Published by : Rock Hard Magazine Germany

Kings of commerce?

In the past months a lot of criticism was uttered upon Manowar. A quick glance into our letters to the editor tells you, what we’re talking about. Total sale-out. Commercialisation regardless of losses. Releases – overkill. Disappointing shows. Lacking ability to deal with criticism. On the other hand Manowar are consistently doing suprisingly well in readers’ polls, which shows that they polarise more than ever. We arranged a meeting with Joey DeMaio and let him know in the run-up to our interview that the following talk is not going to be an exchange of neatnesses…

RH: When was the last time that someone really pissed you off?

DeMaio: “The day before yesterday, yesterday, today. That’s the story of my life: All the time people are trying to kick my ass. What’s so new about that?”

RH: And when have you been hit really hard by someone? 

DeMaio: “During my highschool-time. Back then I trained at Dan Lee’s Kung-Fu-School in Chicago – together with a girl who wanted to “kick my balls up to the chin”. She was so energised that if she could she would have killed me. I simply did not manage to really attack her, so at the end I was the loser. But my balls luckily survived.”

RH: And since then nobody really kicked your ass? 

DeMaio: “Not in physical terms – but of course, I know what you’re up to. Journalists are mocking about the band, while most of them don’t get beyond ‘I hate Manowar, I hate their music!’ I don’t think that’s very original. However, there have been some critics who tore us limb for limb, who were very talented. When someone tried hard to mock MANOWAR then I really like to read it. I always appreciate serious work, because it rises the pressure of competition in this business.”

RH: I don’t want to talk about the criticism of people who don’t like MANOWAR as a matter of principle. There have been always some of them and they always will be there. I’d rather want to confront you with the criticism of your truest fans. 

DeMaio: “I know.”

RH: Of course I’m referring to the letters to the editor from the past months, where you have been accused of a lot of things by – mind you - true fans. I know that you have read those letters.

DeMaio: “Then let’s talk about concrete points of criticism.”

RH: Many people for instance have complained about all the re-releases of old Manowar-records: Too many “Collector’s Editions”, new live-releases each two weeks, too much warmed-up stuff, but too few new songs.

DeMaio: “All that is not new to me. Already with ‘Into Glory Ride’ the animadversion on MANOWAR started. The record was thought to be ‘too commercial’ back then, even though it belonged to our most extreme releases. Already back then I’ve been laughing about such cutups. The people will always find good things and bad things about your work, no matter if your name is MANOWAR or whatever else. As soon as you’re releasing anything, there will be people who like you and people who don’t.”

RH: Sure. There are also some at Rock Hard and in our readership. In former times it was equally spread. When there was a negative letter concerning Manowar, then two weeks later there were positive ones. However, lately this ratio unhinged a bit: The negative criticism clearly prevails – even though you still came off very well in the readers’ polls.

DeMaio: “That’s not only the case with Rock Hard. It applies to the whole of Europe.”

RH: Right. Your die-hard-fans love you the more the public hates or sniggers at you. That’s because MANOWAR were pretty much the only ones at the beginning of the 90s who kept up the banner of the all-out, true metal with all its clichés. That’s what the fans sanctified you for, and that’s also what I love you for. But just the same people are of the opinion that Manowar changed over the last years, and not always to your advantage – that’s what we should talk about.

DeMaio: “Okay, I’m ready to talk about that, even though I can’t really understand that criticism.”

RH: One thing I can understand pretty well is the thing with the censorship on the official MANOWAR homepages. People who’re criticising you on the boards there are kicked out. Of course they are then calling up to the magazines like Rock Hard and are more than ever mad about you.

DeMaio: “That for you first have to understand, how our web-ring works. The people working there are exclusively people loving the band and whom I trust absolutely. These people are honest and diligent – and they’re doing the job FOR the others Manowar-fans.”

RH: Okay, okay, but that’s also true for other band-pages…

DeMaio: “No, that’s the point. Most bands hire professional firms to manage their homepages. Maybe the fans there believe that they’re really contacting the bands, but they only get automated response e-mails, which are only sent in the name of the musician. THAT is bullshit! Our fans are getting personal answers from other fans who have proved their loyalty over the years.”

RH: Nobody doubts that. But it is a fact, that criticism concerning MANOWAR is not tolerated by the webmasters or by you. But fans ALWAYS have the right to complain. Finally they are the ones who have bought the records.

DeMaio: “Right! That’s what our boards are for. The people can discuss about what they want to and are getting information at first hand.”

RH: But there is nothing negative in your boards.

DeMaio: “Because that’s not the place for that. The idea of a homepage is at first hand to provide information. The boards are there for fans to talk about the records and the concerts. It should be fun to be a fan of MANOWAR. They should be able to meet other MANOWAR fans – without others being hostile to them. When there’s someone trying to disturb the fun and causing problems he’s out.”

RH: So where in your opinion should people complain, when they’re disappointed by a record or regard your tickets as too expensive? Finally, we don’t kick out everybody, who is complaining about Rock Hard.

DeMaio: “Maybe you should do that. When someone wants to use our boards to express something in a fair way, then we surely won’t deny the access to him. But when someone obviously wants to discredit the band, there’s no place for him.” That was the MANOWAR policy from the first day.

RH: So you really think that every fan who was banned from your pages was intentionally doing harm to the band? 

DeMaio: “I am totally confident with our webmasters – and when they’re banning somebody from our homepage, then they have concrete reasons for that. It’s the same with our concerts: If some assholes think they can ruin the fun for the real fans, they’re out!”

RH: But when you’re calling yourselves “Kings of Metal” – and please don’t say the fans called you that – you should be sovereign enough to deal with critics.

DeMaio: “I’m sure we can. It’s not about us, it’s about single persons ruining the jest of our fans, whether at concerts or elsewhere. If anybody wants to enter the stage and insult me before he’s kicked out that’s no problem! I surely won’t call the police, hahaha! The fans can say whatever and wherever they want about us, but not on our own homepage. In case anybody wants to show up in front of my living room window to call me an asshole, let him do that. But I won’t ask him in.”

RH: You have put the levelling rule so high by your thoroughgoingness, that you do have to expect increasing critics. The spirits you have called.... 

DeMaio: “As long as it is constructive criticism, there is no problem. Our fans have the right to require from us to whatever they want. We and our crew will always do everything possible, in order to meet these desires. We always gave 100%.”

RH: Do you really think so? … 

DeMaio: “Yes, definitely! I’m always doing my very best. And I also require the very best from everybody else who is somehow dealing with the band. Ask our crew or the record label, they can support that statement.”

RH: There are people saying that you just didn’t deliver hundred percent quality with the last album. After all ‘Warriors of the World’ was your first studio album since 1996. Then it’s not quite unproblematic, when a good part of the record - ´An American Trilogy´, ´Nessun Dorma´ and ´The Fight For Freedom´ - consists of experiments, foreign style pieces or simply irrelevancies which have nothing to do on a Manowar-record. After 6 years of waiting I as a Manowar-fan want to have a real, complete metal-record and not a collection of soundtracks. 

DeMaio: “Recall our debut: already back then it was said that you can’t put a bass-solo onto a studio-album. And ‘Dark Avenger’ wouldn’t be a real song, absolutely not fitting for radio. For ‘Kings of Metal’ we wanted to work in England with an orchestra and a choir, whereupon Atlantic avowed us maniac. We’re a metalband, we don’t need that. If I heeded such commentaries MANOWAR wouldn’t be MANOWAR anymore.”

RH: But back then you published records in a yearly frequency, sometimes even quicker. Nowadays it takes 6 years for one new record. In this case “experiments” weigh more today. 

DeMaio: “Right. But back then we weren’t as occupied as today. At the beginning of our career we could hardly go on tour, so we had more time for composing and recording.”

RH: Okay, that’s an argument. 

DeMaio: “That’s the truth, if you can’t tour you’re sitting at home with your guitar, writing songs.”

RH: But that’s the same with every other band. 

DeMaio: “Could be. But fact is, that in the internet-age you’re subdue to very different market mechanisms and have many more possibilities. In the end all this costs time. Today it would be hardly  possible to write two albums like ‘Hail To England’ and ‘Sign Of The Hammer’ at the same time.”

RH: Nevertheless you have to face the critics. 

DeMaio: “That’s what we do. I’m simply trying to explain, why todays it’s taking longer to publish studio-albums. Are we supposed to tell the fans in south America, that we unfortunately can’t tour there, because the European fans are expecting a new album or else would be pissed off? Hardly. Every musician who ever played with Manowar took an oath to do our best to bring our music to as many metal-fans as possible. I’m not kidding. We took that holy oath many years ago and set the seal on it with blood. And we won’t break the oath for any kind of asshole!”

RH: But that’s no reason for not releasing songs like ‘The Dawn of Battle’ on the record ‘Warriors of the world’ but keeping it to release it later as a single. 

DeMaio: “What do you mean with ‘keeping back’? The song hadn’t even been written at the time of the recordings.”

RH: Really? 

DeMaio: “Listen closely. One can accuse me of many things – and some things may be correct. There are things about me I don’t like myself – like for instance that I’m not a Mozart who writes new perfect songs everyday. And I do not have a box at home with ready-written demotapes which I could get out on demand. As much as I wished it was like that, the reality is different.”

RH: In other words: ‘Warriors of the world’ contains all the material that could be recorded at that point of time? 

DeMaio: “Exactly.”

RH: So you have no second album up your sleeve? 

DeMaio: “Unfortunately not. It was my goal to write two records at the same time, like back then with ‘Hail to England’ and ‘Sign of the Hammer’. But that didn’t work out. But we wanted to avoid bringing out another single with already released songs. So we stopped all activities and flew back to America and wrote two new songs for the last single. We could have also done it like many other bands: warming up some pre-prepared B-sides. And what does ‘B-side’ mean? It’s bullshit, not good enough for the regular album! You’re selling an album without fill-ins and are then releasing the fill-ins as B-sides. You’ll never ever see that with MANOWAR records! We never did anything half-hearted and we’re proud of every single record we made.”

RH: Good. But is it necessary to release every record in ten different shapes and colours? 

DeMaio: “Yes, it is necessary! We finally found a label that is willing to realise our ideas hundred percent! Every product wearing the name MANOWAR guarantees quality, also the packaging. The fans want picture discs, different colours and so on. How ‘exciting’ is a band that releases one album and one shirt? That’s boring! Then we could also do shows with a thinner lightshow and half the amplifiers. No, that’s not MANOWAR! We offer a variety of products to the people, and the fans love that.”

RH: Then why are the fans complaining about this releasing-flood? 

DeMaio: “Why are porn movies restricted in America?”

RH: No idea. 

DeMaio: “If there were more porn movies the people still had the free choice. People can buy what they want. Nobody is forced to buy a Manowar record in three different shapes – but I think it’s good to have the choice. We’re talking about free market economy.”

RH: And about cows that are milked. Aren’t Manowar a pure commercial product by now? 

DeMaio: “What??? Shall I mention all those bands who build their career on merchandise, but can’t play just one single note??? We’re only releasing quality goods – and for a big part in limited editions! Who as a collector is interested in such rarities is able to buy it. What’s so bad about this?”

RH: This flood of MANOWAR products is oversaturating the market. Even the name Manowar has to suffer from it. 

DeMaio: “I don’t think so. We’re not flooding the market and we will never do that.”

RH: Well… 

DeMaio: “You stated yourself that it took long years until we had a new studio-album recorded. Years in which the fans missed us and asked for new songs again and again. And we wanted to give them what they longed for, also in an optical aspect. In the past we were mostly bound to major labels, who just don’t understand what a metal fan really wants. This is different now with Nuclear Blast. That’s exactly why you can get our records in different styles an not just one ordinary, boring CD. Finally we’re able to realise all of our ideas. And when I recall former albums I think it’s a pity that we usually only could offer one non-limited record.”

RH: But back then nobody complained about that. And the snake bites its tail. 

DeMaio: “Of course. The bigger a band gets, the more enemies you have.. even more, when you’re called Manowar, hahaha! I’ll send you a credo I read every time when I’m feeling like standing with my back against the wall. (see below) We’re polarising, and with growing success the complaints grow as well. But in contrast to most of the other bands of our size we don’t bow under that pressure. We don’t mock about our fans and we’re not changing our image or style. About how many other huge bands can you say that? You’d rather see me die than going the way of certain other bands. And I mean it. I’d rather be dead!”

RH: Stay calm…. Let’s get to the next point: the cancelled Manowar-fan-meeting. (to remember, this meeting was forbidden by Manowar, because it was advertised with the official band logo.) You have covered for the financial damage by now, what I regard on the one hand as a matter of course and on the other hand very cool of you. 

DeMaio: “I didn’t really know what it was all about until you confronted me with it and managed a personal contact with the organisers of that meeting. These guys were really nice and were indeed planning a real fan-meeting. I know that now and that’s why I’m sorry that there was so much trouble. On the other hand you have to admit, that there are many people trying to rip us off, make money behind our back and rip off our fans. The problem in this case was, that the organisers went the wrong way to clear things beforehand. If they had directly asked us instead of the record-company then things would surely have gone a different way. When we were informed about it the flyers had already been printed and the advertising had started without the band’s agreement. And who took over the costs in the end? Me! Not the record company, not Rock Hard, but me personally!”

RH: Next point: Stefan Raab. Many of your fans think it’s uncool that you’re appearing in shows of such people not quite known as “metal gods”… 

DeMaio: “Hahahaha… ‘Not quite known as metal gods…’ hahaha That’s a good one!”

RH: … but seriously. 

DeMaio: “Maybe Stefan is not a ‘metal god’, but he’s got balls! I don’t care a shit about what anybody thinks about him, because I know what he did for us. For years and years nobody invited us to a TV show and then all of a sudden there’s Stefan Raab who let us free hand in every aspect. We could really do what we wanted! The production, the light, everything was set up as wished. And the equipment at this show is far better than that of many tour-promoters in the past! We played ‘Warriors Of The World United’ live without any restrictions. What is to say about this?”

RH: Stefan Raab is known for mocking people in his shows. He didn’t invite you because he liked your music, but because he could present you as “quaint relicts from the 80ies”. And you played that game along. 

DeMaio: “That’s what you say. I didn’t fell like mocked.”

RH: Then why do you think he invited you? 

DeMaio: “Because he’s a musician himself – and a very talented one. He can play eight different instruments and he knows that we’re also doing a good job. He respects us and he respects our fans.”

RH: Sorry, Joey, but I don’t think so. 

DeMaio: “If he really saw some relicts of the 80’s in us, he could have fobbed us off with low-budget equipment from the 80s. But he didn’t do that. We had the best light, the best sound and all support we needed. You can think about Stefan Raab what you want, but you can’t prove your statement. Whatever else he’s doing in his show, he behaved more than fair towards us, he watched two or three of our concerts which he obviously liked. He’s a class fuckin' guy!”

RH: And he opened a whole new audience to you, which does not consist of “Die-Hard-Metal-Fans” at all… 

DeMaio: “When somebody buys a ticket or an album then I do not have the right to judge about these people. Is a black person a worse Manowar-Fan than a white person? Is a 75-years-old not as good as a 20-years-old? Shall we prohibit that Fans are bringing their 12-years-old kids to our concerts? What the hell are we talking about actually? I told you, we swore to bring Heavy Metal into the whole world! Without compromises! And everybody supporting me in that mission is my brother!”

RH: Alright. But one can accuse you of having done compromises. 

DeMaio: “Where?”

RH: For example on the last tour. You’re taking out an immortal classic like “Battle Hymn” from your setlist, just to have more time for your acoustic part. 

DeMaio: “Okay, but that’s what they tell us after every tour. Why is this song missing? Why is that song missing? Why didn’t you have a naked girl on the stage? Why did you have a naked girl on the stage? Why did the fan play guitar on stage? Why didn’t he? Why Harley’s? Why no Harley’s? Why is it so loud? Why is it not loud enough? The same shit every year! No matter what decisions you make, someone is always annoyed. So WE only do what WE want to do and what WE think is right.”

RH: And that justifies the decision to sacrifice the probably greatest classic of your whole career to give the Stefan-Raab-Audience another ballad? Please, you can’t be serious about that! 

DeMaio: “First: We don’t “sacrifice” songs, though I think your choice of words is pretty funny. Second: We have never tried to chum up with any kind of audience. We only dared to change our program a bit, as we do with every tour, by the way. And in the course of the years you might have noticed that our set has become ever longer, rather than shorter. Now you complain about an additional ballad even though YOU are always the first complaining about too short Manowar-concerts! And what do we do? We’re enlarging our set! Right? Right! You were the one who was oh so happy about our “Manowar-century-setlist” a few years ago! And YOU…”

RH: But… 

DeMaio: “No, let me finish! When you’re already pissing at me on tour then at least give me time to dry myself. YOU said the show could be longer! We played TWO sets a night after that. And we nevertheless had something new for the fans. We’re listening when someone has an advice for us. Do you know how many fans wanted to hear ‘Master of the Wind’ in the last years? So we included the song in our program. On EVERY tour we’re changing some details to be able to present ever new faces of the band. And we didn’t ‘sacrifice’ ‘Battle Hymn’! Who knows, maybe your moaning makes us play ‘Battle Hymn’ again next time…”

RH: Why don’t you leave out some solo parts or some of your speeches. Then you can play ‘Battle Hymn’ AND ‘Master of the Winds’ twice… 

DeMaio: “My speeches?”

RH: Yes. At the Popkomm-show last year you were talking half of the time.

 DeMaio: “Yes, dammit! Because they wanted to put me in jail! Do you think that was a joke? Do you think I’m a dammit actor? They really wanted to jail me!”

RH: Okay. But you talked half of the show. 

DeMaio: “Half of the show?”

RH: Approximately 20 out of 50 minutes. 

DeMaio: “ I’ll sit down in front of my video recorder right after this interview and stop the time you say I piffled! I’m really curious about that!” 

RH: In case it was only 17 minutes we will set it straight. Promise! 

DeMaio: Okay, no problem. Go on!” 

RH: Fine! The tickets were too expensive. Nearly twice as high as last tour! 

DeMaio: “First: You know exactly that our tickets are cheaper than those of many other huge acts. Second: I have absolutely nothing to do with the prices of the tickets! No band has an influence on the ticket prices! Not MANOWAR and nobody else!” 

RH: That’s not right! 

DeMaio: “Bullshit!”

RH: There absolutely are bands looking after their ticket prices. Under circumstances it has something to do with the salary you postulate from the organiser… 

DeMaio: “Bullshit! Hundred percent nonsense! You’re hundred percent wrong! And I’ll spell it for you: Y.O.U.  A.R.E.  N.O.T.  R.I.G.H.T.!”

RH: Then please explain to me, why an artist is not taking influence on his own ticket prices. 

DeMaio: “Nobody can control how much the organiser demands.”

RH: But you have contracts. And you can’t manage certain things in the run-up to a tour. 

DeMaio: “NO! That’s pure wishful thinking, nothing more! There is no such contract clause! The promoter calculates the price! I have no influence on which costs they have with the advertising or how many taxes they have to pay. I also don’t have an influence on the CD-prices! Neither on the oil-price in middle-east or the salary of the US-president or the price of a goddamn Harley Davidson! Who is controlling the price of one Rock Hard-issue?”

RH: We. 

DeMaio: “And why is the magazine so expensive?”

RH: Because it’s not possible to make it cheaper. 

DeMaio: “Aha!”

RH: We only transfer price increase of the paper or the print to the reader, when it absolutely can’t be avoided. 

DeMaio: “Aha!”

RH: So we’re taking influence on the price wherever we can. 

DeMaio: “Aha! But you’re not always able to!”

RH: Not every time, that’s right, but sometimes! 

DeMaio: “It just isn’t possible. Full stop. Everything is bullshit! Taxes, ticket prices and the death are out of my control.”

RH: Okay…. 

DeMaio: Believe me: if I could, I would control the prices! If I could, I would change so much in this world! You wouldn’t recognise this dammed world! I’m living in a country where you can drink alcohol with 21 but with 18 join the army and kill. Gimme a fuckin’ break! I’m not responsible for the problems of this world! And neither for the ticket- and CD-prices! What is in my power I’ll do. I’m helping the world to be a little more worth living with my music. So. Go on!”

RH: Nevertheless I think you should be a little more careful with that. 

DeMaio: “There’s nothing to be careful with!”

RH: There’re 20 different concerts-agencies which would love to work with you. I’m absolutely sure, that at least one of them would be ready to listen to you. 

DeMaio: “That’s complete nonsense! Nobody in the world will be able to control the ticket prices. Nobody!”

RH: Why are you playing at the Popkomm and in the same second cancel metal-festivals like Wacken? 

DeMaio: “Wacken? You were the ones who cancelled the support for Wacken!”

RH: Right. But that had nothing to do with Manowar. 

DeMaio: “Then what was it?”

RH: Certain things concerning organisation we don’t appreciate. 

DeMaio: “So why do you ask me about Wacken?”

RH: Because it’s the biggest metal-festival and deserves a headliner like Manowar. 

DeMaio: “But you don’t support it!”

RH: You do neither. Instead you’re playing at the oh so metallike Popkomm. 

DeMaio: “So what?”

RH: You’d rather fit to Wacken. 

DeMaio: “ Where the fans are made fools of? You want me to play THERE?”

RH: Hahahaha! Good return, Joey! 

DeMaio: “Will you kindly print that!!!”

RH: Sure! Everything you’re saying here is printed! 

DeMaio: “That’s what I’m asking for! And the new towel I have to get after this interview to dry myself you’re paying too!”

RH: Hahahaha! Okay! 

DeMaio: “Okay, then let’s go on“

RH: Are you playing on the Bundesgartenschau next year – or maybe on a real metal-festival again? 

DeMaio: “Leaving out the fact we already played on festivals like Full Force, there will be a Manowar-show at a “real” festival next year. Don’t worry…”

RH: You had a playback-gig at “Top of the Pops”. Was that really necessary? 

DeMaio: “ That was not playback! ‘Playback’ means that the artist is only acting like he plays. A band like Queen was always dependent to have especially lavish parts like for example orchestra-sequences on tape. In general it’s normal to have choirs and certain backing parts artificially nowadays. In our case Eric sang live whilst parts of the music was on tape -  but it wasn’t fully playback.”

RH: How hard is it for you to deal with criticism? 

DeMaio: “Not at all!”

RH: It is well-known, that you’re a clever guy, who can answer each question with a 10-minutes-monologue, but do you really take criticism to heart? 

DeMaio: “ No, never. I’m always ready to listen when I know the source of the criticism deserves it, like when somebody criticises me and knows what he’s talking about – but that doesn’t change much of my opinion.”

RH: Let’s take the case that the source of criticism are the real Manowar-fans. How much of that to you take for yourself? 

DeMaio: “In such cases I like to listen till the end – and think about whether the criticism is justified. You need to be ready to listen to people who can teach you something; otherwise you’d never improve yourself. So in general I’m ready to learn – but I won’t let some ignorant asshole provocate me. There’s that old saying by Native Americans: Never judge somebody without having walked in his moccasins two miles. If everybody lived after this saying, the world would be a lot better.”

RH: In how many “poser-moccasins” did you walk? 

DeMaio: “Poser-moccasins?”

RH : Yes. “Wimps & Posers”. Or don’t you judge about your favourite enemies anymore? 

DeMaio: “Hahaha! As a young musician I’ve played enough crappy music in enough Cover-Bands to judge that side of business. I’ve eaten dirt, played in dirty den of thieves and had more than one low. One time I’ve even been kicked onto the stage by a promoter.”

RH: Oh, that’s nice… 

DeMaio: “I’m honest! That guy dragged me to the stage kicked me hard in my bottoms and yelled at me I should get playing. I was half a child and learned my lesson, believe me. I know what I’m talking about. I can also understand many of your questions, otherwise I wouldn’t answer them.”

RH: The problem many famous musicians have is that they’re usually not really criticised by their fans, at least not in personal talks. 

DeMaio: “Of course they are!”

RH: But in most cases rather half-hearted. 

DeMaio: “No, that’s not right. Many fans are complaining about too short tours or missing songs in the setlist…”

RH: But they don’t really tell you all. Hardly any fan will tell his favourite musician that he produced bullshit. 

DeMaio: “Well… First I want to say that I don’t think our real fans think we produced bullshit. After all everything we do, we do for our fans. And most important of all: The successes of the past year outweigh the long time of waiting for our fans and the year-long malice that a Manowar-fan has to endure. Our success is a triumph for metal! ‘Warriors of the World’ is the most successful Metal-album in years -  and this I regard as a tribute to our fans! We wouldn’t be there, where we are if our fans hadn’t brought us there. That wasn’t me and that wasn’t you – it were our fans! And they deserve something special. That’s why I’m not making any curtailment at our live-show, even though we could have toured with a smaller P.A. and could have kept the rest of the money for ourselves. We’re neither recording in low-cost home-studios, but rented the Galaxy-complex. And the technicians there don’t work for a sack of rice! Do you get that? Everything we do has to pass high-standard quality-checks. Our fans know that. Look at the cover-artworks that are published in these days: most of them look like some prep-school-child scribbled something. We’re using Ken-Kelly-drawings, which are very expensive, because Ken Kelly just is the best. In all areas we’re only working with the best of the elite: light, sound, transport, equipment, artworks – all of the very best! That’s how we’re giving back to the fans, what they gave to us. And believe me, our success was bloody hard work to achieve.”

RH: Thanks for your guts and patience to talk to us Joey. 

DeMaio: No problem. I’ve nothing to hide – and who has nothing to hide, has nothing to fear.”