Three Decades Of Metal With PETER KOTEVSKI From BATTLEGOD PRODUCTIONS

Interview by Kris Peters
Thirty years in any industry is a massive achievement, but when
your chosen field of operations is music then those thirty years
can often seem like plenty more.
It's a commonly held belief for those outside of the industry - but
an overwhelming fact for those in it - that only the randomly
selected few can ever hope to realise their personal dreams or
lofty ambitions that accompany a sudden and meteoric rise up the
ladder of the arts.
Most are in it for the love and social experiences provided by a
career in music, comfortable with the reality that their passion
and commitment will not be felt and/or appreciated by those not in
the immediiate inner circle.
And that's just from a performers position.
There are other areas of the music industry that are far less
glamorous and infinitely more demanding. Areas where you have to
deal not only with fellow musicians or artists, but also those on
the other side of the musical fence such as promotors and business
interests.
These people are the unsung heroes of the industry, often caught
between a rock and a hard place playing the intermediary between
two highly probably warring parties.
So when you hear that someone on this side of the musical
playground is on the cusp of celebrating the triple decade
milestone you should nod silently in appreciation and
acknowledgment for having the mental fortitude, patience and
stamina to survive where countless others have failed.
Sydney based label Battlegod Productions, founded in 1984 by Peter
Kotevski, is officially the longest running heavy metal label in
Australia. Built from the ground up by Kotevski - who still holds
the reins today - Battlegod Productions boasts musicians such as
Tony Martin (former Black Sabbath vocalist), Tony Mills (ex-Shy/TNT
vocalist) and Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear vocalist) as part of
their worldwide roster but it is a sustained commitment to
nurturing those in his own back yard that has seen Kotevski endure
the many tribulations that inevitably arise in a prolonged tenure
in the music industry.
HEAVY sat down for a chat with Ktevski recently to find out more
about Battlegod Productions and their servitude to the Australian
music community.
"I sign up bands internationally, worldwide," he replied when asked
to detail his role within Battlegod Productions. "I do a lot of
promo and distribution and marketing on a local and international
scale. I deal with people like Rockhard magazine and a few others
around Europe as well. I've been doing it for many years now. It's
had its moments and ups and downs, but it's cool."
With many bands not understanding or possibly not even caring about
spending their time building their brand before rushing into
things, we ask Peter what are some of the basics an emerging band
needs to understand before approaching a label.
"I like a band to be pretty much on the ball," he said. "When I set
up interviews for them I expect them to be done by a certain date.
I like bands to have good production when they offer me something.
If it's someone that's well known or a known artist or band I
accept hearing their demo material to get an idea of what their
stuff is like. I like a band to be reliable at the same time, and
not just for business. I like to get to know my bands on a personal
level as well. That's what I have done with all my bands. They have
all become friends along the way which is pretty cool. They say
never mix business with pleasure but I do it all the time and it
seems to work fine for me."
In the full interview, Peter talks more about services provided by
Battlegod Productions, steps you need to take to progress in the
world of music, working with Tony Martin, how he plans to celebrate
Battlegod's 30th birthday next year, his early vision for Battlegod
and how it has changed since, evolving with the ever changing
musical landscape, convert events and more.