Singer MARC STORACE Talks About The KROKUS Carousel

Classic Rock Revisited recently conducted an interview with KROKUS frontman Marc Storace. An excerpt from the chat follows:

Classic Rock Revisited: Has anyone complained about Fernando [Von Arb] not being a part of KROKUS?

Marc: "Hardly anybody. There were one or two hardcore Fernando fans that we talked to that told us they missed him. It is like when you lose a member of the family, you can't just sit and mourn. Besides, Mandy [Meyer] is old family who has returned home. We look at it that way and he is doing a great job. You either see him jogging or playing guitar. On a day off he will be eating a good steak. He fits in like a glove. What can I say? We have been lucky. It could have not turned out this way."

Classic Rock Revisited: Part of KROKUS' history is constant lineup changes. Are you satisfied that this band will have some lasting power.

Marc: "You are talking about The Krokus Carousel. That is the way the band has been. Nobody planned it that way; God made it that way. A lot of musicians have played under the name of KROKUS. Most of them are talking with one and other but a few do not. It is hard to keep track. My main interest is to keep moving on. When I am in the machine I want to see it move and groove. I can never tell the future. I think this lineup may stay together. We have done the tour and the album and now Mandy is onboard. I think this tour has helped the cohesion of the group. You get to know each other when you live together all the time. Some guys want to have their peace and some are more active. You sort out the strengths and the weaknesses.

"There are other jobs within a band besides the music. You have the infrastructure of the organization. If we are a team that has all of our business — whether it is recording or administration — under control then we are going to make it. That is the way it has to be as it is an organization after all. When it is more than two people then it is no longer like a marriage; it is like a family. I can't tell the future. If I could I would be out buying lottery tickets everyday."

Classic Rock Revisited: Will Mandy stay with the band and record the next album?

Marc: "It will be Mandy all the way. He didn't get a chance to be on any KROKUS album before because he left. Chris [Von Rohr] was not comfortable with Mandy back in the old days. Back then, Mandy was a good-looking, 19-year-old guitarist who was getting his face all over the press. It was good for the band — the family — but some people don't think family. Mandy and I have written a coupe of songs together. I went to his house and we have worked on some songs and we have made a few demos. I even play drums on the demo. It is better than having an electronic drum machine because by the time you program the machine, your creative spark has fizzled out. You have to stay on the mark and get it down. We got the feel and the vocal melodies down and we are passing it onto the whole band."

Read the entire interview at this location.