HELLOWEEN: In Songwriting Mode

Vassil Varbanov of Bulgaria's Tangra Mega Rock recently conducted an interview with HELLOWEEN guitarist Michael Weikath. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Tangra Mega Rock: You sound like you're having a rest, am I right?

Weikath: In fact, I have to come up with a few new good ideas very soon, because in the end of May we'll all meet and discuss them. Actually, we have a meeting with the band tomorrow, just for sorting out basic ideas and everything. We'll start recording in May or June, so we all have to get into work very intensively, because there's not so much time in between. We've been doing the DVD a few months ago, too, and right now we have a good momentum, so it would be nice to catch it. That's the way it always runs, you know, and because everything's been so great recently, we're all in a very good mood.

Tangra Mega Rock: You mentioned the good momentum. What's so special right now for you guys as a band?

Weikath: It's because we have a great lineup, and it's all a very good feel the way we are now. This was usually the case in the old times as well, but sometimes things change, so we are pretty happy with the way things are right now. The fans' response is also quite good, so what can we complain about? Everybody in the band is happy that we've got this great surrounding, because even the new members have had different things going on and know what it is to have trouble with someone in the band who's like a major person or wants to become one... All this kindergarten crap we all have had one or the other way, and we're pretty happy this is not going on now.

Tangra Mega Rock: Please, tell us now something more about this song of yours, "Light the Universe", that features Ritchie Blackmore's [fiancée] Candice Night.

Weikath: Yeah, isn't she cute? Isn't she singing well?

Tangra Mega Rock: Yes, she is! Do you think that if you hang around with this lady for two or three more songs, you'll stop playing heavy metal and start doing some Rennaisance stuff as well?

Weikath: No, I don't think so. She's doing that stuff because she likes this old Rennaisance music. BLACKMORE'S NIGHT are stuck in that kind of music, and Ritchie knows exactly why he's doing it... He always liked that stuff, even in the past, and now they seem to be happy with what they do, and their sales are pretty good. From what I've heard, you know, he sells more of this stuff than duing RAINBOW times, so for me it's quite understandable that he doesn't wanna change whatever he's into. There might be not that much aggression as it was in DEEP PURPLE, for example, but we shouldn't forget his age where he can pick things and say, "No, I don't wanna do this, I'd rather do that." You know, I'm a miserable acoustic guitarist, so I personally would never do anything like that, because it would be too difficult for my fingers... I'm just a rock 'n' roll guy.

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