“The place was packed. The audience went nuts. They were
singing every song so loud we couldn’t hear the band
anymore.”
This is how Blind Guardian rhythm guitarist Marcus Siepen
described one of the shows on the European leg of the band’s
tour. And it hasn’t stopped.
“In general the whole tour has been that way,”
Siepen said. “The general reaction at a concert is very
similar in most places of the world ““ people love singing,
love having fun, love banging their heads. … It’s a metal
show.”
This reaction appears to be typical of Blind Guardian audiences
around the world, and if you plan on going to the Blind Guardian
show at the Avalon this Saturday in Hollywood, you had better be
prepared to be part of that action.
“It’s this constant exchange of energy, this
constant feedback between band and fans that makes the concert
special, and I think our fans know about this and they’re
enjoying it as much as we are to be part of the whole thing and
having fun with us,” Siepen said.
Coming off nearly two months of touring to mostly sell-out
crowds in Europe to promote its new album, “A Twist in the
Myth,” Blind Guardian is eager to come back to the United
States, where the band last toured in 2002.
A power metal band from Germany, Blind Guardian consists of
Siepen, vocalist Hansi Kürsch, lead guitarist André
Olbrich and drummer Frederik Ehmke.
For a band that has been recording albums for nearly two decades
and is known for its distinct sound, notably the vocals of
Kürsch and overdubbed, epic choruses, writing new material
that allows the band to evolve while still retaining its identity
can be a challenge.
“We always try to keep it fresh and keep it interesting,
because we just hate repeating ourselves because if we would sound
the same as we did 10 or 15 years ago it would be too boring for
us,” Siepen said. “We try to make it sound like Blind
Guardian in 2006, not Blind Guardian in 1992.”
The method seems to be a success, as audience reaction toward
the songs off the new album has generally been
“awesome,” according to Siepen.
“I think one of the absolute highlights of each show is
the song “˜Fly,’ which was released as the first single.
People go nuts when we play that song, and that’s great for
us because the people love (the new) songs as much as the old songs
which they have been singing for years,” Siepen said.
Because of the band’s desire to avoid monotony and the
large number of fans who come to several shows on a tour, every
Blind Guardian show features a different set list. It is difficult
for the band to find a balance between classic fan favorites and
new material, but it handles this challenge by rehearsing 35 songs
and alternating which will be played in the 20-song set at each
show.
“There are so many classic songs that we just have to play
or else people would crucify us, like “˜The Bard’s
Song.’ People want to hear that song, and we like to play it,
so it’s fun for both the audience and us,” Siepen said.
“This is the perfect combination, when you enjoy playing them
and you see people go completely crazy.”
According to Siepen, one of the reasons for these kinds of
reactions is the fans’ ability to connect with the
band’s authenticity.
“We never pretended to be anything that we are not. We
never created a certain type of image ““ we’re just four
normal guys that go onstage and have fun, and I think people
appreciate this because we’re not pretending to be whatever
or whoever ““ and our fans are as important to the Blind
Guardian show as we are onstage.”
The band’s latest project is an orchestral album conceived
in the late ’90s.
“It was just classical music that had all the typical
melody lines, the typical arrangement ““ it just sounded like
Blind Guardian, but the heavy metal band wasn’t there. And 10
years later we’re about finished,” Siepen said,
laughing. “The plan is to record all of the stuff after we
finish touring, which will be winter next year, and release this
whole project in 2008. After this, I don’t know, the whole
thing starts again. We will sit down, write new songs, and one day
release a new album.”
Siepen explains part of the band’s popularity as a result
of its dedication to this creative process.
“When we release an album or when we write songs we always
try to give the best we can possibly give in them. And it’s
the same when we play live, we always try to give the best
performance for the fans, and I think they just appreciate
this,” he said.
“It’s great to write songs, it’s great to
record them in the studio and see them growing step by step, but
the absolute highlight for me is this immediate feedback from the
fans. Going onstage and performing all this stuff live, for me, is
the absolute highlight about being a musician.”
And time has not dampened the band’s enthusiasm for the
music.
“Even after 20 years we all enjoy it and love it so
much,” Siepen said.