VIRGIN STEELE INTERVIEW

During the last concert of Hammerfall, Virgin Steele and Freedom Call tour in Copenhagen, Claus Jensen and Erik Pauner was so lucky to catch up with one of their old time favorite metal dinosaurs, David DeFeis from Virgin Steele. Now we have finally recovered the tape ... so here it goes....

Interview by Erik Pauner and Claus Jensen

Basically, lets hear about this tour - how did you get the job?

"What happened was - a month ago someone, who said, "Hammerfall would like you to come on tour", called me up and I said "no", because we wanted to do our own tour. But we found out that we could go to some countries we haven't been to before so it's easier do some tests, so I later said we were interested. It then later proved that we couldn't play as long as we first thought, but we have been very pleased with the tour. Every night has been very well received and the audience has been great."

How is it being a support band to a band who only has made three albums, when you have done like 15 ... ha ha ha?

"I see it as a win-win situation, Hammerfall fans come and see our show and vice versa, it's no big deal."

Maybe you got the privilege of playing around when you are not the headliner?

"To some extend it's true, but we take it very seriously, we want to be at our best for the fans."

What material have you been using for the shows ?

"Mainly Atreus, but also Marriage part 1, we have been changing the set from night to night, and from country to country."

But not some really old stuff?

"Ahh, actually in Oslo and I few other place's we did stuff from the second album."

I still feel the two first albums were your best (Claus)! (no no, Erik is shaking his head)

"Ha ha, I certainly don't think so, but I can understand it if you grew up with that stuff."

This Metal opera stuff - in most new genres like black metal for example, it's getting more usual the female vocals as well as male vocals. Is it something you have considered, bringing in some cool chick doing the female vocals so it could be a "real" opera?

"Hmm - yes, one of my sisters is an opera singer, and another sister of mine is a rock singer - so it's possible to do something like this. I want to do a real metal opera, but only performed by us - to prove that we could do it, and it kind of takes the focus off the band if its' only considered an opera - but who knows what the future will bring."

What about the Tobias Sammet project you have been involved in, Avantasia - how did that came up?

"He called me, and the record company called me, and they said - "he is a nice guy, if you want to do it and if you like the music, go for it" - so I said, send me the stuff. It was something I could sink me teeth into, so I said I would do it. It was all done in one day, during recording and mixing of Atreus part II."

It's so amazing that "The final sacrifice", the best track (Erik), is only in the Avantasia Maxi single CD - why didn't it come on the Avantasia album?

"Yea, I heard that remark before - I don't know, maybe it's going to be on a part two?"

Is this the first time you did something outside Virgin Steele?

"Probably as a vocalist. I did some keyboard on Jack Starr's solo album."

What happened with that Jack Starr thing - there where some rumors about a reunion?

"We reunited for about four or five songs - I call them the second demos, they are probably bonus tracks on the new Jack Starr stuff. He is doing his own stuff, we are still friends."

Nowadays you are on Modern Music, how do you feel the cooperation is going?

"It's been good, they have strong belief in what we are doing - they just give us the money, and we make the record, so it's a nice relationship (laughs ....)"

Was it a hassle to get the old material from Music for Nations?

"No no, I own everything I have written - they are my songs, anyone who tries to take them will die by the sword (Big laughs !)"

Actually, you were the first band signed to Music for nations - quite a story.

"Yea, actually when they visited us, they changed the name to Music for Nations. We got our first album on our own, sold 5.000 from the back of my car, got another 5.000 and before they were sold we had our first deal."

On the last three albums there have been historical themes with quite untraditional covers, no blood or fancy "heavy metal" paintings. Have you had any pressure against that or do you decide by yourself ?

"I think the record company didn't like the Invictus cover, and I didn't really like it much myself. The House of Atreus works, that is a shield a have in my home from my family - so I just took at off the wall, paid a 100 bucks for a photo, and there was the cover."

What about your next albums, are they also going to be based a historical or mythical themes?

"Who knows ...... I don't know. People must remember that I'm not trying to be a history teacher or anything like that - the Greek myths are a platform for me to say what I want to say about modern life, the stories are 2000 years old but timeless, it could happen again 4000 years from now."

I once read an article where you told about your big influence from classical music - could you elaborate on this?

"Sure.... as a pianist I started playing then I was 8 years old. I actually have a degree in composition and harmony theory. So naturally as a pianist I listened to stuff like Chopin, Bach, Franz Liszt ,Giuseppe Verdi."

Have you ever reused some themes from those masters?

"No, I have not been stealing, but in some way I have absorbed their works, and it comes out like a natural organic process."

But you still listen to classic music?

"Yes - to classic music, metal ... all kind of stuff. I listen to Led Zeppelin, Queen, T Rex - I'm a big T Rex fan, Roxy Music"

Are there any of the new bands coming up that are getting your attention?

"I like Type O Negative and I like The Cult."

Playing the piano on stage, puts you in a fixed position where you can't move about so much - have you considered bringing in another pianist?

"Yeaa, we have thought about it, maybe one day we should do it .... he he he - whenever I get the chance I jump around."

In which countries did you experience the best audience?

"I would say Germany, Italy, France - and Spain .... and Sweden was quite good."

What about Greece?

"The Greeks are insane, amazing - We played in London, and there were 40 Greeks in front, Greece is always great."

When Manowar comes to Denmark and "tell" us about the vikings - we kind of feel "hey, you can't tell us about that" - how is it when you visit Greece?

"They like it! --- they feel like we a honoring their history and myths, but even before we did Marriage part II, there have been a strong interest."

What is you own ethnic heritage ?

"I'm part French, well Italian/French, Celtic and some native American - a mix ... he he he"

I have heard from a friend of mine that have been following your tour (Rasmus - Bright Eyes), that there have been no problems between the bands.

"No, it has been going really well. There have been no fights between the bands."That's very unusual for being on tour for so long. Maybe because of the age difference, not to say anything bad ... ha ha ha, but more mature."

Another thing I heard is that you are quite an unusually person, because you don't drink?

"I drink at home and a little bit on tour. I have to sing - I'm actually better fit on tour then at home."

What do you do before you go on stage to be prepared vocally?

"I take honey, tea, coffee, whatever - I depends on what shape my voice is in when I wake up. I have some herbs from Germany that helps clearing up and I do some vocal exercises during the day. This is the 41'st concert on the tour, and I have been sick several times on the tour, but never lost my voice."

We have been discussing that you have been in this business for 20 years, and your voice is evolving and getting better all the time, while other singers seems to deteriorate - for an example like Ozzy.

"Might just be down to hard living or genetics?"

Back to the Manowar thing ... For me it seems like VS have taken over and further developed the classic themes and sounds from albums like "Hail to England", while Manowar have taken the road to bikes and babes. What is the Manowar/Virgin Steele relation - if any?

"We knew them from the early days, we heard them, they heard us, and we meat later on. We don't have any contact today other then through mutual people that we know."

Do you see them as a comparison ?

"No, only that we are both over-the-top and very proud - we started from the same roots."

I guess that's it? - we are looking forward to the show !

"I'm looking forward as well, I'm a huge Led Zeppelin fan, and they started here in Denmark in 1968."