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Ask any young up
and coming guitarist to name their top 10 rock guitarists of all time
and the name Axel Rudi Pell will generally feature somewhere in that
line-up. Both as a solo artist and as a band the name Axel Rudi
Pell is legendary across the world of rock. 2008 brings forth a
new live DVD release from the great man himself and his band simply
entitled 'Live Over Europe'. Today we catch up with this man of
immense talent but few words to find out more ...
MM - Your new DVD ‘Live Over Europe’
is a double celebration firstly of your Rock Hard Festival Show last
year but also because this will be your 20th year as a solo
artist. What do you think has kept you going, not just your solo career
but also during your years with Steeler?
Axel - My intention to write and
perform good melodic rock songs…
MM - The line-up of ARP has been the same for sometime now, do you find
this gives you a solid foundation when it comes to writing new material
because you know what each band member is capable of?
Axel - All band
members are excellent musicians, so I don´t have to take care of
anything when it comes to writing. Everybody could play any style or
music … they really kick ass !
MM - When you left Steeler back in 1988 did you realise then what a
great solo career you would have?
Axel - Of course not ! How should I?
MM - Even though the band has your name to it you don’t seem to take
up more of the limelight unlike some guitarists I could name, your style
is more band orientated than simply guitar orientated, was this the way
you wanted things from the beginning?
Axel - Absolutely! For me the melody
and the riffing of a song is much more important than the guitar solo !
I´m not writing a song around a solo, that´s bullshit!
MM - How do you feel you have grown as an artist since those early days
with Steeler?
Axel - I guess I can play the guitar much better now than back in
those days and my writing ability has developed much.
MM - I’ve noticed on your website that there aren’t any tour dates
lined up for 2008, does this mean we won’t see ARP on the road this
year?
Axel - That´s wrong! We will play the “Wacken Open Air” and
the “Rock Of Ages” Festivals in Germany this summer. Then we will
definitely play a tour in the fall around November, but it is too early
to confirm any dates now.
MM - Can we expect a new studio album shortly and if so what can you
tell us about it?
Axel - We will enter the studio in June and July to record the
next studio album. It will be released in the fall around October. I can´t
tell anything more about it now…
MM - The whole Heavy Metal and Rock market took a step down since the
whole Grunge scene, do you see Heavy Metal ever returning to the status
it once had before the 90’s?
Axel - The Grunge scene fortunately is
long gone now… and I see a 50 % comeback of Hardrock/Metal since 1-2
years now.
MM - The whole music business has seen many changes over the past 20 or
so, what do you think has been the biggest change and how has it
affected the way you go about being a musician?
Axel - Nothing
effected or effects me, because I don´t want anything to affect me!
MM - If you could change one thing in your long career what would it be?
Axel - Signing
better contracts and writing a lot of Nr. 1 albums…
MM - If your solo career hadn’t taken
off in such a big way what do you think you would be doing now?
Axel - Of course
not answering this questions now…
MM - With all the advances in recording studio technology are there any
of your first solo albums that you would like to re-record because you
weren’t happy with one or more aspects when the album first came out?
Axel - I wouldn´t re-record a complete
album. I would mix a few again, as the sound isn´t perfect on a few,
like “Wild Obsession” for example. There are a few songs which I don´t
like anymore, but they are part of my history.
MM - Finally what does the future hold for Axel Rudi Pell and the Axel
Rudi Pell band?
Axel - Writing, recording, touring … business as usual!
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