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THE ARCHIVES
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Morrigan's Pit has closed down as of November 2006. The site and its articles will stay online as an archive until September at least, but probably longer.
The Archives
2002-2006
» CD REVIEWS
» INTERVIEWS
» LIVE REVIEWS
» SPECIALS
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DORO
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March 2006
http://www.doropesch.com
Back in 1984 I was a big fan of Warlock, after I saw them at the Dynamo club. Nico even was one of the fanclub leaders back in the 80s. The young Dorothée Pesch impressed everybody with the powerful voice and good looks. The band was pretty successful, but the music as well as their looks became more commercial. Because of business issues they disbanded and Doro went on under her own name. Several albums followed, some a bit experimental, and I never really cared for them. Seeing her live on festivals made me realize that she's still going strong 20 years later and I got curious to hear new material. I'm happy to say that "Warrior Soul" has a more basic rock feel again and recently I had the pleasure to sit down with the always enthusiastic Doro and talk about her new album.
Congratulations on your new album! I love "Warrior Soul", but I don't know the previous albums so well, I was more the Warlock fan that wasn't into the newer material as much. How have the reactions been so far?
Ah they have been really positive, people like it that it's more traditional, more back to the roots. Yesterday we played the record for the very first time for the fans, which is always the most important thing. It went really well, everybody was already singing along, or trying to, as they didn't know the lyrics yet, great atmosphere! Review-wise we got good reactions in the magazines, everybody has their own taste, but they were more positive than for the last 5 records I'd say.
How does this one compare to your previous records?
This one is the first one that is absolutely hand-made, there are no electronical sounds. Some fans had a hard time getting used to the electronical or modern sounds, now it's more me like in the old days. One record was very industrial, "Love Me In Black", which I absolutely love, but it was very different. The "Machine II Machine" record was very industrial too, in '95, but metal wasn't popular at ALL. I was just having a great time experimenting with all kinds of sounds, but the fans like good songs, heavy songs more, Marshall amps on 10, you know ;) In the last years I went back to the roots more and more, "Fight" was a combination, this one is more like the "Force Majeure" or "Triumph And Agony" records. When I write songs I just start and write intuitively, I don't plan how it should sound. I just let it flow and it sounded more metal and raw, it just came out like that.
"Ungebrochen" sounds like a punksong, is that a cover?
No it's for a German TV metal show, Ungebrochen Metal (Unbroken Metal). They asked if I could do a melody for them, 10-20 seconds, and then so many people asked me to make a real song out of it. So we went to the studio, just rocking and having fun :)
"Shine On" is about someone who passed away...
Yeah, that was for Andy (aka Henner), the record boss of AFM who got killed in a car accident last year. He was such a great guy and sweet person, he was actually the reason we signed to AFM. Great attitude, he would develop a band, believe in a band. We had a great working relationship, he was very much into the last record, the "Classic Diamonds" with the symphonic orchestra. He was very creative and open minded, great friend. Then he had that car accident and we couldn't believe it. We didn't know if his young girlfriend - and they had two little children too - would be able to keep the company going, but with everybody together, and some new people in the company, it worked out well. So we had to do a song for Henner and it was very important that it would make it on the album.
Are there other specific things in the lyrics? "You're My Family" is for the fans, right?
Yes for the fans, it's about how much it means to me to be a part of this heavy metal family, we have a common ground with the music. I feel closer to the fans than to my close friends, there was a good chemistry from day one. "When I'm out there on my own, I don't have to face it all alone, 'cause I know you're my family". When metal wasn't popular I was still able to do this, I could always rely on my fanbase and I love the fans! I don't have a family of my own, I have nothing but the fans and the music.
And there is one song, not on the promo, but on the limited edition, called "1999" - it's a political song, very sensitive. It's one of my favorite songs, but it's heavy and depressing, that's why it's a bonus track.
Yesterday at the release party in Bochum you played a few songs live?
One hour! At first 6 songs acoustic, plus 5 songs: "All We Are", "Breaking The Law" and then some from the new record. "Thunderspell", "Haunted Heart", "Strangers Yesterday", "You're My Family"... the fans were already singing along, it was super! We did "In Liebe Und Freundschaft", "Warrior Soul" and a few more acoustic.
Are you playing on the other release parties too?
Well it's just the CD playing, but I like to do acoustic sets, so I will see if my guitarplayer can come from the States, mmm yeah I think we will do it ;))
You'll be going on tour with Sonata Arctica...
I'm very much looking forward to that, many gigs are already sold out, which has never happened before! It shows that metal is still there. We'll go to some new countries for the first time, in South America: Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Guantamala! That sounds exciting! Last year we did a festival in Turkey for the first time and there were like 20 fans in the front, their heart and soul was so into it and they were having so much fun. Then someone somehow came backstage and we made pics and stuff. I asked where they were from and they were from Iran, Teheran... that was awesome, because they told us that it was difficult and dangerous to get to the festival! When I told the band (and they are Americans) that these fans in the front were from Iran, they said "we could've been shot!" and I say "no, you couldn't, we are at a festival, they are heavy metal fans". They said I was right, it's such a shame with all the politics.
Are there any plans to go to the States?
In September we may hop on a big tour, but it's not confirmed yet.
You hardly had any line-up changes in the past decade or so, how do you manage that? Where does everybody live, how do you organize things, rehearsals and stuff.
I have two... not really homes, home is the tourbus, but we have two home bases, which is in New York and Düsseldorf. I have a nice appartment in Long Beach, NY now. It depends where we start touring, then we'll rehearse there. Last year we did some summer festivals, then went into the studio, after that I had some months for promotion etc. and everybody went back to... actually nobody really had a steady home you know, everybody is divorced etc. Even when you have a home, after the tour relationships, hmmm..., can go wrong and you have to find a new home ;)
How do you write as a band?
I make demos of my ideas and then I go to Gary Scruggs in Nashville, who I love, I've known him since 1991. He's gentle and with certain things I can only talk to him. I show him my demos, we finish things together and it has a different quality. When I have up to 10 songs I feel really good about, I can write with everybody else and have fun and relax. "Creep Into My Brain" came out of a jam session; some songs I write alone of with my guitar player. But I like to start with the words and the melody and then put the music around it. I keep changing my mind about lyrics, I think they are super important. I like sensitive and deep lyrics, although some are just fun. "In Liebe And Freundschaft" ("In Love And Friendship") I wrote when I was on my father's grave and I was planting flowers with my mom. Suddenly I got this idea, the melody and everything, I sang it on my little cellphone, and at night I finished the song. It was such an emotional moment, every line was written with many many tears. I thought if I felt it so strong, maybe someone else who had gone through something could feel it too. A song comes out when you least expect it ;)
You recently participated in a movie, "Anuk - The Path Of The Warrior".
Yeah it will be released in October, November, it was my first movie and it was a great experience. I was shocked that it was such physically hard work. It was 10 degrees below zero up in the mountains in Switzerland. You know the documentaries about bootcamps for teenagers in America - I felt exactly like that! (laughter) It was cold and on the first day we started at 5am. I had to go on a lake with some of my brothers in the movie, I said "is it really going to hold 4 people?". "Yeah sure" they said, but when the 4th guy came in the boat we went down, we were almost drowning because of the heavy costumes and that on my first day. There was no towel, nothing to warm up to and everybody thought I wanted to go home, but I said "no no!". I was on the set for 3 weeks and afterwards I thought "you can always try harder, do better". Then the record came and it took a different direction. I really liked the people in Switzerland so much, not depressed and shit like the Germans here every day. I moved the production from Germany to Switzerland, I did all my vocals and some more songs there. The director, Luke Gasser, is also a musician and he was very supportive. We finished the record in Switzerland and got it mixed in Germany, Switzerland and New York.
Did you write the song "Warrior Soul" for the movie?
Yes, before we were filming, about a year ago. I loved it and I wrote the lyrics for the main character Anuk (I play a part, her name is Meha, a hunter with bow and arrow, who becomes a fighter), there is a lot of soul in it. It's a little like "The 13th Warrior". It's an independent movie, so at the moment they're just trying to get it distributed well. In the video for "Warrior Soul" about 8% are scenes from the movie and it's on the limited edition. There is a trailer of the movie on both, the normal CD and the limited.
You support the PETA campaign and I just recently learned that your stage clothing isn't made of leather at all.
No, it's not. (grabs in her bag for a top to show me the fabric) See, it looks just like it, it's synthetic, you can see it when you look at the inside. In the beginning when we started to use stage clothing, we looked at new materials and fake leather, this is so comfortable and you can put it in the washing machine. A couple of years ago, for the "Classic Diamonds" record, the idea was to do a benefit concert with the symphonic orchestra for an organisation in Germany called Animal In Need, to collect money for an ambulance where people can let them treat their pet and get operations etc. all for free. And a couple of weeks ago we got to know the PETA people, they are pretty hardcore which I think is really great. They check on a lot of things and I found out some much stuff animals get abused for, fashion and cosmetics. I told them I didn't know all the things, but I was always against fur, I would rather go naked than to dress in fur. They explained they check into all kind of things. I told them I don't wear leather anymore and asked if I could do more. They said yeah, at least make people aware of alternatives and then they can check out the website (www.peta.de) and learn more about the "Say No To Leather" campaign.
How do you look back on your fantastic 20th anniversary show?
One of the greatest shows we ever did and I was shocked that so many people came, we expected like 2500 maximum and I think in the end there were almost 6000 people, which was awesome! And then all my friends came and a lot of musicians all for free, Lemmy, Blaze etc. We never played this long ever, 3 hours. The next show, the next day, I was so exhausted ;) but it was worth it, it was very special. Maybe I want to do it again on the 25th anniversary which is already in two years or so, hehe.
And it was the first time you performed with the Warlock guys again...
Yeah, after 16 years!
... but you also got involved in lawsuits again about the name?
The reason we had to quit the Warlock thing in 1989 was that our manager, Pezi, stole our name. We were on tour with Dio and he quit the job, took all our money and our stuff... and well, not doing right by the band, let's put it that way, hehe. A couple of months later he claimed he was the owner of the name. It was supposed to be registered on my name and the guitarist's name and more in the band, but he had only registered it in his name. I couldn't believe it and I thought the judge would give it back to the band, but he said no, even when I said Pezi took a huge amount of merchandise money. Then it started again many years later, at the Wacken show - the anniversary was the first show together, then we did it again at the 15th anniversary of Wacken. Two weeks before the show we were forced to change the name to Warlock 1986 and afterwards it just went on. One judge ruled in our favour, then the other party went a step higher, it's still going on.
You played with so many great musicians, do you have any favorites, or favorite moments?
Everyone was extremely special. In 1990 I worked with Gene Simmons and I was a big Kiss fan, so every time I went to see him, my knees were shaking, haha! It was incredible, he was a great producer. Gene was a teacher before, he had this awesome way of teaching you stuff and I learned so much. With Lemmy it was the first time I did a duet, that was great too, it was just when my father died and it was the hardest day in my life. Then the phone rang and at first I didn't even want to pick it up, but I saw it was an LA number, I picked it up and it was Lemmy. I wrote him a letter months before that, and he said "hey it's Lemmy, let's do something together". I told him my father had just passed away and I didn't know what to do, and he said it's important to get a change of scenery. I went to LA and meant to stay 2, 3 days, but stayed for 2,5 weeks! He was an angel to me at that time, because it was really rough on me.
Is there still someone you want to work with?
It was already so cool with everybody, Lemmy and with Udo Dirkschneider, we did "Breaking The Law" together. And Peter Steele, he was a great guy too, so I was always collaborating with somebody I liked, it gives the record a special highlight and it was always fun. When you get along, you work together well, you become friends and you feel the friendship would last a long time. But who I still would want to work with.. maybe Ronnie James Dio, one of my favorite singers, David Coverdale I always admired, James Hetfield I've always been a big fan of, Rob Halford, many many people still out there! (laughter)
Any last words for the fans?
I want to thank them for all the years of love and loyalty, I couldn't have done it if I wouldn't know deep in my heart they are there for me. They always gave me motivation and inspiration and that's why I do it, I want to make them happy. I hope they like the new record, I put a lot of heart into it and live will be even better, doing it together. I'll always give 120% for them!
submitted by Marlies 10.05.2006
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