Interview with Edguy (Tobias Sammett)

Recently Edguy has been touring North America and during this tour we had the opportunity to catch up via Email with Tobias Sammett, the mastermind and front man of the band. Tobias answered the interview probably in a guiness record time and here is what he has to say about the tour, the band's musical evolution, his future projects and his dreams of riding a white hamster over the crowds head.

Edguy has been around for almost 17 years, did you expect this journey to take your music and the band all over the world? Has there been anytime were you feel that you could leave it all behind and live a life outside of the spotlight? Did you ever imagined that Edguy would go as far as it is now?

Yes, I guess so. It may sound cocky, but if you don't believe in what you do yourself, then you can not expect any one else to believe in what you're doing. It was always this devotion, even at age 14 I told people that I will get a record deal, and I will not start a proper job or go to university. The less options, the less distractions. We all threw away potentially good 9 to 5 careers, as we were not completely stupid. I just saw anything else being a distraction. And I remember Blackie Lawless saying: If you feel you have to make it, you will make it! That became my credo. Never lose sight of your goals, if you desperately want something you're gonna get it, if you work hard. That being said, I wanted to become as big as the Rolling Stones, that didn't really work and I start to believe that there might be a theoretical chance that we will never be that big, haha.

After “Hellfire Club” the musical style of the band has changed, and some critics have been hammering the newer releases, why do you think you guys needed to make that switch? Any regrets in doing so?

I don't think we made a switch, I think we explored new territory. We've always done that, nobody mentioned new aspects in our music in our earlier days, cause we were not so big and nobody seemed to care. I don't have any regret about anything. Life is a roller coaster, we released Tinnitus Sanctus and some people flicked the bird, some others love it. At the end of the day it doesn't really count if you sell 20.000 records more or less or if you sell a few tickets more or less. I wanna be happy with what I do. Back when we started out, I became a musician cause I wanted to play what I believe in, not the music I thought some audience in particular would dig or buy. That's what you hope for, but that can not be the driving force. I will do almost everything to sell my music after it has been finished, but the artistic part is exclusively based on gut feeling and belief And that will never change. If a critic hammers what we do, go on. Hammer... Heavy Metal is not supposed to conform with the opinion of a critic, most critics don't know about music anyway, if they did they'd start a band and do it way better than I do...

“Tinnitus Sanctus” has a more compact, modern rock style to it, what where the main ideas lingering in your mind before making the album? Will future releases continue down this path?

I don't really know. I guess the biggest part of songwriting happens subconsciously. You do not make decisions to change or not to change. You write music. All I felt was that I wanted to break out of the run-of-the-mill Blueprint production thing once more. We always tried to do that and dare to do things slightly different. Usually all kinds of Metal bands playing traditional Euro Power Metal as some people would call it have a typical HOW-TO-DO blueprint. Certain things are allowed, certain things aren't. We didn't wanna care. So I think our songs are pretty typical Edguy tunes, Speedhoven, Pride Of Creation, Ministry Of Saints, you name it. We just wanted it to actually sound real, sound down to earth. In Heavy Metal most of the time drums have a certain sound, it sounds like a drum computer and I guess a lot of those Metal drums out there in your record collection ARE drum computers. Everything has to be clinical, the guitars play fast stakkato riffs, pretty exact, pretty artificial. Now, we have one of the best drummers in this band, why not make it sound like a real drumkit, with human touch. We did the same with the guitars and I tried not to sound like a female opera singer, I wanted to sound authentic. We gave the songs what they needed to sound fresh. I don't make plans as to where we will head next time, but I guess we are on a good way. We just have to educate some of the listeners, haha. Seriously, in this Metal scene people always expect albums being created on the drawing table, everything has to be done a certain way to fulfill people's listening habits. Gimme a break, how UNMETAL is THAT?

Having toured the majority of 2009, are you guys ready to head back to the studio and record a new Edguy album? Are there any songs or lyrics written?

No, I got some ideas, but at first I will finish my forthcoming Avantasia album. I got some pretty cool guests on that one, Eric of KISS is drumming again, Klaus of the Scorpions is singing, Ripper Owens of Priest, Michael Kiske of ex-Helloween. It's tons of work as this is the most ambitious piece of music I have ever worked on, the concept, the music. It's very much work!

Recently Edguy released “Fucking with Fire” a live DVD/CD. Why did you select the São Paulo, Brazil show to record this DVD? Was the band nervous about making mistakes or anything similar things since the show was being recorded?

We knew we could rely on our Brazilian fans, they are always a sure shot when it comes to putting some life into a party. But, I have to say, we have a good connection to that city, our worldwide booking agency have their second office in Sao Paulo, that makes it easier to set things up. We could have done it anywhere else of course, but then you would have asked: “Why did you choose Canada for your DVD?” Or Paris... Or whatever, haha. Usually you are not so nervous because if you screw up you do it somewhere else again, and being 50 shows into the tour, you pretty much got your shit together. One funny thing that happened was that we had to start the show twice, cause during the second song the producer called me to the side of the stage and told me they missed the beginning of the show because we were so sharp on time. Well, in that case the Brazilian and the German culture didn't really match.

Being one of the best vocalists in Metal do you ever have nightmares about one day loosing your voice and not being able to perform?

Thanks for the compliment. Well, it happens. If you are a singer that can always happen. We had to postpone two shows earlier the year. You just have to accept the fact that you are a human being, you can get sick. And what is a simple cough for a plumber is a real nightmare for a singer. Most of the time I go on stage anyway, cause most fans are so cool, they bear with me and for them a hoarse singer fucking well beats a cancellation. When the voice is gone you gotta dance twice as hard and simply make sure you got a couple of jokes up your sleeve... Distraction is the key of illusionist...

Besides Edguy you have Avantasia and you are in the process of selecting musicians for the new album, can you tell us anything about this album (any hints on more guest musicians, dates, etc)?

Well, there are some more, but I can't speak about more names yet. Be sure, the album will be a blast. We got many songs and they are all good, no fillers. I started working on that album along with the Scarecrow, so I kind of started in 2006. The music market is on its way down, in a few years I don't know if a physical CD will generate enough money to spend a fortune on a production, so I have the feeling that I have to make a real big statement with this album, as this may be the last album I can put so much into, monetary wise but also emotionally. That's why I don't rush, I wanna make a big statement and then sit back and let time tell if I will ever do it again.

Are there any other musicians out there that you would be interested in doing a side project with? Or are there any other projects where you appear being released in the next few months?

I did a track for Bruce Kulick, who people may remember from KISS. Eric Singer is playing on it too. It's for Bruce's solo album, Gene Simmons is on there, one guy from Toto, great stuff. Then I'll do a guest track for Olli Hartmann, the guitar player of Avantasia live. One day I'd love to work with Brian May or Paul Stanley, on the other hand. I have been working with some of the biggest Rock musicians I could have dreamed of, so there are no real big wishes unfulfilled.

You are currently on a North American tour featuring Luna Mortis and Epicurean. How are people reacting to the different styles presented by this tour? Has Edguy managed to convert any of the fans of the other bands that did not liked Edguy before seen you guys live?

Our fans over here are pretty open minded which I really love. I am not sure if we converted some of their fans, at least nobody was throwing shit onstage, haha.

Any particular places/shows that have been really special for the band (and why)?

I really love Boston, the place was small, but they were so great. And not to forget about our whaling trip, haha. Nugent would have been proud of us. You can read about that on my personal website www.tobiassammet.com

If you had unlimited resources for a stage layout and props, what would you pick to use with Edguy and why?

I'd take ACDCs last show, simply because it was great. On the other hand, then people would say: Oh, they stole that from AC/DC... Maybe a LED-screen would do, so people can see me a little better. I wanna be seen. Maybe I'd also have that giant inflatable Tobi elevating over the crowd. I don't know... What I really would love to have is the Hamster ride. Riding on a white Hamster with red eyes, flying over the heads of the crowd. Yes, I think people would love the hamster. It would become our Maiden-Eddie, or just like Saxon's eagle, or WASPs rack. There would be a buzz about it in a couple of decades. Kids will go: “Hey, let's go see Edguy in the orginal line-up, they have disintered their bassplayer, their singer has got a new wig and... THEY BROUGHT THE HAMSTER!!!”

Lastly, what do you think about all the younger kids playing guitar hero and similar games instead of learning how to play actual instruments? Do you think this type of games are beneficial or not to kids? How about yourself, do you, or any of the band members play any of these games while on the tour bus?

To be honest with you, I don't have a clue. I have no opinion about that. It's certainly better than playing 3D ego shooters... If they get interested in real instruments then, cool! If not, well... Still better than doing other stupid things... But I am not a child psychologist. Thank god. Better for the future of mankind!

Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions and good luck with the rest of the tour!

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