PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
What was the inspiration for the new album?
I always say, the next album starts right there, where you finish the previous album. That means, we are always collecting ideas and thinking about what comes next. You would never plan such things. But surely, it is a lot of hard work to make a good album, you need a whole lot of ambition and self-confidence (I guess we own plenty of that, hahaha), and of course we always want to make it even better than the previous one, otherwise it would not make sense to us to release another album! And for this reason it’s quite natural that we insist that this is our best album ever!!! “Age Of The Joker” and “Hellfire Club” are my favourite ones!!! I am looking forward to see how people react when they listen to songs like Robin Hood, Rock Of Cashel and Padora’s Box. I’m sure they will be blown away! The most important thing is that you always recognize the heart of Edguy in every album and in every song.
Do you have a particular writing process for songs or is it different for each song that you come up with?
We spend a lot of time together locked inside the rehearsing room and play the new songs (or fragments of new ideas) million and billion times and always find little details which make the songs better or fresher or whatever, so the songs are like little plants who need to be grown up with light and water – and sometimes beer – until they are in full bloom!
How is the new material going down on the tour?
Of course we will play a lot of new songs on tour, because I’m sure they will work great live on stage. We are very proud on the new album as well as we are proud on any older album. So we will play a good mixture out of everything. And right now I’m looking forward to all our arguments in the rehearsal room between each other within the band which songs we want to play and what not. I heard that some bands already split up right before the tour because of that or that singers have a crushed skull because a heavy guitar fell on his head with a lot of power, hahaha!!!!
Do you have a rider for the tour?
Everything we need is a little shot of Vodka right before the show! J
What are your plans after the tour?
At the moment it looks like the tour will be pretty long. The European Tour starts in September and we are looking forward to play the new songs live on stage. Tickets are already on sale for a long time and it’s gonna be Edguy pure, with funny jokes and bad jokes, pure Happy Metal!!! After the european leg of the tour we’re going to play in South America, and afterwards the rest of the world. I’m sure we will play some interesting places where not many bands go, like Australia, China, South Korea or even Israel. It was such an outstanding experience on our previous tours to visit these places and see that there are rock and metal fans, too!!! After all this, I think we should not do extraordinary long holidays but just taking the good vibes to the rehearsal room and start working on a new album. As I said before, the next one starts where the previous one is finished!
What do you like the least about today’s metal scene?
I think there should be more Happy Metal bands like Edguy, hahaha!!! Sometimes it’s funny that some people do complain about Edguy, that we are too funny and that is no true heavy metal. I always have to laugh my ass off when I read such things. Thank God, there are not too many people out there who take themselves too seriously. There are some people who simply complain about everything, especially in the internet, but I guess that’s nothing specific for heavy metal fans, but for everything. We wanna bring Edguy’s Happy Metal to your town!!! Just have a look on the album cover. I love the joker and his smile! Is it a funny smile or a friendly smile or an evil smile? I don’t know. It’s like people discuss about the smile of Mona Lisa. But our joker is much better in my opinion, hihihi, and I guess people will still discuss about it in 200 years! It’s like they discuss and arguing if a heavy metal band like Edguy is a allowed to be funny and tell bad jokes on stage, hahaha!!! The Joker represents us perfectly, it’s the Age Of Edguy!!!
What bands are you listening to at the moment?
Too many different ones. A lot of people are still surprised when I tell them that Slayer and Metallica are my lifetime favourite bands. That’s no happy metal, isn’t it?! Hehehe! Moreover I listen to Ray Charles, Die Ärzte, a german band. At the moment I am listening to the new Scorpions Album. As you see, there’s much variety. Usualy I love everything with loud electric guitars!!!
Have you got any bad habits?
I love too much sex! But please be honest, is this really a bad habit???!!! Hihihi!
What’s you most embarrassing tour incident?
In 2002 we have been announced for a concert in Japan as Edgay. I did no believe my eyes when I read this above the entrance of the venue. We are quite used to it, that some people love to make this so-called funny joke about us and we simply give a fuck. But this time it simply happened by mistake of someone who has set these letters above the door in the wrong way as he evidently did not even know the band Edguy. And that hits you right in your heart, hahaha!!!
Have you got any guilty pleasures?
Again that thing with the three letters J
Do you prefer to play festivals or arena/club tours?
As long as we are on stage I don’t care because we always want to play the best show possible!!! On festivals I love the big variety of bands and it’s always the best chance to meet other bands and friends backstage. Thank God the big majority of festivals we have played so far, there was always nice weather and sunshine. That has something to do with Edguy, I guess hahaha! But for one of our new songs Faces In The Darkness it would fit when we could have a five minute thunder storm during the song!!!
What was the last gig you saw?
Crucified Barbara in Norway, one month ago.
What are your views on music file sharing?
I think there’s so much work on an album, to write songs, arranging them, arguing and fighting with you band fellows (which is the most exhausting part), then recording the songs, taking care of a nice album cover and booklet, so that I think it’s simply disrespectful. I have no problem with the internet download if someone is just curious and wants to get a clue what Edguy is about but not sharing whole albums!
Have you got any rituals that you go through before you go on stage?
One little shot of vodka together with the whole band.
Thanks for your time.
Take care – Tobias Exxel, Edguy
Check out a review of Edguy’s latest album here
