“Öldüren Şampanya” Brings Its Listeners Back to Life Pelin on vocals, Altuğ on drums, Serhan on electric guitar, Çığır on bass guitar, and Çağın on keyboards: meet Öldüren Şampanya, the band in demand on stage since 2004.
Before the band takes the stage at Colony Hotel, we settle into a very pleasant and enjoyable chat in the lobby with three of its members, Pelin, Altuğ, and Serhan.
Cem KAR: Where did the band’s name come from? I mean, who came up with it?
Altuğ: Actually, the band’s name has changed a lot.
Serhan: Yes, we’d choose a name, but either it would be written down incorrectly or we’d say it wrong. (Pelin laughs here.)
Altuğ: At one point, we called ourselves ‘metafor’ [‘metaphor’], but Pelin announced us on stage as ‘Meteor,’ so we had to change that name too. (Pelin interjects.)
Pelin: But I’d said, ‘They’re going to call us meteor’… Then, after saying it that way over and over, I announced the band on stage as ‘Meteor.’ Naturally, we had to change that name too.
Altuğ: As for the name “Öldüren Şampanya,” we had watched a film called that: the lead actor in the 1967 film “Öldüren Şampanya” was Anthony Perkins, and it was directed by Claude Chabrol… We watched the film together, and it was terrible. We used to joke about it among ourselves, and then we chose that name for the band. The fact that it was both attention-grabbing and in Turkish made the decision easier.
Cem KAR: I think it’s a very interesting and lovely name… So, how long have you been together?
Serhan: We’ve been playing together since 1998.
Pelin: I joined the band in 2003. Back then, we were playing at Old Tunnel Bar. Starting in 2004, we began performing at Colony Hotel under the name “Öldüren Şampanya.”
Cem KAR: Where do you perform? How do you decide on your repertoire?
Pelin: We perform at lots of places: Lefkoşa Bandabuliya Nargile Cafe, Mağusa Road House Bar, and Girne Colony Hotel.
Altuğ: Our style is well-defined, so we arrange both older and contemporary songs. Serhan: Since our style is clear, we don’t have any trouble putting the repertoire together. Pelin: We’re also constantly developing our repertoire. For example, last year at Road House Bar we performed songs from the ’80s, while this year we’ve prepared a program made up of songs from the ’90s.
Cem KAR: Talking with “Öldüren Şampanya” was as enjoyable as listening to you. Thank you for your time, and I wish you success…
Pelin, Altuğ, and Serhan: Thank you.