Just after 10 p.m., Piłsudski Square went wild. Paweł Kukiz, the charismatic lead singer of Piersi, appeared on stage. The performance, including the encores, lasted just under two hours. After the concert, fans asked for autographs. The band did not leave Bolesławiec until shortly before one in the morning. Tomasz Gąsiorowski of Boleslawiec.org spoke with Piersi leader Paweł Kukiz.
B.org: How do you rate the Bolesławiec audience? How did they enjoy themselves?
Paweł Kukiz: The audience is the same everywhere. They are simply my brothers and sisters.
B.org: You have been labeled a scoffer, but people can also get to know you from another side, for example through the album you recorded with Jan Borysewicz. Which persona is closer to you?
Paweł Kukiz: Sometimes a person wants to shout, and sometimes they want to cry. It is the same with albums. One day you want to shout out your grievances; another day you feel like something gentler.
B.org: Several years ago, you recorded the song "ZChN zbliża się," which caused considerable controversy. Why was it not performed at the concert today?
Paweł Kukiz: That was several years ago, when the political situation in Poland was completely different. The song had a meaning back then; today it has no meaning at all. I had serious doubts about whether to record the song in the first place, because I am a believer and it was a very significant provocation. On the other hand, if I had used a different melody for those words, it would not have had the intended effect. No, no, no. I do not want to return to it. The Church has returned to its place, and that is all.
B.org: You have had several film roles. Do you intend to continue your acting career?
Paweł Kukiz: I am not a professional actor. I have the comfort of not having to wait for a phone call to find out whether I will get a role or not. I have enough to live on. I treat acting as an episode. It was a fantastic adventure.
B.org: Have you ever had any contact with ceramics?
Paweł Kukiz: I grew up in Niemodlin. In nearby Tułowice, there were porcelain-stoneware factories. I worked there once during the holidays as a young man. Bolesławiec ceramics are truly beautiful, whereas Tułowice's ceramics have ceased to exist. What remains are apartment blocks and people who have no jobs. There is unemployment and social pathology. Bolesławiec ceramics are popular, but that is hardly surprising, because they are absolutely beautiful.