I remember the interview with Titus from ACID DRINKERS in which he said that it gets to about 40 degrees at concerts in IRON KLUB, but that’s what real rock’n’ roll is all about!

I also remember Peter from VADER saying from the stage that it felt like he moved back to the ’90s again. Has anyone ever complained about the lack of space on stage? Or did the proximity to the fans and the club’s atmosphere ultimately outweighed the inconveniences?

Actually not, every band knew what they were getting into and what our capabilities were back then. That’s the rock’n’roll I just told you about. Later on, I created the perfect conditions for the band – 40-square-meter stage, backstage area, and so on.

HUNTER, who were also playing regularly in Krosno, played the first concert at the expanded club.

Yes, that was in October 2016…

It’s worth mentioning another regular on the club’s stage: KAT & ROMAN KOSTRZEWSKI, who, as far as I remember, used to come practically every year back when IRON KLUB still had a smaller stage. One of Roman Kostrzewski’s last concerts with KAT was right here in IRON KLUB. I know that your relationship wasn’t just a business one between musician and organizer – it was a true friendship, right?

Roman was my buddy. Yes, we were very close. He was the man I’ll never forget. It is a pity he is no longer with us. He played here 12 times, and KAT was the only band that came here every year. He played the second-to-last concert of his life here. The last one was in Gomunice, and a week later the rest of the tour was cancelled. He told me back then that he hadn’t played at any other club as many times as he had in IRON KLUB. The fans loved Roman and eagerly arrived to see him every time he came here.

It’s definitely worth mentioning the international bands that have played here, too. As far as I recall, you said at the last concert that bands from as many as 20 countries around the world had played in your venue…

Yes, we had bands from many corners of the world. It was NOCTEM from Spain, other bands from France and Italy. Along with NOCTEM, there was the great band MARTYRIUM from Malta on the same concert. Other countries included Israel, New Zealand, Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Russia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, and Serbia… In total, I think it probably summed up to 20 or 21 countries. They weren’t exactly huge stars, but every band deserves some recognition. For example, NECRONOMICON from Germany once played my favourite version of Thrash Metal. They used to be on par with KREATOR or SODOM, but then they stopped playing and somehow fell out of the loop. If they had kept playing without breaks, they’d be on the same level as KREATOR, SODOM, or DESTRUCTION. Freddy has been leading this band since the beginning. I don’t know how things are with them right now, because there are so many bands out there, so that it’s impossible to keep track of them all.

That’s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about as well. After all these years of listening to music and going to concerts, can music still surprise you? I mean any style.

I used to think I’d be devoted to Hard Rock for my whole life and that this music was irreplaceable. I mean bands like LED ZEPPELIN, DEEP PURPLE, and URIAH HEEP – but after years of listening, I knew everything inside out, and then it was time for heavier music. I started with Thrash Metal and then I loved TESTAMENT more than anything in the world. Then came Death Metal and so on. For the past few years, I’ve definitely been more into melodic Black Metal, because it’s a really solid music. It’s played by outstanding musicians. A huge highlight for me was the concert of MGŁA a few years ago. I called Mikołaj to invite his band to play this year at the club’s 20th anniversary concert. He was pleasantly surprised and said it would be a great honour for them to play here again. Unfortunately, they’re currently taking a break from performing under that name. Each of them has other projects, so they agreed among themselves to take a break from MGŁA until they release new material and then arrange a proper tour.

Getting back to the foreign bands. Dutch Death Metal legends ASPHYX, who played here for the second time this year, this time for a concert celebrating club’s 20th anniversary. I assume they didn’t hesitate for long about coming back to your place…

Yeah, there wasn’t any problem at all – in fact, we really got on really well. They brought me a bunch of souvenirs and treated me the whole time as if I ran a club for 2 000 people.

They seem to approach concerts with the same optimism, whether the show is for 200 or 2 000 people…

That’s right – total professionalism from the first minute to the last. Obviously, I had to meet their requirements to make it happen. Arranging hotels, flights, and everything else cost a bit of money. I handled all the logistics myself with the help of a friend who speaks English better than me.

As for the stars of the Polish rock/metal scene, practically everyone has played at your venue, except for one band… Was there ever a chance for BEHEMOTH to perform in Krosno before they became a band that only plays in large arenas? I mean about 10 years ago or more? Now, of course, we know that it would be pretty much impossible to organize, or maybe I’m wrong. Nergal is a pretty unpredictable person, so maybe he’d like the idea of an unconventional concert on a smaller stage…

No, there was no such idea. I like Nergal for his music, but I’m not a big fan of all the hype he creates around himself. It’s metal wrapped in the packaging that isn’t really my thing. Peter from VADER, or Vogg from DECAPITATED for that matter, don’t need to add anything else to their music. The music should speak for itself. Anyway, if there were ever a chance to bring them here, it would only be after the club’s expansion, because they always use pyrotechnics and things like that.

Have you ever thought about inviting any of the more “mainstream” legends of the Polish rock scene, like PERFECT, CZERWONE GITARY, or LADY PANK? I’m asking because Marek Piekarczyk from TSA once played a solo acoustic concert at your venue. ANOTHER PINK FLOYD also performed there, so calmer music has been played at IRON KLUB as well.

No, there was no such plan. I like metal too much right now to invite bands like that. I don’t really listen to PERFECT or LADY PANK. When I recently heard the second one at the Opole Festival, especially the lead singer’s vocals, I know that it is a right decision. I prefer Peter’s vocals from VADER, haha…

Aside from the famous bands, you’ve also been a strong supporter of the metal underground — both from the local scene (e.g., KALT VINDUR, KRUSHER, WIND DOWN, SARS, EPITOME, KULT MOGIŁ, and many others) and the national scene. For that, you definitely deserve further praise, because headliners ensure a turnout at the club, which guarantees the profitability of the entire venture, while concerts by underground bands definitely draw a smaller audience…

Sure, a lot of them have played here. Even more bands wrote to me asking if they could come to play here. I’d often ask them if they could pay X amount of money for the show. When they said no, unfortunately, I wasn’t always willing to take that risk myself. I couldn’t afford to have the club empty on a Saturday, because this is how I make my living. Besides my passion, I had to run a business to support my family, maintain my home, pay for my kids’ college, and so on. Sometimes I can organize a charity concert, for example, but other than that, everyone wants to make money — that’s why people go to work.

Besides organizing concerts, you’ve also been actively attending various concerts in Poland and abroad. Is there any band you haven’t seen yet but would like to hear live? I mean the ones that are still active.

Yes, I’ve really wanted to see RUSH, and I’ve already bought tickets for their concert in Poland in 2027. It’s not metal music, but they are one my favorites from back in the day. I was very sad when their drummer, Neil Peart, passed away. Now they’ve found a replacement, a young German drummer. If she’s a good fit for Geddy Lee, I think she’ll be a good fit for us, too. A few years ago, I had never seen KISS, but I promised myself I would finally make it happen, and in the end, I saw them twice. Those were outstanding concerts with lots of fireworks. I’ve seen many of my favorite bands a dozen or so times.

Do you keep track of all that? I remember that once, when KAT & ROMAN KOSTRZEWSKI were playing at you club, you said it would be your 50^th concert of that band.

Yeah, I’ve been counting KAT’s concerts, and I count other big bands, too. I’ve probably been to about fifteen IRON MAIDEN shows. I’ve probably seen METALLICA twelve times, etc.

And what about the bands that aren’t playing anymore? Who would you bring back for a concert just for you, if you had the chance? Like a dream team?

I had the honour to see BLACK SABBATH’s farewell concert in Birmingham, and as you know Ozzy died 17 days after that show. My heart almost broke apart, because that’s the band I started with – he was my idol. His good friend Lemmy also passed away, and I had seen him perform a dozen or so times too. So many people have passed away. For example, John Bonham from LED ZEPPELIN, whom I also loved. Now that I’ll have more time, I’ll get back to listening to their albums and watching their concerts – I have a lot of such stuff.

So you already have plans to make the most of your time…

Yes, I’m also planning to start playing guitar again after 30 years. I will probably start with classical guitar, and then move on to electric one.

Just to wrap things up, is there still a chance that, once you’ve had a well deserved rest, you will organise some concerts at IRON KLUB from time to time?

Yes, there’s a good chance for some one-offs. All in all, I’ve organized 452 concerts at IRON KLUB, which amounts to nearly 200 bands – I mean the names that did not repeat. I won’t hide the fact that I’ll want to organize some one-off concerts, but that will probably happen next year the earliest, once I rest a bit and improve my health – unfortunately, not at IRON KLUB anymore…