August 20, 2025 • 27 mins
Michael Kiske, co-lead vocalist for the iconic Helloween, joins to discuss their new album "Giants & Monsters." Plus, Michael reflects on 40 years of Helloween, memories of the infamous 1988 "Monsters of Rock" Festival, and his Guns N' Roses fandom.
More info:
https://www.helloween.org/
https://www.facebook.com/helloweenofficial/
Our website:
www.afdpod.com
More info:
https://www.helloween.org/
https://www.facebook.com/helloweenofficial/
Our website:
www.afdpod.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's a question that comes up. Who did you like
more guns and roses on Ivana? I like guns and
roses and tons more.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Welcome to the podcast Appetite four Distortion, Episode number five
hundred and twenty four. My name is Veranda. Welcome to
the podcast from Halloween. Mister Michael Keske, how are you, sirving?
Speaker 1 (00:24):
I was just thinking the title of your show. I
just bought a special edition of Appetite for Destruction. It's
a it's a surround mix, remixed, remastered version of the record. Wow, okay,
has nothing to do with anything else, but I just
had it in my head like Appetite for Distortion.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
No, it has everything to do with Halloween.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
I see, I see guns and roses back then, right, yeaheah.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Great record. We're going to talk about that. We're going
to talk about Halloween and because you guys get just
jump right into it. Because Keeper of the Seven Keys
same year as Appetite, and we played at them.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
We played with them over here in Europe. I remember
Donnington was it was right before they took off in
terms of success in America. It started a little earlier
and then Europe followed, but they were not that high
on the list. I think they. I don't remember where
they played compared to us. I know David Lee Roth
(01:31):
was there, My maid, of course was headlining. And I
also remember backstage. Last was always in our dressing room,
which was cool. He was always he was always very sweet,
like a very nice guy. And I remember, and I
don't know what was going on, but Axel was running
(01:52):
away from a policeman or a British policeman, saying fuck,
fuck fuck fuck. I don't remember what it was. That's
the case. Maybe he brought him to some place to
show him something that he was unhappy with or something,
and I have a completely different idea of what it was,
but it's stuck in my hat, having actual running away
police behind him and he says, fuck fuck.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
That's a great memory. That's really funny. H forty years
and that's yeah. I was gonna bring this up later,
but I'm so it's so cool that we're stumping right
into it because you're a fan, you bought the album.
So I want to credit one of my listeners who
was actually excited to have you talk to us today,
Jonathan from Michigan, because you gave him a little bit
of it of Donnington and meeting Axel, was there any
(02:39):
because obviously you can't bring up Donnington without talking about,
you know, loss of the life of those two young kids.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Yeah, you didn't, you didn't. You didn't know about that
while it happened. I think it happened when David Lee
Roth was playing something. I think, I believe.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
I think it was when even though Axel tried to
stop the crowd and say, I think it happened during
their set, and they also didn't know, and they were always.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Yeah, they didn't have the What they have today is
they have these barriers so that that that the masses
don't push forward and squeeze the ones, which should be
logic anyway. But obviously that wasn't a problem until then,
and since then they do that. They have these barriers
that stopped the certain roles from moving forward, stuff like that.
(03:28):
But it's like when it happened, nobody knew what happened.
Nobody knew about it. It's like backstage there was just
no talking about it. I just remember that I watched
a bit of the show from David b. Roth from
the side, and I remember that a person went on
like jumped on the stage and and they were just saying,
(03:52):
what are you doing on my stage? And I think
it had to do with someone trying to inform someone
that things are happening there. Yeah. Horrible, horrible, Yeah, But
as I said, he didn't you didn't know you heard
that afterwards when when the whole thing was over.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
You were so young at the time and now we're
flashing forward forty years. But that's something that can really
derail you as a as an artist, Like do you
remember as just being that age, like, wow, we're just
here to perform, this can actually happen? Did that mess
with you in the band at the time?
Speaker 1 (04:26):
It didn't happen when we played, which is good because
you always, I would guess you feel a little guilty.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
What happens when you play?
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Yeah, I mean it is. It is dramatic, but very
often you have that that something like this has to
happen so that certain stuff changes. So it's like you
take more security methods or whatever to make sure. Very
often it has to something has to go really bad
until something gets changed.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
You know, you're right, And that's that is And the
first thing that popped into my other than you know,
the concerts is like sporting events uh, a few years
ago a little girl got killed by a park and
now they have netting all around the arena, you know.
So it's it's it sucks that it takes.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
You don't think about it. You don't think about it
until it happens, and and and and usually it costs money,
so people want to do only what's necessary. Yeah. So yeah,
I mean some of the things you could foresee that's
(05:35):
something like this could happen. But it's like, yeah, but
that's that's usually how progress happens. That's something goes wrong
and then you improve.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Well, let's let's talk about progress. Well, I didn't expect
to go too dark so quickly.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
In the great memories about Donnington, you know, I have
great memories about the show. It was not just that
thing that happened there. I mean, behind the stage, it
was it was awesome. It was great fun you know,
I met, I met even Lemmy was there. Yeah, and
he didn't play, but he was. He was there and
he was nice, he was funny and stuff. So I
(06:13):
have good memories about it, of course.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
But yeah, of course it was horrible thing.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
But as I said, we didn't know, we didn't know
during the time that we were, there's.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
A different time, and obviously I'm glad things changed and
whatever it does come up in conversations, I just want to,
you know, bring up.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Everybody remembers that. Everybody connects that that uh, that event
with with the that thing with the two people dying.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
I know, I know, but it kind of shift here
because we're obviously going to talk about New Halloween forty
years into the Giants and Monsters. But while we're on it,
you know, with you being your first album, uh being
with the Keeper of the Seven Keys uh and Appetite
coming out at the same time, different obviously in the
(06:58):
same rock world difference, So what did you think of
Appetite when it came out? And obviously you're still such
a fan that you just got a reissue, So what
didn't I think.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
About the first time that I heard Sweet Child of Mine?
I was like wow, because the songs they had, especially
on that record, they were like world class, you know,
the type of songs that that you would that you
remember from the Stones, you know that it had that quality,
just the songwriting quality. And then the voice of Axel
(07:31):
was unique. It it sounded very different, you know, and
and no, I was I was really really excited about it.
I really liked them right from the start. I was
never much into Nirvana, to be honest with you, because
that's always the question that comes up, you know, who
did you like more guns and roses are in Nirvana?
I liked guns and roses and tons more. It's like
(07:52):
I understood Nirvana later on a bit better, but it
was not my cup of tea. I even I even
liked the food Fighter is better, you know than Nevana,
But guns and Roses was my thing totally. I still
I still play slash Leaks and I have his m
his slash a f D one hundred there and stuff.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
We see that that's so cool. See, this is all
what what I do here. I call it a six
degrees of g n R Bacon. That's why I named
it Appetite for distortion. I mean, everyone in their Mother
is a podcast. There's so many rock podcasts out there,
but here going through life through guns and rose colored glasses.
And we have a connection right now to the Halloween,
you know. So I just think that's brilliant. And to
find out that you're.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
You find things out like that. I just seen an
interview from los Uri where he says how much of
a fan of Oasis he is? Okay, it's been to
two concerts of Oasis because they have a reunion tour
going down. I never thought that las Uli would be
into Oasis, but he was into it right from the start.
(08:57):
Did you know that?
Speaker 2 (08:58):
No, I didn't get the doesn't surprise me because he
seems like I can see it, but it was something
I definitely wouldn't have thought of into it.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
I mean you could you could tell by he really informed,
you know, he he he knows the history and stuff
like that. I mean, I am into always have been
into all types of music. I mean it goes from
classical music to Barbara streisand Kate Bush, metal, Elvis Beatles.
I was listening to everything that got something for me.
(09:29):
You know, I was never in a box.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
I love that. And this is to say in Lars for
a second, I guess I'm not surprised because, uh, a
few years ago and when my wife and I would
travel to the Austin, Texas for Austin City Limits to
see Guns and Roses, Mumford and Sons also played and
Lars came out to play with them. It's like Lars
and Mumford had it happened, so it was crazy.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
Yeah, and they had they didn't have such a good history.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
They had these this thing with the with the hetfield
being burned and and an excellent wanting on stage so
over here in Europe that completely destroyed the the the
arena and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
So it's good when when they I mean I understood right,
Yeah Loast got on the stage with guns and roses.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Yeah, that that's happened. Lars has been friends with them.
I think the big what we thought was animosity was
between Axel and James, but we saw at back to
the beginning, and Axel posted a picture of him talking
to James. So at least.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
They sat, didn't they.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
I'm sure they did. I mean, I don't think it was.
It wasn't either of their faults. It wasn't like Axel said,
cause a riot, and it wasn't like, oh the thing.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
With Axel is I I didn't know that for many years,
but I don't know where I read it where It
was not arrogance.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
He was nervous, Yes.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
He was nervous. He was fighting with being stage fright
and then gives this whole thing a completely different quality.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
It's much fun understandable, you know. I. I, that's a
very cool to hear you say that, because it's one
thing coming from a fan, but from a peer who's
been doing it for as long as he has. Yes,
that's exactly what I've heard from people who have worked
with him.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
And so when you look at it what he came,
you know, his family kind of stuff. There's a lot
of individual problems involved, you know, a lot of and
which gives the quality informance. You know, it's it's very
often like that that you have people who had like
some kind of like bad childhood, so something something that
(11:30):
is dramatic in their lives, and but it expresses in
the music that they do as some kind of It
gives it, It gives it intensity, it gives its soul,
it gives it pain even you know.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
You're just saying it. Everything you're saying, I agree with
him lockstep. And again, it's one thing coming from a fan,
but to hear it from a peer of his, someone
who was accomplished as you are, is it gives it
a whole other meaning because you know it, you live that,
you continue to live that life, so you completely get it.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
So when you get older, you tend to understand a
lot of things way more. You just understanding humans more
because you try to understand that people more out of
the circumstances, out of where they're coming from. You know,
this is more quality when you get older, you know
that you that you, that you, that you are more
able to understand and tolerate and be more understanding with others.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Brilliance. I love it, man, I can talk to you
all day. My goal, but I mean the fact that
I expect to good Ideah. I know this is the
Guns and Roses theme podcast, but I usually like leave
it toward the end, but you right away as a fan,
I don't want to leave you without even talking about Halloween.
So with all this knowledge, with all this you know,
insight and maturity, is this what you feel you brought
(12:49):
to this new uh Halloween record Giants and Monsters coming
out August twenty ninth or traditional, like, what was your
approach to making this album?
Speaker 1 (12:58):
It always just reflects where we are as band. Very simple,
and I had a pretty wild history of.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
The band too, you know, getting out of the band
in early ninety four and not being part of it
for over twenty years, not even wanting to have anything
to do, and then slowly getting back and then making
peace again with Wiki, who I had the most beef with,
and then slowly we got into doing this again, and
(13:28):
then this thing is even more successful than it ever
was before, which nobody expected.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
It's amazing. I mean, these are the stories only only
life can write, you know. But the album just reflects
where we are now as a band. I mean to
give you an idea. They wrote something like thirty songs
and we selected something like twenty to work with, and
(13:54):
then out of that the album came. But the next
one is already written, so to speak. Yeah, the band
is so creative. It's just it's just it was. It
was quite impressive for the material that came together, and
it was not difficult at all.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
It was like, that's good, that's what you want to hear,
because that's that comes to the music, and that's what
we got a little bit of a taste of with
This is Tokyo. The video a love letter right to Tokyo,
and I wish I could have I could say I've
been like my wife is a traveler. I'm sure I'll
end up going there someday. I'm a Herman travel.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
Pen is very different in a good way. I mean
they're hard on themselves, which is not so good. I
mean they read that way very tough working environments and
stuff like that. But as a visitor, it's just great.
They're just very trustworthy. Whatever they say they're going they
are going to do when when you tour there, it's
going to happen, you know, they're like they're very honest.
(14:55):
It's like, I don't know if that would happen in
New York. When you like when you're in a down
on a like an underground train situation and you lose
your wallet, wallet, usually it would be gone.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
In Japan, they bring it to you, sure I can.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
This is this is the difference in Japan is that
women can go jogging at nighttime on their own in
the park and nothing's gonna happen. Okay, nothing's gonna happen,
and if ever something happens is a nationwide scandal. Okay.
It's like, Japan is very different. It's totally totally worth
going there. It's like it's an experience.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
I recently just interviewed Kelly Schaeffer from Atheists, and he
was talking about some of the audiences over there, and
they're very respectful and they'll maybe like cross their arms
and they'll watch you, and they sometimes like they have
to wait for you to instruct them when to go
crazy into mash. That that's how.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
It used to be in the AKA. That's not how
it is anymore, at least for us, that's not I
mean I've been there with Unisonic, with Avantisia and with Halloween,
like in my second Spring phase, and it was wild.
I mean, it was really passionate. It used to be
exactly like you said, it used to be weird. It's
(16:20):
like we when we went there like in eighty seven,
it was really like that were listening to you. They
were sitting down, they were listening to the song. When
the song was over, there were clapping it. And when
you were talking it was silent, dead silent, and they
couldn't even stand up. There were security people making sure
that they don't stand up.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
Oh wow, it's not like it is anymore.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
I think it's a real rock show now. Maybe maybe
the person who told you that hasn't been there for a.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
While, okay maybe, or just like his experiences are different
because he's don't know.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
What kind of music they do, But but what we
do with Halloween or Unisonic or Avantasia. It was wild,
it was like and the energy was almost like South America.
I'm not kidding. It was like it has changed big
time compared to the eighties.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
So I guess comparing the eighties into today, I can't
believe the eighties. It just sounds it's got every day
goes further and further away the good old eighties. Forty
years of Halloween. Does that even dawn on you that
it's been I know you've been in and out of
the band, but the fact that this is this entity
one of the coolest names in rock by the way, forever.
(17:28):
You know, obviously I love guns and Roses the name,
but Halloween so simplistic, so obvious, and so brilliant. But
forty it's funny.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
That you say that, because like when the I mean,
I wasn't there when the band, right, who's the name?
That was before my time? And they changed the A
to the E. Not so much for hell, more for
being different to the movie, you know, and and and
and there were two other Halloween bands. There's one in
Detroit and there was another one in Italy. So that
(17:57):
we were different. They choose to e okay. But the
thing I remember that there was a festival we played
in the eighties and Gene Simmons said that we will
never be successful with that name because for an American
it's like you call yourself Christmas. You know, it's like
it's it's a holiday. But by the time the band
(18:20):
chose this name, the Halloween holiday that you got in
America didn't exist in Europe. Nobody knew what it was.
So it was kind of cool for a German band
to sound like this. Now people know people people, it
happens here now as well, Trick or treat and all
that stuff. You know, it coumed over, but it worked.
(18:40):
We made it cool, you know what I mean, that's
the thing, naked cool. I mean, there's a band called
Frankie Ghost to Hollywood.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Come on, I don't know if they're still around, but yeah, yeah, yeah,
I don't know either.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
I don't know either, but but you.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
Guys are, and you know what. That's it ties in
the whole conversation a bit. When we started, we talked
about Donnington and some of the bands that played, and
now we're talking about forty years of playing Damie Stayin
just announced the negative their retirement, their farewell album and tour,
you know, just because they played Donnington as well. Just
curious of a your reaction and is that something that
(19:16):
you could ever foresee for yourself or Halloween is a retirement.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
It depends on how things are going, you know. I'm
I'm still I mean, I started quite young, you know,
we were like the later generation. I mean, Iron Maiden
was already big and touring when I was still in school.
I think I'm about ten years younger than than Bruce
or something like that. So we got a bit more
air coming to the to the granny age. But it's
(19:43):
gonna come. I think it depends on if you feel
like you can still do it. If you can my
voice still fine, you know, and as long as I
can pull it off and I enjoy it and we
don't overdo it, And honestly, we just don't overdo it.
We have. We just took two years off. We didn't.
(20:05):
We had the last show in twenty three, November twenty
three in Mexico basketball and we play again in October
doing the European tour. So we're not killing ourselves. We're
not overdoing it and it keeps it fresh, keeps it exciting,
you know what I mean. And I think we're going
to continue like that. We just don't tour ourselves to death.
We just do what's fun and keep mentally intact. We
(20:28):
just we just don't want to burn out, you know,
So I didn't. I mean, over twenty years not being
in the band. It's quite a long time, you know.
It's like I did like seven years or eight years
or something like that, and then was over twenty years
out and now it's eight years since their union. But
we had a pandemic that caught off three years. We
(20:49):
took two years off, so it's like really like three
or four years that we have been active. You know.
We toured at the end of twenty seventeen and eighteen.
Then in nineteen we wanted to make the record, but
we jumped because we've been asked by this was it
the Scorpions, I don't remember it was. It was when
Dave got sick from Megadeth. We're asked if we wanted
(21:12):
to jump on the tour. I know, I know it
was white snake and probably the scorpion. It was a
white snake, the purple I think it was I think
it was yeah, yeah, and we jumped in this in
the slot that that Megadath was supposed to do. So
that was the only thing we did in twenty nineteen.
(21:34):
Then you had the pandemic. Then we toured a little
bit in twenty two and twenty three and that's it.
So it's not an overkill or anything like that. And
for me, I didn't. I mean I did the least
amount of touring of anyone in this band, you know.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
Yeah, so you don't have as much mileage. I guess
as the forty years may may seem, what do you
do as far as keeping it other than resting.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
I joined the band right, you know, they started in
I think eighty four. Yes, I got active with them.
I joined the man in eighty six and we started
touring eighty seven. So it's like to me, it's more fresh.
It's like the Waiki Kai markus. They're the ones who
have been there from the beginning.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
Sure, but you are an integral part of the story,
you know, whether you're there from the beginning or not.
I mean that that that record, that first record you
made with them is again that.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Was the biggest, biggest success. That's true. I mean it
jumped from one hundred thousand to a few million.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
And it was like with with the Keeper with yeah,
so I know you weren't there from the beginning, but
don't diminish your role. Certainly.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
It was a bit like with Iron Maiden, you know
when they when they started with Paul Dano and when
Bruce joined the clop, that's when they really got big.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
That's sometimes what it takes. And this is where we're
at with giants and monsters coming out on the on
the twenty nine. So cool. Just one last question I
want to ask because I had battling some throat issues myself.
Other than rest, what do you do to take care
of your throat? Your voice?
Speaker 1 (23:06):
Nothing?
Speaker 2 (23:06):
Nothing, okay.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
The thing is just you just have to watch yourself
in a way that you don't overdo things or you
don't stress out your voice. That's what I'm always saying,
is like when you when you when you rehearse with
your band, for instance, and I rehearsed like maybe two
three hours, you should still be able afterwards to talk
and sound normal. Then you're doing okay. It shouldn't hurt
(23:33):
and you should you should figure out a way to
do it. That it doesn't violate your voice, it doesn't
hurt your voice, and then you should be fine. I mean,
I don't even have to warm up much anymore. I
used to do that when we started again, like in
twenty ten, when I first started again, to even go
on a stage and do this again, I was warming
(23:53):
up like for an hour before I don't. I figured
I don't need it. You know, I sing one Elvis
tune said.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
You know in the night, what Elvis tune is your
is your go to?
Speaker 1 (24:05):
I mean for warming up the stuff like can't help
falling in love or you know, Patrick patrick On. All
that stuff is great to warm up the voices. I mean,
I have a whole bunch of songs that I love
to sing the warm up.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Hey, got cha, that's my Harrison. Harrison. Do you want
to say hi to help Michael from Halloween?
Speaker 1 (24:27):
From here? Buddy? He said, He's got.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
Sae Hi, Michael rock On. I like Halloween.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
She looks uses the microphone is if she if she's
looking like I don't want the stuff. You look at the.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
Stars, telescope or periscope about the way he he just
has a long he's long hair.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
Okay, she's he's metal.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
Yes, he's a rock and roll baby. He was born
with a mohawk and we just haven't caught it since exactly.
All right, So I think he's telling me to go
the hair because he's digging the microphone. Michael. I mean
this really was a.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
He's looking into it and what is what does he see?
What do you see?
Speaker 2 (25:15):
This isn't a kaleidoscope, buddy, what do you see? Okay,
one day he's going to be my co host when
he can talk. See, I need to use this microphone.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
You know what the microphone is. It's a it's an
actual voice.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Do you see your voice over there?
Speaker 1 (25:31):
An actual voice? Ari twenty right? Yeah? Is it?
Speaker 2 (25:35):
Yes? It is all right? Say bye, say Michael, thank
you so much for your time. I hope we get
to do this again.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
She once meant slash too. It wasn't a station just
to brief high how you do it and stuff. It
was actually when Ozzie did Ozzy and Friends. Okay, it
was and you the Sonic was playing there and we
were we were just asking the management of AUSI if
we can and watched the show. We got like passes
so that we were able to watch the show. From
the side of the stage. So that was my experience
(26:06):
with Ozzie that it was like really unproblematic.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
Yeah mm hmm, yeah, that Ausie and Friends thing. Yeah,
that's special and that's cool. I appreciate that. I appreciate
your your guns and Roses stories talking about Donnington and
just talking about the history of Halloween. And I hope
you don't stop, man, because I mentioned Mega Death and
and Whitesnake and a lot of these bands are ending,
you know, so keep doing it.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
Has announced his retirement.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
What biggas did? Maybe did that happen just today?
Speaker 1 (26:35):
Yeah? He I mean, unless it's it's a hoax, unless
it's not true. But I announced that he is gonna
is going to retire. I think like a farewell to
the next year or something.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
See, we're all we're losing our legends, man, So sticking
around as long as you can, Michael, We'll try. So
that does it for this episode of Appetite for the
Stortion one. Will you see the next one? In the
words of Axl Rose concerning Chinese the mock Prist, I
don't know how soon as the word, but you'll see it. Bye,
Harris soon.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
Thanks to the Lame Mass security, I'm going home
It's a question that comes up. Who did you like
more guns and roses on Ivana? I like guns and
roses and tons more.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Welcome to the podcast Appetite four Distortion, Episode number five
hundred and twenty four. My name is Veranda. Welcome to
the podcast from Halloween. Mister Michael Keske, how are you, sirving?
Speaker 1 (00:24):
I was just thinking the title of your show. I
just bought a special edition of Appetite for Destruction. It's
a it's a surround mix, remixed, remastered version of the record. Wow, okay,
has nothing to do with anything else, but I just
had it in my head like Appetite for Distortion.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
No, it has everything to do with Halloween.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
I see, I see guns and roses back then, right, yeaheah.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Great record. We're going to talk about that. We're going
to talk about Halloween and because you guys get just
jump right into it. Because Keeper of the Seven Keys
same year as Appetite, and we played at them.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
We played with them over here in Europe. I remember
Donnington was it was right before they took off in
terms of success in America. It started a little earlier
and then Europe followed, but they were not that high
on the list. I think they. I don't remember where
they played compared to us. I know David Lee Roth
(01:31):
was there, My maid, of course was headlining. And I
also remember backstage. Last was always in our dressing room,
which was cool. He was always he was always very sweet,
like a very nice guy. And I remember, and I
don't know what was going on, but Axel was running
(01:52):
away from a policeman or a British policeman, saying fuck,
fuck fuck fuck. I don't remember what it was. That's
the case. Maybe he brought him to some place to
show him something that he was unhappy with or something,
and I have a completely different idea of what it was,
but it's stuck in my hat, having actual running away
police behind him and he says, fuck fuck.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
That's a great memory. That's really funny. H forty years
and that's yeah. I was gonna bring this up later,
but I'm so it's so cool that we're stumping right
into it because you're a fan, you bought the album.
So I want to credit one of my listeners who
was actually excited to have you talk to us today,
Jonathan from Michigan, because you gave him a little bit
of it of Donnington and meeting Axel, was there any
(02:39):
because obviously you can't bring up Donnington without talking about,
you know, loss of the life of those two young kids.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Yeah, you didn't, you didn't. You didn't know about that
while it happened. I think it happened when David Lee
Roth was playing something. I think, I believe.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
I think it was when even though Axel tried to
stop the crowd and say, I think it happened during
their set, and they also didn't know, and they were always.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Yeah, they didn't have the What they have today is
they have these barriers so that that that the masses
don't push forward and squeeze the ones, which should be
logic anyway. But obviously that wasn't a problem until then,
and since then they do that. They have these barriers
that stopped the certain roles from moving forward, stuff like that.
(03:28):
But it's like when it happened, nobody knew what happened.
Nobody knew about it. It's like backstage there was just
no talking about it. I just remember that I watched
a bit of the show from David b. Roth from
the side, and I remember that a person went on
like jumped on the stage and and they were just saying,
(03:52):
what are you doing on my stage? And I think
it had to do with someone trying to inform someone
that things are happening there. Yeah. Horrible, horrible, Yeah, But
as I said, he didn't you didn't know you heard
that afterwards when when the whole thing was over.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
You were so young at the time and now we're
flashing forward forty years. But that's something that can really
derail you as a as an artist, Like do you
remember as just being that age, like, wow, we're just
here to perform, this can actually happen? Did that mess
with you in the band at the time?
Speaker 1 (04:26):
It didn't happen when we played, which is good because
you always, I would guess you feel a little guilty.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
What happens when you play?
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Yeah, I mean it is. It is dramatic, but very
often you have that that something like this has to
happen so that certain stuff changes. So it's like you
take more security methods or whatever to make sure. Very
often it has to something has to go really bad
until something gets changed.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
You know, you're right, And that's that is And the
first thing that popped into my other than you know,
the concerts is like sporting events uh, a few years
ago a little girl got killed by a park and
now they have netting all around the arena, you know.
So it's it's it sucks that it takes.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
You don't think about it. You don't think about it
until it happens, and and and and usually it costs money,
so people want to do only what's necessary. Yeah. So yeah,
I mean some of the things you could foresee that's
(05:35):
something like this could happen. But it's like, yeah, but
that's that's usually how progress happens. That's something goes wrong
and then you improve.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Well, let's let's talk about progress. Well, I didn't expect
to go too dark so quickly.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
In the great memories about Donnington, you know, I have
great memories about the show. It was not just that
thing that happened there. I mean, behind the stage, it
was it was awesome. It was great fun you know,
I met, I met even Lemmy was there. Yeah, and
he didn't play, but he was. He was there and
he was nice, he was funny and stuff. So I
(06:13):
have good memories about it, of course.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
But yeah, of course it was horrible thing.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
But as I said, we didn't know, we didn't know
during the time that we were, there's.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
A different time, and obviously I'm glad things changed and
whatever it does come up in conversations, I just want to,
you know, bring up.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Everybody remembers that. Everybody connects that that uh, that event
with with the that thing with the two people dying.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
I know, I know, but it kind of shift here
because we're obviously going to talk about New Halloween forty
years into the Giants and Monsters. But while we're on it,
you know, with you being your first album, uh being
with the Keeper of the Seven Keys uh and Appetite
coming out at the same time, different obviously in the
(06:58):
same rock world difference, So what did you think of
Appetite when it came out? And obviously you're still such
a fan that you just got a reissue, So what
didn't I think.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
About the first time that I heard Sweet Child of Mine?
I was like wow, because the songs they had, especially
on that record, they were like world class, you know,
the type of songs that that you would that you
remember from the Stones, you know that it had that quality,
just the songwriting quality. And then the voice of Axel
(07:31):
was unique. It it sounded very different, you know, and
and no, I was I was really really excited about it.
I really liked them right from the start. I was
never much into Nirvana, to be honest with you, because
that's always the question that comes up, you know, who
did you like more guns and roses are in Nirvana?
I liked guns and roses and tons more. It's like
(07:52):
I understood Nirvana later on a bit better, but it
was not my cup of tea. I even I even
liked the food Fighter is better, you know than Nevana,
But guns and Roses was my thing totally. I still
I still play slash Leaks and I have his m
his slash a f D one hundred there and stuff.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
We see that that's so cool. See, this is all
what what I do here. I call it a six
degrees of g n R Bacon. That's why I named
it Appetite for distortion. I mean, everyone in their Mother
is a podcast. There's so many rock podcasts out there,
but here going through life through guns and rose colored glasses.
And we have a connection right now to the Halloween,
you know. So I just think that's brilliant. And to
find out that you're.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
You find things out like that. I just seen an
interview from los Uri where he says how much of
a fan of Oasis he is? Okay, it's been to
two concerts of Oasis because they have a reunion tour
going down. I never thought that las Uli would be
into Oasis, but he was into it right from the start.
(08:57):
Did you know that?
Speaker 2 (08:58):
No, I didn't get the doesn't surprise me because he
seems like I can see it, but it was something
I definitely wouldn't have thought of into it.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
I mean you could you could tell by he really informed,
you know, he he he knows the history and stuff
like that. I mean, I am into always have been
into all types of music. I mean it goes from
classical music to Barbara streisand Kate Bush, metal, Elvis Beatles.
I was listening to everything that got something for me.
(09:29):
You know, I was never in a box.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
I love that. And this is to say in Lars for
a second, I guess I'm not surprised because, uh, a
few years ago and when my wife and I would
travel to the Austin, Texas for Austin City Limits to
see Guns and Roses, Mumford and Sons also played and
Lars came out to play with them. It's like Lars
and Mumford had it happened, so it was crazy.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
Yeah, and they had they didn't have such a good history.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
They had these this thing with the with the hetfield
being burned and and an excellent wanting on stage so
over here in Europe that completely destroyed the the the
arena and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
So it's good when when they I mean I understood right,
Yeah Loast got on the stage with guns and roses.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Yeah, that that's happened. Lars has been friends with them.
I think the big what we thought was animosity was
between Axel and James, but we saw at back to
the beginning, and Axel posted a picture of him talking
to James. So at least.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
They sat, didn't they.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
I'm sure they did. I mean, I don't think it was.
It wasn't either of their faults. It wasn't like Axel said,
cause a riot, and it wasn't like, oh the thing.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
With Axel is I I didn't know that for many years,
but I don't know where I read it where It
was not arrogance.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
He was nervous, Yes.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
He was nervous. He was fighting with being stage fright
and then gives this whole thing a completely different quality.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
It's much fun understandable, you know. I. I, that's a
very cool to hear you say that, because it's one
thing coming from a fan, but from a peer who's
been doing it for as long as he has. Yes,
that's exactly what I've heard from people who have worked
with him.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
And so when you look at it what he came,
you know, his family kind of stuff. There's a lot
of individual problems involved, you know, a lot of and
which gives the quality informance. You know, it's it's very
often like that that you have people who had like
some kind of like bad childhood, so something something that
(11:30):
is dramatic in their lives, and but it expresses in
the music that they do as some kind of It
gives it, It gives it intensity, it gives its soul,
it gives it pain even you know.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
You're just saying it. Everything you're saying, I agree with
him lockstep. And again, it's one thing coming from a fan,
but to hear it from a peer of his, someone
who was accomplished as you are, is it gives it
a whole other meaning because you know it, you live that,
you continue to live that life, so you completely get it.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
So when you get older, you tend to understand a
lot of things way more. You just understanding humans more
because you try to understand that people more out of
the circumstances, out of where they're coming from. You know,
this is more quality when you get older, you know
that you that you, that you, that you are more
able to understand and tolerate and be more understanding with others.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Brilliance. I love it, man, I can talk to you
all day. My goal, but I mean the fact that
I expect to good Ideah. I know this is the
Guns and Roses theme podcast, but I usually like leave
it toward the end, but you right away as a fan,
I don't want to leave you without even talking about Halloween.
So with all this knowledge, with all this you know,
insight and maturity, is this what you feel you brought
(12:49):
to this new uh Halloween record Giants and Monsters coming
out August twenty ninth or traditional, like, what was your
approach to making this album?
Speaker 1 (12:58):
It always just reflects where we are as band. Very simple,
and I had a pretty wild history of.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
The band too, you know, getting out of the band
in early ninety four and not being part of it
for over twenty years, not even wanting to have anything
to do, and then slowly getting back and then making
peace again with Wiki, who I had the most beef with,
and then slowly we got into doing this again, and
(13:28):
then this thing is even more successful than it ever
was before, which nobody expected.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
It's amazing. I mean, these are the stories only only
life can write, you know. But the album just reflects
where we are now as a band. I mean to
give you an idea. They wrote something like thirty songs
and we selected something like twenty to work with, and
(13:54):
then out of that the album came. But the next
one is already written, so to speak. Yeah, the band
is so creative. It's just it's just it was. It
was quite impressive for the material that came together, and
it was not difficult at all.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
It was like, that's good, that's what you want to hear,
because that's that comes to the music, and that's what
we got a little bit of a taste of with
This is Tokyo. The video a love letter right to Tokyo,
and I wish I could have I could say I've
been like my wife is a traveler. I'm sure I'll
end up going there someday. I'm a Herman travel.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
Pen is very different in a good way. I mean
they're hard on themselves, which is not so good. I
mean they read that way very tough working environments and
stuff like that. But as a visitor, it's just great.
They're just very trustworthy. Whatever they say they're going they
are going to do when when you tour there, it's
going to happen, you know, they're like they're very honest.
(14:55):
It's like, I don't know if that would happen in
New York. When you like when you're in a down
on a like an underground train situation and you lose
your wallet, wallet, usually it would be gone.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
In Japan, they bring it to you, sure I can.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
This is this is the difference in Japan is that
women can go jogging at nighttime on their own in
the park and nothing's gonna happen. Okay, nothing's gonna happen,
and if ever something happens is a nationwide scandal. Okay.
It's like, Japan is very different. It's totally totally worth
going there. It's like it's an experience.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
I recently just interviewed Kelly Schaeffer from Atheists, and he
was talking about some of the audiences over there, and
they're very respectful and they'll maybe like cross their arms
and they'll watch you, and they sometimes like they have
to wait for you to instruct them when to go
crazy into mash. That that's how.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
It used to be in the AKA. That's not how
it is anymore, at least for us, that's not I
mean I've been there with Unisonic, with Avantisia and with Halloween,
like in my second Spring phase, and it was wild.
I mean, it was really passionate. It used to be
exactly like you said, it used to be weird. It's
(16:20):
like we when we went there like in eighty seven,
it was really like that were listening to you. They
were sitting down, they were listening to the song. When
the song was over, there were clapping it. And when
you were talking it was silent, dead silent, and they
couldn't even stand up. There were security people making sure
that they don't stand up.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
Oh wow, it's not like it is anymore.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
I think it's a real rock show now. Maybe maybe
the person who told you that hasn't been there for a.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
While, okay maybe, or just like his experiences are different
because he's don't know.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
What kind of music they do, But but what we
do with Halloween or Unisonic or Avantasia. It was wild,
it was like and the energy was almost like South America.
I'm not kidding. It was like it has changed big
time compared to the eighties.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
So I guess comparing the eighties into today, I can't
believe the eighties. It just sounds it's got every day
goes further and further away the good old eighties. Forty
years of Halloween. Does that even dawn on you that
it's been I know you've been in and out of
the band, but the fact that this is this entity
one of the coolest names in rock by the way, forever.
(17:28):
You know, obviously I love guns and Roses the name,
but Halloween so simplistic, so obvious, and so brilliant. But
forty it's funny.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
That you say that, because like when the I mean,
I wasn't there when the band, right, who's the name?
That was before my time? And they changed the A
to the E. Not so much for hell, more for
being different to the movie, you know, and and and
and there were two other Halloween bands. There's one in
Detroit and there was another one in Italy. So that
(17:57):
we were different. They choose to e okay. But the
thing I remember that there was a festival we played
in the eighties and Gene Simmons said that we will
never be successful with that name because for an American
it's like you call yourself Christmas. You know, it's like
it's it's a holiday. But by the time the band
(18:20):
chose this name, the Halloween holiday that you got in
America didn't exist in Europe. Nobody knew what it was.
So it was kind of cool for a German band
to sound like this. Now people know people people, it
happens here now as well, Trick or treat and all
that stuff. You know, it coumed over, but it worked.
(18:40):
We made it cool, you know what I mean, that's
the thing, naked cool. I mean, there's a band called
Frankie Ghost to Hollywood.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Come on, I don't know if they're still around, but yeah, yeah, yeah,
I don't know either.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
I don't know either, but but you.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
Guys are, and you know what. That's it ties in
the whole conversation a bit. When we started, we talked
about Donnington and some of the bands that played, and
now we're talking about forty years of playing Damie Stayin
just announced the negative their retirement, their farewell album and tour,
you know, just because they played Donnington as well. Just
curious of a your reaction and is that something that
(19:16):
you could ever foresee for yourself or Halloween is a retirement.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
It depends on how things are going, you know. I'm
I'm still I mean, I started quite young, you know,
we were like the later generation. I mean, Iron Maiden
was already big and touring when I was still in school.
I think I'm about ten years younger than than Bruce
or something like that. So we got a bit more
air coming to the to the granny age. But it's
(19:43):
gonna come. I think it depends on if you feel
like you can still do it. If you can my
voice still fine, you know, and as long as I
can pull it off and I enjoy it and we
don't overdo it, And honestly, we just don't overdo it.
We have. We just took two years off. We didn't.
(20:05):
We had the last show in twenty three, November twenty
three in Mexico basketball and we play again in October
doing the European tour. So we're not killing ourselves. We're
not overdoing it and it keeps it fresh, keeps it exciting,
you know what I mean. And I think we're going
to continue like that. We just don't tour ourselves to death.
We just do what's fun and keep mentally intact. We
(20:28):
just we just don't want to burn out, you know,
So I didn't. I mean, over twenty years not being
in the band. It's quite a long time, you know.
It's like I did like seven years or eight years
or something like that, and then was over twenty years
out and now it's eight years since their union. But
we had a pandemic that caught off three years. We
(20:49):
took two years off, so it's like really like three
or four years that we have been active. You know.
We toured at the end of twenty seventeen and eighteen.
Then in nineteen we wanted to make the record, but
we jumped because we've been asked by this was it
the Scorpions, I don't remember it was. It was when
Dave got sick from Megadeth. We're asked if we wanted
(21:12):
to jump on the tour. I know, I know it
was white snake and probably the scorpion. It was a
white snake, the purple I think it was I think
it was yeah, yeah, and we jumped in this in
the slot that that Megadath was supposed to do. So
that was the only thing we did in twenty nineteen.
(21:34):
Then you had the pandemic. Then we toured a little
bit in twenty two and twenty three and that's it.
So it's not an overkill or anything like that. And
for me, I didn't. I mean I did the least
amount of touring of anyone in this band, you know.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
Yeah, so you don't have as much mileage. I guess
as the forty years may may seem, what do you
do as far as keeping it other than resting.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
I joined the band right, you know, they started in
I think eighty four. Yes, I got active with them.
I joined the man in eighty six and we started
touring eighty seven. So it's like to me, it's more fresh.
It's like the Waiki Kai markus. They're the ones who
have been there from the beginning.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
Sure, but you are an integral part of the story,
you know, whether you're there from the beginning or not.
I mean that that that record, that first record you
made with them is again that.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Was the biggest, biggest success. That's true. I mean it
jumped from one hundred thousand to a few million.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
And it was like with with the Keeper with yeah,
so I know you weren't there from the beginning, but
don't diminish your role. Certainly.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
It was a bit like with Iron Maiden, you know
when they when they started with Paul Dano and when
Bruce joined the clop, that's when they really got big.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
That's sometimes what it takes. And this is where we're
at with giants and monsters coming out on the on
the twenty nine. So cool. Just one last question I
want to ask because I had battling some throat issues myself.
Other than rest, what do you do to take care
of your throat? Your voice?
Speaker 1 (23:06):
Nothing?
Speaker 2 (23:06):
Nothing, okay.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
The thing is just you just have to watch yourself
in a way that you don't overdo things or you
don't stress out your voice. That's what I'm always saying,
is like when you when you when you rehearse with
your band, for instance, and I rehearsed like maybe two
three hours, you should still be able afterwards to talk
and sound normal. Then you're doing okay. It shouldn't hurt
(23:33):
and you should you should figure out a way to
do it. That it doesn't violate your voice, it doesn't
hurt your voice, and then you should be fine. I mean,
I don't even have to warm up much anymore. I
used to do that when we started again, like in
twenty ten, when I first started again, to even go
on a stage and do this again, I was warming
(23:53):
up like for an hour before I don't. I figured
I don't need it. You know, I sing one Elvis
tune said.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
You know in the night, what Elvis tune is your
is your go to?
Speaker 1 (24:05):
I mean for warming up the stuff like can't help
falling in love or you know, Patrick patrick On. All
that stuff is great to warm up the voices. I mean,
I have a whole bunch of songs that I love
to sing the warm up.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Hey, got cha, that's my Harrison. Harrison. Do you want
to say hi to help Michael from Halloween?
Speaker 1 (24:27):
From here? Buddy? He said, He's got.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
Sae Hi, Michael rock On. I like Halloween.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
She looks uses the microphone is if she if she's
looking like I don't want the stuff. You look at the.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
Stars, telescope or periscope about the way he he just
has a long he's long hair.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
Okay, she's he's metal.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
Yes, he's a rock and roll baby. He was born
with a mohawk and we just haven't caught it since exactly.
All right, So I think he's telling me to go
the hair because he's digging the microphone. Michael. I mean
this really was a.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
He's looking into it and what is what does he see?
What do you see?
Speaker 2 (25:15):
This isn't a kaleidoscope, buddy, what do you see? Okay,
one day he's going to be my co host when
he can talk. See, I need to use this microphone.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
You know what the microphone is. It's a it's an
actual voice.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Do you see your voice over there?
Speaker 1 (25:31):
An actual voice? Ari twenty right? Yeah? Is it?
Speaker 2 (25:35):
Yes? It is all right? Say bye, say Michael, thank
you so much for your time. I hope we get
to do this again.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
She once meant slash too. It wasn't a station just
to brief high how you do it and stuff. It
was actually when Ozzie did Ozzy and Friends. Okay, it
was and you the Sonic was playing there and we
were we were just asking the management of AUSI if
we can and watched the show. We got like passes
so that we were able to watch the show. From
the side of the stage. So that was my experience
(26:06):
with Ozzie that it was like really unproblematic.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
Yeah mm hmm, yeah, that Ausie and Friends thing. Yeah,
that's special and that's cool. I appreciate that. I appreciate
your your guns and Roses stories talking about Donnington and
just talking about the history of Halloween. And I hope
you don't stop, man, because I mentioned Mega Death and
and Whitesnake and a lot of these bands are ending,
you know, so keep doing it.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
Has announced his retirement.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
What biggas did? Maybe did that happen just today?
Speaker 1 (26:35):
Yeah? He I mean, unless it's it's a hoax, unless
it's not true. But I announced that he is gonna
is going to retire. I think like a farewell to
the next year or something.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
See, we're all we're losing our legends, man, So sticking
around as long as you can, Michael, We'll try. So
that does it for this episode of Appetite for the
Stortion one. Will you see the next one? In the
words of Axl Rose concerning Chinese the mock Prist, I
don't know how soon as the word, but you'll see it. Bye,
Harris soon.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
Thanks to the Lame Mass security, I'm going home
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.