GAMMA RAY

I think this was the interview I was most eagerly looking for and the two Germans didn’t let me down one bit: Kay Hansen is the funniest, sweetest, down to earth guy ever, and Henjo Richter is an extremely nice person too. Here it goes…

Metalfan: After many years you decided it was time to release the second part of Land of the Free; why do you think that moment came then?
Hansen: It was not really a plan first. We just wanted to do a new album, we talked about the musical direction to give ourselves a certain frame to work in, we all agreed on certain points and we came up with the name “land of the free” many times. Like Land of the Free, melodious and powerful, a bit more orchestration and stuff, so finally we said: alright, why not, let’s try then to write Land of the Free II musical-wise, and if we think we succeed with it…
Richter: One reason for it was because Majestic, the album before, was for the press and for the fans a little kind of dark chapter of Gamma Ray, so we decided to do something more positive again. That was the first point. Then we thought: like Land of the Free.

Metalfan: How did the fans react to this part two?
Hansen: Pretty good so far. We didn’t get too many complains, actually none. As far as I know nobody complained and said that this album sucks.

Metalfan: How was it on tour with Helloween?
Hansen: It was awesome! It was real fun, it was great, and it was like a big family on the road.

Metalfan: I saw you playing together at the end of their show on Future World. How was it to be on stage with them and have fun actually?
Hansen: Absolutely, sure, the first times we did it on festivals was kind of a strange feeling, a bit nostalgic as well and so on, but even though it was only Markus and Weiki as the original members that I rejoined with on stage. But on the other hand when we did the tour it was a welcome thing to go on tour with them and just be together at the end of the whole show.

Metalfan: Can you tell us about a few situations that were special during this tour?
Hansen: I guess most everything was special.
Richter: Too much…
Hansen: I can’t come up with something, it was so many things happening and so many funny things because both bands’ people have the same kind of humor, we’re the same idiots. So it was always room for funning around and making jokes and all that.

Metalfan: How do you usually prepare a concert?
Hansen: Prepare for a concert? Get very drunk the night before.
Richter: On the next day thinking: shit, I should not drink so much! And over the day try to…
Hansen: … recover. Now seriously we don’t have any recipe. Sometimes we feel like hanging around at the hotel room and just sleep and relax before the show and do nothing, sometimes sit there and play the guitar, sometimes we walk around in the city and whatever, there’s no fixed ritual.

Metalfan: For tonight show, considering this is the first time you play in Romania, do you have some special surprises for us?
Hansen: We definitely have some special songs that we usually did not play on the regular shows, play a little longer and let’s see how it goes down.

Metalfan: Are you excited?
Richter: Always.
Hansen: Always.

Metalfan: Do you have some expectations of it?
Hansen: I’d rather keep my expectations low, because if you put them too high then you get disappointed maybe, so we just walk out there, play our thing and hope that the people have fun with it.

Metalfan: Kai, how would you describe yourself as a guitar player and what would you improve in your guitar-ship?
Hansen: I’m definitely not a technician; I’m more form the heart guitar player. I never got into this kind of Malmsteen or Overkill guitar playing. I picked up influences from everything that’s good and transform them into something is my expression of playing guitar.

Metalfan: You worked with two of the most appreciated singers in metal scene, Kiske and Scheepers, and after all that you returned to the microphone yourself. What did you appreciate most of those two and did they influence you, did you learn from them?
Hansen: Learn – I would not really say, or influence…
Richter: How not to do things… (laughs). No, of course not, I’m joking.
Hansen: I think I’m pretty different from those two. We are all different singers in style; of course there are some similarities, that’s for sure, but I never thought about it actually. I just sing the way I do as it comes out so there’s nothing really to say about it.

Metalfan: What else besides music do you do in your lives?
Hansen: Hang around. (laughts) Meet with friends, go out.

Metalfan: If you had to stop playing music, what would you do?
Hansen: I would try to make some inventions, I always have some good ides for some useful things and I’d try to make them real.
Richter: I don’t want to think about it… Maybe do something different, but in the music business.

Metalfan: Do you have some messages for the fans here?
Hansen: Yes, sure. First of all sorry for the show on Hellish Tour was cancelled; we don’t even know really why, but we felt very sorry when we heard that. Second, thanks for supporting us, enjoying our music. And third thanks for coming tonight.

Metalfan: Thank you very much. Have a nice show tonight and have fun on stage.
Hansen: Thank you. Yes, we will.