DORO PESCH: 'It's Been Almost 26 Years And I Still Make Record After Record'

Sonic Shocks recently conducted an interview with German metal queen Doro Pesch. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Sonic Shocks: What's the place in the world you haven't played yet and you would really love to?

Doro: Places where, unfortunately, it hasn't been possible for political reasons, like Iran and Iraq. I know it's very difficult to go there and play right now, but if with time that will change I would love to go; I know there are many fans and a very strong metal scene there, because they come to the Turkish shows. We played in Turkey a couple of times and a lot of people from Iran and Iraq came there and they put their lives on the line, it was really quite dangerous to get in and out, and they said, "That would really be a dream if you could come one day to our country;" I said, "Yeah," but I guess it's even harder being a woman. Metal is not allowed there, let alone from a female singer! It's not the right time now, but I really hope I can play there some day. Another country where we haven't played yet is India, there was a promoter trying to organize but didn't happen this year.

Sonic Shocks: Hopefully it will be possible someday!

Doro: Yes! Unfortunately, sometimes you have to play by the rules. We always wanted to go to China, and then a couple of years ago we went for the first time and it was fantastic. We had to tweak a couple of things, send all the music and the lyrics in and there was some censorship, but once we got there we could play pretty much everything; it felt much more "hardcore" when we were getting into the country, but then once we got there everything was cool and everyone was happy. There's actually quite a strong new metal scene, and can be a big fan base in the next couple of years for any metal band, it's a quite marketable country. Certain things are just different, but I don't mind playing by the rules if I can see the fans.

Sonic Shocks: You celebrated 25 years of career not long ago; when did you start thinking you would get this far?

Doro: Actually, the years ran by, all went so fast and exciting, definitely never boring. When we started, I thought maybe we could do it for a couple of years, but had no idea, and now it's been almost 26 years and I still make record after record! I didn't even think about it, and now it feels unbelievable. But I love music, since I was three years old: I heard Cliff Richard's "Lucille" and I was infected, and I've been totally addicted to music since; then was glam rock time, with all the British bands, and a bit later I started thinking about having my own band, and realized there was this growing metal scene worldwide, the first magazines started coming out… In 1983 we (WARLOCK) had our first record out and a couple of years later I quit my regular job to be a musician full time.

Sonic Shocks: What was your regular job?

Doro: I was a graphic artist, and I was actually using my job to do little posters and artwork, it came in very handy!

Sonic Shocks: Are you still involved in that?

Doro: I still work together with the graphic artist for merchandise and artwork, and it's always nice coming up with an idea, but a painter does all the album covers now, and he's a great painter from England: his name is Geoffrey Gillespie, and I loved his work since he did the first cover for us for "Thriumph And Agony", and then since we always tried to get him to do the next cover, if it's an album where we think we should have a painting. Sometimes you think, "Mmm, maybe a black-and-white shot would be better here," but when we want a painting I always call him up, explain him what the record is all about and ask if he can do something nice for it.

Read the entire interview from Sonic Shocks.