Zebrahead gehören seit Jahrzehnten zu den absoluten Garanten für energiegeladene Liveshows, mitreisende Circle Pits und jede Menge gute Laune. Beim Greenfield Festival in Interlaken hatten wir die Gelegenheit, mit Frontmann Ali Tabatabaee über die Geheimnisse hinter der legendären Zebrahead-Energie, die beeindruckende Kulisse der Schweizer Alpen und die chaotischsten Momente auf und vor der Bühne zu sprechen. Außerdem verrät er, welches Getränk die Band am Laufen hält, mit welcher Festivalband er gerne einmal die Setlist tauschen würde und warum Zebrahead-Shows vor allem eines sein sollen: ein Zuhause für eine große Gemeinschaft von Musikfans.
Frontstage Magazine: You’re in Switzerland here so the first question has to be: Chocolate or cheese?
Ali: Oh my god cheese! I eat a lot more cheese than I eat chocolate. I do love chocolate as well but I love cheese more.
Frontstage Magazine: I would go with that answer as well! You played a very energetic gig like always – what’s the main source where you get all that crazy energy from?
Ali: Red Bull! It gives you wings (laughs).
Frontstage Magazine: I hate Red Bull but it’s okay if you get that amazing energy of it.
Ali: It’s okay it just gives you the energy you need. For real. I drank a big Red Bull before we played and that got me going!
Frontstage Magazine: Okay then that’s the secret! Zebrahead shows are known not only for the high energy level they are also known for absolute chaos in the best possible way. What’s the craziest thing you’ve witnessed from stage recently?
Ali: I gotta say, one time we played, I think it was in Poland and there was a bunch of Hare Krishnas that were in the crowd and they were like moshing and dancing and stuff and we’ve never seen that before and that always sticks out to me.
Frontstage Magazine: We talked a little bit about it before, before the interview officially started so let’s continue: when you’re on stage here in Switzerland it’s an extraordinary view. What was your first thought today when you entered stage?
Ali: I kept telling myself: „Don’t forget the songs!“ because I kept just staring out at the view, thinking „Oh my God, this is so beautiful but you need to focus, you’re playing a show. And I got that four or five times, appreciating the view and reminding myself not to mess up.
Frontstage Magazine: So now your gig is over: maybe you have some free time right now. What would be the perfect plan for you at the moment? Go for climbing in the mountains, a little bit of swimming in the lake or just stay here at Greenfield and watch some other bands?
Ali: Our guitar player Dan actually went hang gliding and he got back only an hour before we played and he said that it was awesome. That would be great to do but there’s so many great bands playing that I wouldn’t mind watch them. Maybe I’ll take a shower an then go watch some other bands play. I’m a huge A Day To Rember fan, Offspring and so I’ll do that.
Frontstage Magazine: According to that: If you could swap Setlists with any other band playing Greenfield, whose songs would you want to play for a show. Or which band you’d like to play yours?
Ali: Oh wow… I would probably say Offspring, they are from the same hometown as us and I grew up listening to them and they are an inspiration for us, when we started playing music so I think it would be very cool to switch with them.
Frontstage Magazine: I would love to hear that!
Ali: Me too. Can you make that happen?
Frontstage Magazine: If I see them I’ll ask but I think if you ask by yourself it would be more possible for it to happen. happen for real.
Ali: I’ll try!
Frontstage Magazine: Very good! You always set up your little bar on stage. Which drink do you like the most for yourself before the gig, during the gig and after the gig?
Ali: Everyone is doing shots of Tequila or Whiskey before we play. Then, during the set, it’s like a real bar so everybody is just constantly drinking booze or beer or whatever. And then I feel like after we played it just continues and gets worse and worse. Till the end of the night where everybody is very sloppy and we’re missing bus call. So that’s usually how it goes but for me, I’m trying to be responsable so I have some tea (laughs).
Frontstage Magazine: If Zebrahead had to survive a weekend at a festival campsite together, who would be the most useful member and who would be the first to completely lose it?
Ali: I would probably be the first one to completely lose ist. I’ll be honest. And I think Ben would probably the best person there because he has kids and he’s probably taking his kids camping and making sure they survive. I think the rest of us is kinda useless. I think it’s a tie between Adrian, Dan and me. We are the most useless. I think Ed would be okay but we’ll probably die out there.
Frontstage Magazine: I think every group needs the useless ones!
Ali: We’re very good at being useless.
Frontstage Magazine: Okay so then lets move over to the last question: If there is one thing – besides sore voices and tired legs – what would you like people to take home from a Zebrahead show?
Ali: So for me, like growing up in the Punk scene back in Orange County there was always like this sense of community and family. When you go to a show it’s always the same people and you are like „Oh Hello!“ and „How are you?“ – you know you are a part of something and for us as a band we always try to create that atmosphere when we play. So for me the best thing when people watch us play is that they make some new friends. So that the next time they go to a Zebrahead Show they are liek „Oh I’m going to see that person and that person again!“. I love the thought of feeling for them as a community and that they are making new friends and that they hae a good time. That’s the most important thing I think!
Wir vom Frontstage Magazine präsentieren euch die Deutschlandtermine in Zusammenarbeit mit FKP Scorpio.
Zebrahead – DRUNK AND SH*TTY IN EVERY CITY
Special Guests: Punkrock Factory
01.12.2026 Nürnberg – Löwensaal
02.12.2026 München – Backstage Werk
03.12.2026 Stuttgart – Longhorn
04.12.2026 Saarbrücken – Garage Saarbrücken
05.12.2026 Leipzig – Felsenkeller
06.12.2026 Hannover – Faust
08.12.2026 Köln – Live Music Hall
09.12.2026 Münster – Skaters Palace
10.12.2026 Berlin – Metropol
11.12.2026 Wiesbaden – Schlachthof Wiesbaden
12.12.2026 Hamburg – Grosse Freiheit 36
Fotocredit: Johanna Lippke
