Axel
Rudi Pell
I don't know if you believe
it or not, but always I wanted to do an interview with Axel Rudi Pell.
He might not be the most famous or technical guitarist around the world,
but in my opinion he si definitely a very good and emotional composer.
So, with this interview I discovered that except a good musician, he is
also a great and cool person. So go on and read the interview and I wish
to see him one day here in Greece for a live show...
- HELLO AXEL, HOW ARE YOU?
- SHALL WE START?
1. FIRST OF ALL, I’D LIKE YOU TO POINT OUT WHICH
ARE, ACCORDING TO YOU, THE MOST IMPORTANT MOMENTS OF YOUR CAREER.
I’m sorry, the most important moments?
-YES OF YOUR CAREER. WHICH ARE ACCORDING TO YOU
THE MOST IMPORTANT MOMENTS?
Eeeeh, oh. My new record is out. Hahaha. I
don’t know. You know it’s a very tough question. There are so many important
moments you know…
- I UNDERSTAND
The first time we played on stage with my
solo band for example or last year we played in Swedish Rock Festival in
front of 25.000 people. That was a great moment!
2. SOME TIME HAS PASSED SINCE THE RELEASE OF THE
"KINGS AND QUEENS" ALBUM AND I AM SURE THAT NOW YOU WILL HAVE A MORE OBJECTIVE
VIEW OF THIS RELEASE. SO, WHAT DO YOU THINK? IS "KINGS AND QUEENS" AN ALBUM
THAT WORTHS TO CARRY THE NAME OF AXEL RUDI PELL?
Of course, sure, definitely!!! Because, I
think it is one of my best albums. I really like this one.
- YEAH! I REALLY LIKE IT TOO…
Oh, that’s nice to hear. Ha ha ha…
3. DO YOU BELONG TO THE MUSICIANS THAT ARE NEVER
SATISFIED WITH THE FINAL RESULT OR DO YOU CONSIDER THAT EACH IS A DOCUMENT
OF THE ERA THAT IT WAS RECORDED?
Aaam, exactly. I think the second one, you
know? I’m looking at this era, you know, it’s a special era every time
that a new record is out it’s a bit different of course…
- YEAH!!!
But, I am always proud of every record I release…
4. I’VE READ RECENTLY A REPORT ABOUT YOUR LIVE
APPEARANCE IN SWEDEN, IF I AM NOT MISTAKEN AND I HAVE ALSO SEEN YOUR LIVE
DVD AND I CAN SAY THAT YOU REALLY ROCK. SO, MY QUESTION IS SIMPLE: WHY
HAVEN'T YOU COME TO GREECE FOR LIVE SHOWS YET?
The answer is very very simple; Because we
haven’t received any offer from Greece yet.
- OH, MAN…
Yeah, it’s the main thing because I would
love to play in Greece, because every time… For example, when I go out
for having dinner right?
- YEAH …
In Germany, I always go to the Greek restaurants
because I like the food so much. My bass player Volker is always (3 times
a year) goes to vacation to Greece you know. We really love your country.
When the offers are ok, we will play there definitely!
-IS IT PERHAPS DUE TO THE FACT THAT YOU DON'T
HAVE A BIG FAN BASE HERE? I’D REALLY LIKE TO SEE YOU HERE FOR A LIVE SHOW...
- I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU A LOT IN
GREECE MAN.
5. A THING THAT I HAVE NOTICED ON YOUR LATEST
ALBUM IS THAT THE SONGS ARE MORE INTO CLASSIC HARD ROCK/HEAVY METAL AND
THE EPIC ELEMENTS ARE NOT SO INTENSE THIS TIME. WHY DID THIS TURN OCCUR
(HAPPEN)? HOW EASY OR DIFFICULT IS IT TO WRITE AN EPIC SONG?
You are talking about which album? (note:
sorry, AXEL we weren’t informed that you had already released Ballads III
album).
- YOUR LAST RECORD “KINGS AND QUEENS”.
- YEAH
Oh, I think there are quiet a few epic ones
on it (pause)… For example like “Legions Of Hell”. I think it’s definitely
an epic song. I really love this record, but I can’t write such long epic
tracks on every record. You see : there are other people who think that
epic songs are too boring. I got several e-mails from my management (that
were sent to them by fans) and they say : “Please do more fast songs, do
more of this or do more of that.” You understand? It depends in the mood
I am which I am when I am composing songs.
- ANYTHING YOU WRITE IS GREAT FOR ME HA HA HA…
6. MANY GREAT METAL SINGERS HAVE PASSED FROM THE
LINE-UP OF THE BAND, BUT I HAVE THE FEELING THAT JOHN GIOELI WAS THE SINGER
THAT FITS THE BEST. SO, CAN WE SAY THAT HE WILL REMAIN IN THE BAND IN THE
FUTURE?
Oh, yes, definitely of course, because I think
he is one of the top voices for my kind of music. He once said to me that
he will be my band’s singer till he is old and his hair become grey.
WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE HIM AFTER YOU HAVE COOPERATED
WITH FAMOUS SINGERS IN THE PAST LIKE JEFF SCOTT SOTO AND NOT CHOOSE ONCE
AGAIN A FAMOUS VOCALIST ?
Yes. Because, you see, I can’t really find
any good singer in Germany. I don’t know why. But nobody can sing my tunes.
Johnny was always on my list. Jeff Scott Soto was really great too… But
he decided to leave and Johnny on my list was position number one.
- YEAH, I UNDERSTAND. GREAT CHOICE MAN!!!
7. SOME REPORTERS OF METAL MAGAZINES COMPARE YOUR
STYLE WITH RICHIE BLACKMORE’S AND SOME OF THEM ACCUSE YOU OF NOT DOING
ANYTHING RATHER THAN COPYING HIM. DOES A STATEMENT LIKE THIS MAKE YOU FEEL
ANGRY? DO YOU BELIEVE THAT SUCH STATEMENTS ARE MADE BY PEOPLE THAT WANT
TO HARM YOU?
Yes, definitely, cause I am not trying to
copy him. I think I found my own style and if you listen to really close
you will find out that I don’t copy Ritchie… I was only influenced by him.
I have been also influenced by Michael Shenker and Uli Jon Roth.
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT SUCH STATEMENTS ARE MADE BY
PEOPLE THAT WANT TO HARM YOU?
Yes, definitely! They can kiss my butt!!
8. BEFORE FORMING YOUR OWN BAND, YOU WERE A MEMBER
OF A BAND CALLED STEELER. WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER OF THOSE YEARS?
Aaam. It was my learning period in the music
business you know? I remember it was quiet ok. It was a little bit boring
at the end, that was the reason why I left them. However, it was good to
learn everything about music business, about contracts and stuff and we
played a lot of live shows and I think it was a cool time.
WHICH WAS THE REASON THAT LED STEELER TO DISBAND?
Could be, probably yeah, because they found
another guitar player and found another drummer, but I think that after
3 or 4 months I left, they split completely…
DO YOU CONTACT WITH THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GROUP?
Ah, not on a regular basis you know. I keep
contact with the singer Peter Burst, I am calling him on the phone, maybe
once a year or at a part somewhere hahaha.
9. NOW THAT REUNIONS ARE VERY POPULAR IN THE METAL
SCENE, HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT OF REUNITING STEELER?
No, definitely not, because it wouldn’t make
any sense, you know?
- YEAH
Cause half of the band doesn’t play any instrument
any longer. They are doing completely different things right now and I
am selling a lot more records than STEELER ever did so. There is no chance
I think.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF ALL THESE REUNIONS
OF 80'S METAL BANDS THAT TOOK PLACE LATELY?
I mean it’s ok. I believe mostly reunite because
it’s the big money thing. To be honest, but I think it’s ok when a singer
like Rob Halford joins JUDAS PRIEST. They are doing great music. I’m expecting
the new album to be good. Hopefully, I mean that’s ok, because that’s what
the people want.
10. I’VE RECENTLY READ AN INTERVIEW OF DIO AND
HE SAID THAT HE IS WILLING TO DO A SECOND PART OF THE HEAR 'N' AID PROJECT.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE PART?
I spoke with him about it and he said yeah,
definitely he is interested and I said to him you can have for your project
some of my things for free and you can use it and if it’s possible I want
to do a guitar solo about that. However, he never started the project.
He always telling about it and he postpones it for the next year and the
next year…. So ha ha ha.
- SHIT MAN!
-WITH WHICH BIG MUSICIANS, IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE,
WOULD YOU LIKE TO COLLABORATE?
Ah, I would like to do a project with Ronnie
James Dio too.
- YEAH ME TOO. I ‘D LOVE TO HEAR YOU BOTH.
11. TELL ME FIVE OF YOUR ALL TIME FAVOURITE ALBUMS
AND ALSO DO YOU LIKE ANY NEW METAL BAND? CAN YOU NAME THEM AND TELL US
WHY YOU LIKE THEM?
No, I ‘m not so much into that new kind of
metal shit (note : here I believe that talks about nu metal bands), because
there are no guitar solos in there and for me it’s kind of boring ha ha
ha. Shit I don’t know… Five of my all time favourite bands?
- YEAH, PLEASE MAN
Am, RAINBOW “Rising”, “The Live In Germany”
record from RAINBOW, DEEP PURPLE’s “Machine Head”, DEEP PURPLE “Made
In Japan”, BLACK SABBATH’s “Heaven And Hell” and U.F.O ‘s “Strangers
In The Night” live album.
- Yeah, great choice man, I ‘m not gonna ask you
why you like them so much.
12. BY THE WAY, WE HAVEN’T SAID ANYTHING ABOUT
THE ALBUM’S LYRICS YET. SO, WHICH ARE THE MAIN TOPICS OF “KINGS & QUEENS”?
WHICH THINGS INTRIGUE YOU TO TALK ABOUT?
Ah, I don’t know. Everything, mostly some
kind of fantasy style lyrics. Maybe 80%. On the other hand I wrote a song
about… am, what’s the name ? I can’t remember…ha ha ha
- COLD HEAVEN MAYBE?
Yeah, “Cold Heaven” is about relationship
about man and woman…
- GREAT SONG MAN!
The woman is a bad person…Yeah!!!
- I LOVE THAT SONG.
13. I’M ALSO CURIOUS TO LEARN, HOW YOU ARE INSPIRED
TO WRITE THOSE FANTASY STORIES?
I ‘m sorry? I don’t know. I don’t have
a clue. Maybe, I ‘m inspired by the old, vintage DIO lyrics a bit.
WHICH ARE YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHORS AND BOOKS?
I haven’t read so many books at the moment
cause I don’t have time for it.
WOULD YOU EVER CONSIDER OF WRITING A BOOK OR AT
LEAST SHORT NOVELS?
O.k. Am, maybe sometime I could write a book
about my whole career. Yeah, if someone would be interested ha ha ha.
- I WOULD BE INTERESTED HE HE HE…
14. ANOTHER THING THAT IS VERY POPULAR IN THE
METAL MUSIC INDUSTRY LATELY IS THE USE OF CLASSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND CLASSIC
MUSIC ORCHESTRAS. ARE YOU INTERESTED IN DOING ANYTHING LIKE THIS? WOULD
YOU EVER CONSIDER ADDING ORCHESTRAL PARTS IN YOUR SONGS?
No, I think I would not do it because other
artists did it in the past really great, like Yngwie Malmsteen, Uli Jon
Roth and I think there is no need for me to do it.
15. IF YOUR MUSIC WERE AN EMOTION, WHAT WOULD
IT BE?
Tough question. I don’t know… something of
everything.
IF IT WERE A PAINTING, WHAT WOULD IT SHOW?
- I think it would look like my last cover
he he he.
16. IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO MEET A FAMOUS
PERSON, WHO WOULD YOU SELECT AND IS THERE ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE TO ASK HIM/HER
ABOUT? HOWEVER I BET YOU MET EVERY FAMOUS PERSON YOU WANT BUT…
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know I met almost every
musician I adore. I know all these guys. So, I don’t know…
17. WHICH IS, ACCORDING TO YOU, THE BEST AND WHICH
THE WORST PART IN YOUR MUSIC?
Am, the best part in my music is when I write
the songs and they really coming out great and I don’t have to sit around
weeks and weeks and I can’t find the right tune. And the worst part is
writing the lyrics.
-WHICH IS YOUR TRADEMARK?
Hmm, my style. I think I am very emotional
kind of guitar player. I am not much into speed technique. I am a very
emotional player and you can hear it in my music.
18. WHAT TITLE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUR CAREER TILL
NOW AND WHICH WORDS DO YOU THINK REPRESENT YOUR MUSIC PERFECTLY?
Am, I don’t know… Emotional Guitar Wizard
From Germany. I don’t know… ha ha ha
19. GREAT MAN. COOL!!! OK THANK YOU VERY MUCH
AXEL! LEAVE YOUR MESSAGE TO THE FANS…
Ah, Yeah, I hope that sometime we‘ll be able
to play in Greece, when the offers are ok. So, I would love to do it.
- YEAH, OK. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. KEEP ON ROCKIN’
MAN!!!
- BYE, BYE.
Dimitris Pantsiopoulos
Special Help: Nick “William_Kidd”
Parastatidis
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