.: FuryRocks :: interview :: Axel_Rudi_Pell_ARP_pure_so_to_say

Published: 03 March 2010

Axel Rudi Pell – ARP pure so to say!

One of the most skilled musicians of the German metal scene do its name again to honor. ARP strikes equal twice. First with the DVD One Night Live and then with a brand new album. Fresh slipped from the studio the master of the six strings was willing to speak to us and as always in a good mood to answer questions.

Axel, since the last DVD there is not much time passed ...

Axel: Yes, not yet two years, but One Night Live is useful for us. We wanted to make from R.O.A. Seebronn a kind of historical document. We wanted to hear how the band sounded in 2009. In the beginning it was not really planned to make a DVD of this gig, but yes, if it is filmed, we try to get the shots if only for private use. When I saw the film, I was really surprised, I am very pleased with the DVD.

Where the song material in much of the action at the Rock Hard Festival, entitled Live In Europe, overlaps.

True, but they are still very different performances. All solos, improvisations, the whole thing around, it is different. Even the play mistakes, most of me, are different, hahaha.

Okay, as a historical document it is very nice, with the set list full of the classics. Do you have special memories of that day?

My shoes. Thunder would definitely wanted to have my shoes, they were very impressed. When I was in front of the stage they wanted to steal my shoes, but no no, I've kept them, hahaha.

This is the third ARP DVD. Video clips from 1994 as Cry Of The Gypsy are no more from the band. Why not really?

Well, that is not worth the trouble. If it was up to me from each album came two or three video clips, but those media are not anynore. And where would that still be broadcast, except for internet. Very unfortunate, but that is the reality.

The new DVD has a fan-friendly price. How does something work? Is the recordcompany asking you this or is this already fixed in advance?

Yes, they ask me, but of course it is all arranged in advance. But I don’t mind, it's nice fans do’t have to pay full prices. With a price of € 10 it’s not worth to download illegal, hahaha.

And then the next CD soon will be out.

Yes, the recordings are finished. The album gets the title ‘The Crest’ and musically I want to describe it as ‘back to The Roots'. Who thought the last album was in a way to modern, will now be satisfied. We have songs with great melody lines and great style and no foreign power experiments added. ARP pure so to say. I am convinced our fans will be satisfied. I think there are a few future classics on it.

Then we don’t have to wait long for a tour, the trip with Heaven and Hell has been a few months ago.

Absolutely, we begin in the first half of May. Then several European summer festivals and in the fall we start with Part II of The Crest tour. The concerts with Dio, Iommi and Co. were really something special for me, as it were my heroes. It was a special feeling to play on a carpet, we didn’t do before, but Heaven and Hell always played on carpet on stage so we could enjoy it also now.

Was there anything known of Ronnie his illness at that time?

Not at all. He is naturally very slim and there was nothing in sight to him. Luckily for him the cancer is detected early and they started inmediatley with chemotherapy. This news was really a shock, but thank god it is going better with him I heard.

We all hope he get better. So now just two questions I always have to handle in an ARP interview. What about the vinyl editions of your back cataloges? SPV is yet again making vinyl records and with the beautiful vinyl covers from ARP it should be on vinyl?

We talked about that, but it will not happen. You have to press a minimum of 500 pieces and we have checked with our fans and it turned out that about half is interested in vinyl, so….

Then you asked the wrong people. That's unbelievable. Vinyl must! Well, questions.two; A loving re-release with lyrics, bonus tracks etc. of the first two albums Steeler?

Ha, that's also not coming, I do not even know if people want that.

Well, the 1000 bootleg albums of Greece you can’t get anymore, so from lack of demand you can’t speak. Man, these are German metal classics!

Really? Pooh, I've never seen that album. Well, I would like to mastering the album all over again but I do not know how that should be created. Anyway, you never know.

Okay, we let it be for now. Then again I have at least two questions for the next interview.