ANDI DERIS Says VAN HALEN's Failed Reunion With Both ROTH And HAGAR Gave HELLOWEEN 'The Focus' To 'Not F*** It Up'

In a new interview with Italy's Wanted Record, HELLOWEEN vocalist Andi Deris once again spoke about how the German metallers have managed to pull off the seemingly impossible by uniting returning singer Michael Kiske and guitarist/vocalist Kai Hansen with Deris, guitarists Michael Weikath and Sascha Gerstner, bassist Markus Grosskopf and drummer Daniel Löble. Regarding the inspiration for the "Pumpkins United" tour, which marked the first time Kiske had played live with HELLOWEEN since 1993, Deris said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm a huge fan of VAN HALEN, and I remember back in the days there was this reunion with David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar, and they played one show in Las Vegas. But it was the one and only show because in the middle of the concert, they kicked their asses. I mean, seriously. Probably Diamond Dave had too much cocaine, and maybe Sammy Hagar was too much on vodka — I don't know — or tequila. But they really kicked their ass on stage in front of everybody. And my dream was destroyed, because I love 'em both; I love Diamond Dave, I love Sammy Hagar. Yeah, that, for me, would've been the greatest 'Pumpkins United'. But they didn't do it. And I remember back in the days when we had the first meetings with Kai and Michael Kiske, we talked about that too. That was a shock for everybody, because nearly all the guys in the band are VAN HALEN fans and everybody would have celebrated having both of the singers on stage. And that gave us, yeah, the focus, so to say, not to fuck it up, if possible, because I realized I was not the only guy completely disappointed. There were millions of people disappointed because VAN HALEN didn't go through with it; they couldn't do it. Idiots. [Laughs] But, yeah, that's life. But that was something to learn from. I mean, you cannot force it. If people don't like themselves, you should not put them on stage together. I think that's the moral of the story."

Asked if he and the other members of HELLOWEEN had a feeling, when they first came up with the idea of an expanded reunion, that it would turn out to be such a success, Andi said: "Honestly, we did not even realize it. After the first three or four concerts, it finally hit, like, that was not an exception. We played in front of, like, uh, four up to seven thousand people somewhere in South America, and we realized, 'Okay, that's great,' but it didn't kick in that this is now the future, that there will forever be at least five, if not fourteen thousand people in the concert hall. This was, like, wow, a big jump up, and it took us quite a while to realize that this is the new normal now. And then you are just grateful. I mean, I remember Michael Kiske and I, when the boys mainly had their own shit going on, with Kai's medley, for example, and we had, like, 14 minutes during Kai's medleys, and Michael and I just were standing side by side and looking into the crowd behind the curtain and looking at everything. Everything got so big, everything was so huge, and we just looked at each other and said, 'Wow. Can you believe it?' And we both were, like, 'Nah. Unbelievable.' So we did not take it for granted. We really were, like, 'wow', in awe. And something happens here which is not to be explained easily. So, yeah, we did something right, I think. And, yeah, I'll be forever grateful for that. And believe me, the next world tour, we're gonna enjoy it again and again."

Earlier this year, Kiske brought up VAN HALEN while talking to Music Life Magazine about HELLOWEEN's enduring success. He said at the time: "The bands of the 1980s defined the modern hard rock and metal style, and most of them are still around. Some of them have stopped now because they get too old, but they never got out of fashion. And I think it's because when you do something that is not just a reflection of the fashion or trying to fall in line with the fashion, when you do something that creates its own kind of voice, it's possible to have a very long career because while fashion goes away and changes, you never have to. I always find it interesting when you look at the VAN HALEN history, for instance. When you look at the records with David Lee Roth, I think they’re even more timeless than the records they did with Sammy Hagar. And that's simply was because Eddie [Van Halen] wanted to prove a point. He was hungry and had something to say on those first records. He wanted to be successful, but he wanted to be successful doing it his way. I think they're [the albums with Hagar] still great sounding records and you're still able to listen to all those records even today, but to me they sound a little more dated, they sound a little more like the time they were in [mid to late 1980s] than the records with David, because the early VAN HALEN didn't care about anything. They just did their own thing. And those songs are timeless. That's one of the reasons why bands like HELLOWEEN can still be out there and still doing new music, and still being passionate about it, because they write songs that are timeless. I don't really see any band being around for a long time unless they have great songs and are able to continue to have great songs. And you need to be able to still play those songs well and put on a good show."

HELLOWEEN recently announced the North American leg of the band's "40 Years Anniversary Tour". Support on the trek, which will take place next spring, will come from Finnish melodic metallers BEAST IN BLACK.

HELLOWEEN kicked off the European leg of the "40 Years Anniversary Tour" on October 17 at Rockhal in Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.

HELLOWEEN is touring in support of its latest album, "Giants & Monsters", which came out in August via Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM). The LP follows HELLOWEEN's self-titled No. 1 2021 record and is said to be the most versatile and dynamic release of the band's career. Mixed at the legendary Wisseloord Studios (IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST, DEF LEPPARD) in Hilversum, Netherlands, "Giants & Monsters" reaffirms HELLOWEEN's position at the pinnacle of the metal world.

"Giants & Monsters" pushes the boundaries of HELLOWEEN's sound, thanks to the instincts of producers Charlie Bauerfeind and Dennis Ward, as well as the band's relentless pursuit of excellence. Per example, Löble recorded all tracks using three different drum kits to capture the perfect vibe for each song, a testament to their attention to detail and love of experimentation.

"Helloween" was the first HELLOWEEN album to feature the band's expanded lineup, consisting of returning singer Michael Kiske and Hansen along with Deris, guitarists Michael Weikath and Sascha Gerstner, bassist Markus Grosskopf and drummer Daniel Löble.

HELLOWEEN released a live album, "Live At Budokan", on December 13, 2024 via Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM). The colossal effort immortalized HELLOWEEN's September 16, 2023 performance at Tokyo's legendary Nippon Budokan.