Doro – Doro Pesch

Doro Pesch has been widely accepted as the queen of heavy metal. Since her introduction into the metal world during the early 80’s, men, women and young adults have turned to Doro’s music for inspiration and empowerment. Her amazing career has now reached a milestone as she enters her 25th year in the heavy metal universe. Metal Obsession was lucky enough to catch up with Doro before she took off on her tour with Motorhead around Europe. We discuss the release of her new DVD, her current tour and her plans for the future, including marriage.

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Metal Obsession: Hey Doro. How are you. How’s the tour been going so far?

Doro Pesch: I’m great! The tour has been going really well. We just finished up in Japan and Russia and we have a couple of days before our tour with Motorhead. I’m so excited! We also have the release party of our new DVD ’25 Years in Rock (…And Still Going Strong)’ which will be played at a big cinema in Berlin and I’m sure a lot of drinking afterward. [laughs]

MO: I know you recently toured Japan with Australia’s LORD. How did that go?

DP: We actually toured with the guys in Australia a couple of years ago (back when they were called Dungeon). I also knew them through Steve Ravic. We got along really well. Me and Lord Tim got along really well because we’ve known each other for about 4 or 5 years now, so we all got along great.  I think we both got great responses in Japan. It was actually the first time for me to tour Japan so it was just awesome!

MO: Since Australia is only a short flight from Japan. Would you consider coming back into the region to tour Australia in the near future?

DP: I hope we can come back next year. It’s just we need the right promoter and the right people to put on the show or festival. I would love to come back any day, but since it’s so far away we’d need someone who can really put on an amazing tour for us.

The last time we were going to tour there was a festival organised, but then that got canceled and a good friend of ours Steve Ravic helped us out and put on shows at some clubs. We really want to thank Steve for helping us out. He let us use his house and me and the whole band were able to stay there and sleep all together in the house which was really cool.

MO: After the release of ‘Fear No Evil’ do you still find it hard breaking into the American market. Do you constantly push yourself to be recognised in America, now that you are living there?

DP: We actually did a tour of America not to long ago and their scene is a lot different to say Europe or Australia. They don’t have as many big metal festivals like Europe. We have so many like Wacken, Bang Your Head!, Sweden Rock and Hellfest. In America they have a great radio scene, like you can get your metal songs played on the radio whenever you like. That’s something which is impossible in Europe, especially in Germany.

Festival wise they have like Ozzfest and some others, but in Europe we have so many you can go wherever you like and go to a festival whenever you like. I love touring America though, every country I tour has a different vibe so we try to concentrate on getting the record played on the radio, so there is definitely some advantages to both countries.

MO: Did the writing process of ‘Fear No Evil’ change from any other albums that you’ve worked on in the past. Do you write on tour?

DP: When I’m on tour I totally concentrate on just the tour, but when I’m ready to do a new record or write material I get into a different mind frame and think about a new record and new songs. I usually get the best ideas when I fall asleep.

Shortly before I fall asleep, something always comes out from the soul (subconscious). That’s usually the best time to write because your mind is so open and is at peace. I get inspiration from everywhere though, it doesn’t really matter where it comes from. I always find falling asleep the best way to write music though because you and your body are at peace and all the emotion and feelings can come out a lot easier.

I keep a book though when I’m on tour. Whenever I get inspiration from fans or when they tell me something amazing I write it down and come back to it for an idea. My music definitely comes from the heart and the soul. For me, sitting down and writing a song is never the best thing because there is so much pressure and I can’t concentrate on what I want to write about. When you get into the right mind frame you can open up and let all your emotions and feelings come out. That’s usually the best time for me to write music.

MO: Since going back to an independent label what are your thoughts on the current situation of music downloading and social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace. Do you think these sites helps artists to a certain degree, or do you think its makes things harder since there is so many bands out there?

DP: I think they’re great. It’s good to keep in touch with fans and other bands. I think it’s pretty good. The only thing which isn’t good is when people just take music for free. It’s a lot different to what I remember back in the 80’s or the 90’s.

Now it just seems record sales are down for everyone, not just in metal. It’s pretty tough to survive for not only a record company, but as a band as well. Other than that I think it’s great to connect with the whole world and talk to people in Europe, Australia, India and Russia. [laughs] I think its just wonderful!

MO: I guess when you first started Warlock you didn’t have to worry about mass downloading, as a few people would just be swapping tapes?

DP: I guess the good thing about the heavy metal scene is that the fans want to have the whole package, like the nice artwork and fancy boxsets. I think it all goes hand in hand. I think the metal scene is the only music genre where fans are loyal to their bands. It’s like the same fans we had in the 80’s. They’re still supporting us today, plus we have so many new fans as well. I’m so happy to belong to the heavy metal community.

They all have strong values. I guess the major difference between a metal fan and say, a pop fan is a pop fan will download one song and listen to it a couple of times, but a metal fan will buy the album, go to the shows, support the band and its a whole life style as well. Metal is more than just listening to music.

The fans are so amazing though. When I do an autograph session and they ask me to sign something, it’s usually a limited edition album or something really rare and it makes me really happy to see that. I guess they really appreciate all the hard work that went into the music and in the artwork as well.

MO: You mentioned before that your music has always comes from the heart. It’s very uplifting and positive. Have you ever encountered a fan who told you that your music saved their life or made them so happy that they had to tell you?

DP: Many times. God! Many, many times. I’ve heard a lot of great things. One woman actually told me that she was pregnant and she was really, really afraid. She said it was her first baby so I wrote something really nice for her on her stomach when I meet her. [laughs]

The ‘Fight’ album just came out during that time and I told her to “keep fighting and stay strong” and when she was going to have the baby she took the album with her to the hospital and told the doctors to play the album while she was having the baby. At first the doctors were like “Oh no, we can’t do that” but she was very persistent and they played the album for her while she was having the baby.  She’s actually in the DVD booklet, she’s the young woman with the baby in her arms.

She actually asked me to sing a song for her in French since she’s from Belgium and only speaks French. She said it would be her biggest wish to have one song sung in French, so when we did Herzbult I did it in Spanish, Portuguese and French and she was SO happy. She actually named her son Herzbult. She actually wants a daughter now and name her Doro. [laughs]

I hear many great stories. One time we played a concert a couple of months ago and a guy came upto me and he was all tattooed and looked like someone who had a rough life. He said “Can I talk to you?” and it was between songs and I said “Sure!”. I expected him to ask for a song to be played and he just said “I just want to tell you that your music has made me survive the last 20 years”. I said “what do you mean?” and he told me he was in prison for 20 years and only because of my music did he survive. I didn’t ask what he did though, probably something not to good. [laughs]

I always feel great when the music means something to the fans and gives them positive energy. That’s what I live for.

MO: You have dedicated a lot of time, love and devotion to your fans, friends and family. Have you personally thought about starting a family of your own, or is the love you get from music and your fans more than enough to get you through each day?

DP: Yes! For me its the ultimate to get some much love from the fans. About 10 or 15 years ago I thought about marriage, settling down and starting a family and I thought I’m now just totally married to my fans and the music. I’m totally dedicated to metal and I’ll do whatever it takes to make myself happy and others as well. I probably wont get married in this life time, but I’m totally happy.

The fans and the music fulfill me so much and satisfies me so much. I have a bigger family as well. Not so much in Dusseldorf or New York, but I can go wherever in the world and always meet the family of my fans like grandchildren, parents and even some times their god parents. That always makes me feel so good!

I’m definitely dedicated to the music and my fans and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Honestly though, what I’m doing now is a 24 hour job and it would be very unfair to put a child in this situation and only get to see that child while in the studio or when I’m not on tour.

MO: I get the impression that you get a lot of inspiration from women metal singers. Who would you say is your biggest inspiration?

DP: When I started there wasn’t that many female singers, but I was influenced by some of the greatest singers like Ronnie James Dio and Rob Halford. Women wise, there wasn’t that many for me when I started. I guess Janis Joplin, but I didn’t really get to know her until we released a couple of albums. For me personally it doesn’t really matter if its male or female singers, I get inspiration from everyone.

For me, music shouldn’t be about men or women. Metal music comes from the heart and that’s what I’ve always felt since I first started singing.

MO: Do you ever look at women in other genres of music and question or get irritated at what they’re literally selling a younger audience. It must make you angry that these women and telling young adults and children to flaunt their sexuality and give into temptation, rather than teaching them to be strong, passionate or understanding people?

DP: I guess it’s ok, as long as it makes people happy and doesn’t hurt anyone. If it makes them happy, then I think its ok. When they go to a show or listen to their favorite singer it should make them feel happy. I think boredom is the worst for any kid because then they’ll probably do stupid things or something that’s not cool, like taking drugs or something.  I’m a singer and a musician, so I know that not everyone will like my music just like people who don’t like these other more well known singers. They have a big fanbase though, so you know their music makes a lot of people happy.

Honestly though, I’d really like for them to listen to some more heavy metal. [laughs] It’s so hard to get metal on the radio, MTV or even just TV. Being someone young though you always look to a bigger brother or sister to turn you on to some great metal bands. I like it when women are strong and feel empowered by music.

There are so many great role models in the metal world like Tarja Turunen from Nightwish and Angela from Arch Enemy. There are so many great women singers out there and it makes women look really strong and powerful. It’s not like a sex kitten image, that was probably what it was like more in the 80’s when directors put heaps of beautiful women in videos.

I think in this day and age though its pretty good. There are some really great ladies out there. Getting inspired by whoever though is just cool. Me and my dad use to get into arguments about me choosing to do metal music and in the end he said “I get it now!”. It’s powerful, emotional and has a lot of energy. He actually said its not so far from classic music because there is so much passion and power behind it.

In the end he definitely got it. [laughs]…but of course we also like to look brutal with the black leather and whatever. Some people may look at that and think its weird, but we all know its just for fun. I think metal fans are very understanding people and they seem to have there hearts in the right place. Since being on tour for 20 something years I have never seen a single fight in the crowd, never!

MO: What have you been listening to lately. Any new albums that you really like, or do you still listen to a lot of old stuff?

DP: There is a lot of new bands that I really like. I’m really into Scandinavian and folk metal bands, I really like them. I also like my old stuff as well. I’m a huge Rammstein fan, HUGE fan! [laughs]

MO: I better wrap this up, Doro. Anything you want to say before we say goodbye?

DP: A huge thanks to all the fans in Australia and I’m dying to come back and play for you all. Hopefully it will be next year. I want to thank everyone for their great support over the years and the tremendous love. I’m really excited to see you all soon and I’ll promise to give it 110% when I play for you all. Stay happy and healthy. KEEP METAL ALIVE! [laughs]

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Q’s: Anwar Rizk
A’s: Doro Pesch
Band: Doro
Date: 08/12/2010
Origin: Germany
www.myspace.com/doroband
www.doropesch.com