2013 is proving to be quite the year for the German metal band U.D.O. With the help of AFM records they have released anniversary editions of their prior catalog including the just released “Live From Russia” and “Best of U.D.O.” and will have a brand new record out this May, “Steelhammer.” U.D.O. will also be returning to the U.S. for the first time in over a decade as they kick off a North American tour before heading to Europe this summer. And they are doing all this with two new band members this year, guitarists Andrey Smirnov and Kasperi Heikkinen. I had the chance to have a pre-tour chat with legendary U.D.O. vocalist Udo Dirkschneider and catch up on all the exciting happenings.
KE: Hello Udo! Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us here at backstageaxxess.com today. How are you?
Udo: Fine, thank you.
KE: U.D.O. has a brand new album coming out in May, “Steelhammer.” Can you tell us a little bit about the new record?
Udo: Yeah, it is a little bit like the sound of Accept, of course. The music in a way of course is a little part Accept but I mean in a way it is also different. This time what we’re doing, we have a lot of new things on this record, piano, orchestra, up -tempo songs, mid-tempo songs. I will sing one song in Spanish so there are a lot of things going on on this album.
KE: You’ve recently released anniversary editions of prior U.D.O. records. What prompted that to happen now?
Udo: For us it was important. I mean we’ve been not to America or Canada for twelve years and the reason was we didn’t have a record company, management, promotion, booking agencies, so it was making no sense for us to come to America or Canada. But this time AFM has opened up distribution, a record label for us here in America and so now we have proper management, promotion, booking agency and all of that stuff so now it makes sense to release the records and come to America and Canada and see what’s happening. So here we are.
KE: Your North American tour is about to start. Are you excited to come back to the States after all that time?
Udo: Yeah! It’s good. I always loved to come to the States but you know it made no sense before. The only reason is we couldn’t put a lot of money up for us to come over here. But now, I’m really happy to be coming back to America so we will see what happens for us here.
KE: I believe the first show has already sold out so it seems that the fans are hungry for U.D.O.’s return.
Udo: Yes, from what I’ve heard the ticket sales are going well and I’m really looking forward to the shows here in America and Canada.
KE: Will you be playing any material from “Steelhammer,” the upcoming record, this time out?
Udo: No. I think it is too early. What we are doing now is we have a good mix up of most of the U.D.O. albums and so we’ll still play two or three of the classic Accept songs and I think for the first time that is enough.
KE: Are there more tours planned after the new album is out?
Udo: Oh yes. I mean we do a lot of festivals over the summer in Europe and we start touring. The whole European tour starts in the middle of September. We start in Russia and then we go nearly everywhere in Europe and that takes us to the middle of December. Then we have to go to South America and what I heard so far is that we are coming back here next year for some more shows in America and Canada.
KE: In February, you got to play in Ecuador for the first time at the Guaranda Metal Fest. What was that experience like and how was the crowd in Ecuador?
Udo: Yes, South America is very good for us and it was also our first time in Ecuador. It was unbelievable. We got to play in Ecuador in the middle of the mountains. There was a festival going on and it was great. It was a nice festival and everything was organized. The crowd was very good and it was also the first show with the two new guitar players and everything worked out really well.
KE: Speaking of the new guitarists, how did that come about? Was it a difficult process to find them?
Udo: No, not difficult. When we had this problem with Stefan about his health and we were looking for a guitar player we just made a small announcement in some magazines and on our website and we had over 300 demo tapes. I was looking for not well known guitar players. I was looking more for younger guys and unknown guitar players. I think with Andrey Smirnov from Russia and Kasperi Heikkinen from Finland, I think we found the right ones. They are not well known, they are great guitar players and they fit very, very well into the band. It keeps it, how do you say it? It keeps fresh blood into the band.
KE: Now were they involved in the recording process with the new record?
Udo: Only Andrey Smirnov. He was doing all the guitar for the Steelhammer album but not the songwriting. The songwriting was already over when he came. But he had some good arranging ideas and some good ideas for the solos and he did a very, very good job. So Kasperi Heikkinen, he came in later but in the beginning it wasn’t our plan to change both guitar players, just the one. And then Igor, I don’t know for some reason he said U.D.O. is getting more and more busy and he had a time problem and said I can not do everything and blah, blah, blah so he told us “I’m out of the band.” So I said here we go, we have to look for a different guitar player but it was easy. Kasperi was already under the last four people from the demo tapes so we were lucky. It takes one hour and we had a second guitar player.
KE: So this tour will be the first full tour with both new guitarists then?
Udo: Yes, it will be the first for them and I think in a way they are a little bit nervous. (Laughter)
KE: Do you still get nervous before a show?
Udo: Yeah, in a way. I’m not that nervous like I was twenty or thirty years ago. I can not really explain it but yeah, still a little bit nervous. I think it’s a good thing.
KE: Has it been difficult to adjust to the new members or is there already a chemistry there?
Udo: Yeah, I was really surprised when we did the show in Ecuador. For me, it was like playing with these two guys already for a lot of years you know. So the whole chemistry is perfect.
KE: Now this tour has you doing a lot of club shows but then this summer you will do larger festivals. Do you prefer one venue over the other?
Udo: Small clubs can be very interesting. For me, the small clubs are more like a real rock and roll show. The festival is more entertaining you know. It’s a more party time, they want to hear all the hits. But when you do a show in a club or hall, you can make up a real good set list to make a good atmosphere. You can make it go down and up and a festival is more party time. Both things are good though you know.
KE: You’ve been in metal for a very long time. How has the business changed over the years?
Udo: Technology. It’s easier to get your music out there. But there are two things that happened. On one side, you can spread all over the world news very quick. You can promote your album very quickly. On this end, I think it’s a good thing about the internet. But all this download stuff you know, it makes it not so easy for new bands to make a living off albums you know. The selling of the albums is going down really, really bad and so what can I say. I think the chance to make money as a musician now is to just play live and merchandising.
KE: You’ve recently done a guest appearance on the Lazy Bonez’ first single. Is that something you enjoy and would you like to do more things like that?
Udo: Not right now. I did a lot of cooperation with some bands in the past. I was doing some things with English bands, stuff with Australian bands and I did work together with Doro a couple of times. And it’s interesting to work with different people. But now in the near future, I am so busy with U.D.O. there is just no chance to work with somebody else at the moment.
KE: You’ve also played all over the world obviously, with all the tours you’ve done. Are the fans different in different parts of the world or is a metal fan a metal fan no matter where you go?
Udo: I mean metal fans all over the world I would say are the same. Metal fans in South America are much the same as metal fans in New Mexico or Arizona. They are more crazy I think than in North America a little. But the same thing in Europe, Spain, Italy and Greece they are more energetic than the people in say Scandinavia. But you can say they are pretty much all over the world the same.
KE: With all this going on, what is in the future for U.D.O.? Are you already thinking ahead to the next record?
Udo: Yeah. I mean the rest of the year we do festivals in Europe. We do a full European tour. We have to go to South America and what I’ve heard so far is the plans are to come back to America and Canada and do some more shows. Right now we have, I think, nine shows in America and three in Canada. For us now, this is just a promotion tour to see what’s going on with U.D.O. and I think if we come back it will definitely be a longer tour.
KE: Thank you again for taking the time to talk with us here today. Best of luck with the tour and the new record coming out.
Udo: Thank you so very much.
We would like to thank Dustin Hardman from AFM Records for setting up the interview with Udo. For more information on U.D.O. and the new album “Steelhammer,” please go to: U.D.O..
