OK, pogledaj intervju sa Tobijem koji je trebao izaci u jednim dnevnim novinama tokom juna, oko Castle Festivala.
1. Since this is an interview for the daily newspaper, for the beginning, could you please introduce your Avantasia project to our readers? How did you made it and what does it represent in your career?
Avantasia is an ambitious Heavy Metal project that I started some years ago. It was designed to invite fellow musicians and idols of mine to rock together and fullfil my musical dreams outside of my main band Edguy. It's kind of a musical but the difference is that Avantasia has real songs and not so much acting and little instrumental interludes. If you listen to the most recent album "The Scarecrow" you will find eleven songs that span from classic Rock over symphonic elements to classic Heavy Metal. Many different singers like Alice Cooper, Michael Kiske or Jorn Lande sing the different characters, me too of course, haha. It's hard to describe as this is not a real Rock Opera, it works as a classic Metal album too. And I am sure it will work on stage as well, we will not have all the singers from the album, but we'll have some terriffic vocalists like Jorn Lande, André Matos and some more. And I guess on stage we'll show that this is more than just an ordinary Rock Opera. It's gonna be an epic, bombastic, theatrical giant Rock show.
2. It has already passed 2 months since Avantasia's new album – The Scarecrow hit the stores. Judging by the sale's figures, fan and crytic's reactions, album is really making a great success all over the world. It can be said that it's a real hit in metal music, this year.
What's your view on this question, and could you describe The Scarecrow in your own words?
It's more than just a Metal album. I have done "just Metal" for so long, after a while in the business you realize, that a lot of bands do what they do just because they are afraid. Afraid of reaching new territory, afraid of shocking and losing fans, afraid of stripping off clichees and jumping into cold water. With the Scarecrow I have ignored that. I have done whatever I felt because that's the ultimate spirit of Rock music: To do what you like and go where your heart is and not being afraid of some asshole critic or that fat guy in your record company who may cut your promotional budget into half because you include a little ballad or a weird song, haha. I am speaking of mentally fat people, not physically of course. I have just ignored the rules, there are no rules in Rock music. I think the success shows that you can set off to check out new horizons if you are true to your heart. I never forgot where I came from but I won't let anyone stop me from writing a good softer Rock song and in the next moment a real Heavy Metal tune. It's that freedom that keeps it exciting. In the Metal scene here in Germany a lot of people seem to have that complex that if something is not fast enough they say it sounds like Bon Jovi or Meat Loaf, and Bon Jovi and Meat Loaf seem to be swear-words amongst the more ignorant Metalheads. To me there has always been just good Rock and bad Rock. When I was a kid I loved Bon Jovi, Queen and Metal Loaf as much as I loved Iron Maiden, Van Halen or Helloween. And that reflects on the Scarecrow
3. On the last 2 Avantasia albums you've had some really impressive guests such as Kai Hansen, Michael Kiske, Eric Singer, Andre Matos, Jorn Lande… This time you're cooperating even with Alice Cooper and Rudolf Schenker (Scorpions). How important are all those great names for the Avantasia?
Well, I cannot deny that it's great for a little boy from a little village in the middle of nowhere without Hollywood-teeth to work with those people, it's a dream come true, but not because they are Rockstars or movie stars or legends, but because they mean something to me personally. I was and to this day I am a big fan of those artists and it's the ultimate dream come true to be able to get those people for my album. And why am I a big fan of those people? Because they are great musicians and personalities. And that's the key why they fit so damn well on my album, because they are able to come up with a unique killer performance! That's more important than the names.
4. Do you think that Avantasia's live performances will put "the band" on some higher level? What are your expectations before the show in Serbia?
I don't think in terms of higher levels and lower levels. I think everyone of us has a couple of years to have fun on this beautiful planet. And I wanna seize my time. And I am damn sure that I will have fun, and I am really sure that we can put on something that has never been on a stage like that, that will have a huge impact on people as well and make people happy. It's an allstar project that has its own patina, its own life, own history. It's not that you put ten musicians on a stage that play Smoke on The Water, it's not a jam, it's a real show. We have our own songs. It's like a giant allstar band and that makes the difference. But as I said, no matter what's gonna happen, we will have fun and none of us will want to miss that summer afterwards. We're writing a great chapter for our diaries, and that's what matters to me.
5. For the end, could you give us a small secret by telling us who will definitley perform with you on stage J? Some short message for the fans in Serbia?
Well, there will be some people you may expect and some you won't. Jorn will be there, Sascha, André Matos, Amanda Somerville and a couple of others. You won't be disappointed, we'll be delivering the goods. It's my first time on stage in Serbia, I've been there before but only to shoot two music videos and the people were lovely, very friendly. And a few days ago you've voted for a Western orientated prime minister. That's lovely, I think Serbia may have a bright future lying ahead. Way better than Germany: German Rock fans will have to wait a lot longer than Serbia to see Avantasia live, haha. This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. So you better be there. I look so damn forward to meet my Serbian friends.
