INTERVIEW with JOEY DEMAIO

Lord Of Metal, proudly presents the interview of the King!!!

MH: Let's start with some questions about the last album. Why you were waiting so many years to release a live album? Your fans were wanted so many years an album like that, and as you know, there are a lot of bootleg out there...
Joey: As you know, we always have first in our minds what the fans want. In the past, the circumstances were not suitable. There was not that special feeling. That time we had the power & the inspiration. We felt, that we had the magic power & that the time had come, for something like this.
MH: As far as I know the album will be double. Does it mean that it will contain songs from all your albums?
Joey: We tried hard to play the songs that fans want to listen. We believe that we achieved to include the most of them. Of course, this album could have been triple or bigger!!!
MH: Why you called the album "Hell On Wheels" ?
Joey: We called it like that, because that was the tour's name!!! This tour took its name, from the encore show. During every encore we were riding our Harley Davidsons and drove them until the other end of the stage, through the crowd!!!
MH: How important is the theatrical part in your shows?
Joey: It isn't so important. Music is what we care about. So it was & it will be for ever!!!
MH: What other elements do you believe that you could add at your shows?
Joey: The theatrical part of our shows, are the fans. This is the most important part of every single show. We have fans that no other band has.
MH: Yes, of course your fans are very fanatic. By the way your Greek fans saw you twice when you came here, and the opinions were divided.... The part of them who were disappointed, will be very hard to believe that your album is absolutely live. What do you want to answer?
Joey: I can't believe why someone could say something like that! The live album is totally LIVE!!!
MH: Manowar use to call their fans brothers & sisters. Are there any other common things between Manowar and all these people?
Joey: We are sharing the same love about music & life. Also, although many people want to stop us, we keep fighting for all that we believe!!!
MH: So how this fighting happens, and what are these things that you believe?
Joey: Our fight is for music, but it goes deeper. It is the fight to believe on yourself, and continue your way when all the other trying to stop you.
MH: So, you believe that Heavy Metal, except from music is also a way of life?
Joey: Yes of course. It's a philosophy, and none knows more about it from Greek people.
MH: How you choose the subjects of the lyrics?
Joey: They choose me!!!
MH: What do you mean with that?
Joey: I mean that they choose me and I don't choose them!!!
MH: How they choose you?
Joey: How the magic chooses the magician?
MH: Can you describe it?
Joey: It's impossible. It's the inspiration. When you are writing a story, how do you know what words to use? It's very simple, you just follow the feeling. How a painter paints a picture? How he knows what kind of colors to use?
MH: So, your inspiration comes from books, movies etc., Or you writing what you thinking?
Joey: All together. If you live your life and you have deep feelings, you can transmit them easily.
MH: Are you interested in other kinds of art?
Joey: I love sculpture & painting. Also i like architecture. I have been three times at the acropolis of Athens!!! I love anything that is elegant.
MH: Do you believe that your music could be called "elegant", except from powerful and hard?
Joey: Manowar's music has everything!! It's beautiful, ugly, it's vigorous, it's gentle, it's powerful, it's a source of inspiration, it's strange, it's crazy, it's EVERYTHING!!! As it happens in life. Some times life makes you happy, some times not. Our music is the music of life...
MH: Have you listened any epic metal bands that you liked?
Joey: Yes I listened many bands but I can't remember names!!! I like many different kinds of music. It's hard for me to remember names... But I repeat that I like anything that comes from the heart.
MH: How do you feel when you listen for groups that have Manowar as inspiration?
Joey: Great! I know that there are many bands that play Manowar's style of music and that is very important for us. I can't give you specific names, because my life is full of two things: the music of Manowar and the FANS of Manowar. There is no space for something else. It's like to be married and have a family!! I have our fans as my family & I don't care about any other kind of family.... I have only one life and I am giving everything to our fans!!!
MH: When you are composing, how much do you think what the fans want to listen, and how much do you think what do you want?
Joey: These two things are the same. When a song likes to me, I know that our fans will like it too.
MH: So, is it impossible to add something in your music that your fans will not like?
Joey: I can't how that could happened? The biggest virtuoso, Paganini, said: "When something makes me to say that something extraordinary happens, that will be the same for the others and vice versa. You must be the hardest judge of yourself, and to be so honest with yourself is very hard sometimes."
MH: After a year, how was your fans reaction about "Louder Than Hell"?
Joey: It was the album with the biggest sales until now. Also more people saw our tour.

=1997
Greek Metal Hammer

This interview is taken from Manowar MountainS

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