Following the fantastic concert by Swiss rockers Krokus last month, music correspondent Michael Bugeja caught up with Marc Storace in between even more concert dates to find out if the Malta experience was as good for him as it was for us.
OK, first things first – let’s face it, the Krokus gig was undeniably nothing short of electric! A crisp mesh of high-pitched vocals and tight, pummelling guitar music delivered in the time-honoured tradition of rock ‘n roll, their live set highlighted much of the band’s most recent album, Hellraiser, but to the delight of all present, it also featured some of their most famous and successful hits. Given the sizeable attendance – a mixture of local and foreign fans – at the Old Power Station in Valletta, Marc Storace’s home visit was never going to be anything but special.
Thanks to the initiative by Classic Rock Promotions and the support of several sponsors, Marc’s dream of performing in Malta with Krokus – and our dream of actually being present to witness and be a part of it – has now become reality. Long after the tinnitus has faded away, and the voice has recovered, what remains is a fantastic memory of a great night out. A celebration of uncomplicated rock ‘n’ roll made all the more special because it was fronted by one of our own – Malta’s first-ever international rock icon and an inspiration to many a Marsa or B’Kara garage metal band.
Q. So Marc, considering your hectic tour schedule, where are you right now and how are you doing?
MS: Well Michael, I’m actually back home in between gigs and looking forward to a quiet weekend with my family. After Malta we gave two concerts in Switzerland and in between phone and internet interviews I managed to attend Queen’s musical We Will Rock You twice! It’s an incredible show and just up my street. I’ve been a Queen fan ever since I toured with them through Germany with Tea in the early 70s. I even had the pleasure to very briefly say hello to Roger Taylor (drummer) and Brian May (guitarist). I highly recommend the musical to all Maltese rock fans.
Q. The concert in Malta was a blast. Given that you’ve wanted to bring the band over for a long time, what are your thoughts now that the mission is finally accomplished?
MS: I simply feel very grateful for having been so warmly received by my old fans and I’m also very pleased to see how with Krokus, I made many new ones. The whole build-up started two years ago when I first flew down to perform at the Charity Marathon in aid of the Eden Foundation at Simon’s Pub in Sliema. Following that hearty response, I was encouraged to repeat the charity performance the following year. One thing leads to another, and before leaving the island I had talked with Boys Next Door, who had backed both my performances, about the possibility of returning to perform with Krokus. So last May I received word from Colin (drummer) that the ball was in motion and slowly but surely… we finally made it happen. What took months to prepare was over in just one night, but what a great night to remember it was!
Q. Which was your best moment at the Malta concert?
MS: We started off our show as we have usually done during our tour so far. We started out in Scandinavia on 14 October this year, promoting our new album, Hellraiser. Of course, the audience in Malta was more than primed after having had to wait 25 years to actually see Krokus, so the reaction was explosive from the word go. Later into the show, I finally stepped out of our routine and started out to say a few words to my people in our native tongue and bang! One could have sworn we had just scored a goal. Their reaction was amazingly emotional and quite overpowering.
Q. It felt like quite an emotional moment when you were onstage singing Alexandra with Boys Next Door. Did you expect such an overwhelming response from the audience?
MS: I was kind of hoping for a good reaction to Alexandra since it was always very close to the Maltese hearts, but never on that grand emotional scale. It was hard for me to retain my emotions and keep on singing, especially when I noticed that some fans had tears running from their eyes, and what made it even worse for me was when I looked to the side of the stage and saw Peter Waelti, our ex-Tea manager, crying too. What beautiful moments…
Q. What did Tony, Stefan, Mandy and Dominique think of the gig and Malta in general?
MS: They found the Maltese audience to be awesome, and enjoyed every minute of their stay on the island. The only reason they left is because we had other concerts coming up, otherwise they wouldn’t have budged… but they’ll be back soon for sure.
Q. You’ve been spending enough time on the road with the guys. Who’s the loudest and/or craziest person in the tour bus? (P.S. My bet’s on Stefan!)
MS: You’re right, Stefan can get really loud at times! We usually sit in the front lounge of our Nightliner after a show and have a nightcap and a good laugh on the way to the next show, before turning in for some well-earned shut-eye.
Q. Compared to Rock The Block’s heavier slant, Hellraiser is more of a balance of AOR and heavy rock songs. Will the next Krokus album be similarly structured or is it all still a work-in-progress?
MS: At this point it’s still quite early to say which direction our next album will take, since we are mainly focused on our live shows and all that they entail. We still have a long way to go promoting Hellraiser since this is the first Krokus album to be released in so many countries so far.
Q. I think your version of American Woman is the best ever – it certainly used to go down well when I used to DJ at the old Rock Café. Is there any song you hold too “sacred” to cover?
MS: American Woman is still my personal favourite Krokus cover. I guess it would be pointless to try to seriously cover classics like Smoke on the Water, Highway to Hell, Stairway to Heaven or All Right Now since the originals are gems that will never sound dated and cannot be surpassed.
Q. There have been at least seven “Best Of” compilations and two live Krokus album releases so far. Are there any plans for a Marc Storace anthology that will feature your work with Tea, China, Amen, Vergeat, Warrior, Biss, Acoustical Mountain, Blue, etc?
MS: There are no plans whatsoever so far, although the thought has crossed my mind. However, that would take some time to conceive and time is one luxury I do not possess right now (smile).
Q. What, if push comes to shove, is your favourite Krokus song and album? Why?
MS: My favourite song is the ballad Screaming in the Night because it contains many facets that allow me to use an abundance of singing techniques on the one and same song. For years, my fave album was Headhunter, because this album contains many colourful driving songs that don’t necessarily require top-pitch singing throughout, and allow for more theatrics and therefore, together with the lyrics, are more inspiring to one’s individual fantasy. However, lately Hellraiser grew deeper into my heart after its recent release, and now sits at the top of my list. I find there are many similarities in Hellraiser to the classic albums Metal Rendez-vous and Headhunter.
Q. Krokus seems to have an army of fans spread all over the world. Going by your recent concerts, where, apart from Switzerland, do you think the band is most popular?
MS: On this tour so far we have experienced the best reactions in Germany, because it’s our third tour in that vast country since 2002. I would say Malta is now very high on the list too.
Q. I just found out you’ve acted in a couple of movies (Anuk with Doro Pesch and a German comedy called Handyman). If they ever make a movie about you, whom would you like to play your part?
MS: Well, it would have to be someone reasonably short, skinny and with long curly hair and a hairy chest to start off with… but then, make-up, contact lenses and wigs can do wonders nowadays (smile). So how about Johnny Depp for the part (smile)?
Q. What’s next for Krokus? And are there any more solo or side projects (or movies?) planned on your part?
MS: We shall be playing in Switzerland until the end of the year. In January 2007 we will fly down to the Mediterranean for a second time, to play our first-ever concert in Greece. Then we have been invited to join Hammerfall as special guests on their upcoming European Tour which kicks off on 18 January and takes us right through Scandinavia, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Italy, Austria and Hungary, ending in Belgrade. It will be the most extensive Euro-tour for Krokus to date and we also hope to be adding some UK dates to crown it all before flying off to the USA.
As for solo projects or movies, I have nothing in the pipeline so far, but you can check out the new Biss album that was released last November. X-Tension is the name of the second album I sang in with Ralph Heyne and Co. in Muenster by Cologne, Germany. It’s slightly more aggressive than Face-Off, but just as melodic, and has aroused some interest on the international rock scene already.
Q. Last but not least, is there anything you would change if you had to perform here again… and will you?
MS: Yes, we have a whole list of things that we would like to see changed for the better before attempting our next visit. We want to treat Malta in a special way and we hope to return sooner than soon (smile). Malta, we love you – Rock On!
For more information, visit the official website www.krokusonline.com for tour dates, latest news as well as to sign up for the fan club newsletter. Marc’s personal website is www.storace.ch; drop in to have a look at those movie pics.