Feuerengel interview: Thanx so much to Florian (for sharing the questions for us) & the rest of the band for answering them! Apparently answered on a bus ride to a show, guess they were bored ;) Very enlightening! :) Many thanx again! -Mikki 7/03
DML: What part of Germany are you from & how did you all get together?
Feuerengel: We are all from the North of Germany. Mainly near Hamburg.
DML: How did you become a member of Feuerengel?
Boris: I founded the band in 1997.
Thorsten: Word of mouth. I knew the drummer - he asked me - I wasn’t really into Rammstein, but interested. Now I’m addicted to the stuff.
Florian: Boris asked me in 2001 if I would like to join the band. A guitar player had left.
Holger: My friend Boris formed Feuerengel and there was no bass player.
DML: What bands besides Rammstein have inspired/influenced you?
Boris: Lacrimosa, Megaherz, Witt, Accept, Stratovarius.
Thorsten: Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode
Florian: Neil Young, Stones, The Band, Metallica, Brian Setzer, several others
Holger: Queen, Toto, Dream Theater and others
Ulli: Roy Orbison, Ray Charles, Kate Bush, Laurie Anderson, AC/DC, Who, Rush
DML: What bands have you all been in previously & is Feuerengel your sole project now or are you in other bands as well? If so what are they?
Boris: I was a drummer in several bands for eleven years. I had a rock band called "Waitress" until 1997. At the moment, Feuerengel is the only bad I’m in.
Thorsten: Miscellaneous soul and rock bands. Feuerengel is currently the only band I play in.
Florian: Besides Feuerengel I play in an oldie/rock-cover-band (www.return-band.de)Until 2001 I also played in a rock’n’roll-cover-band (www.45jive.de)
Holger: New Age (Rock, original stuff), Sir Face (Top 40), Hells Balls (AC/DC-cover). At the moment only Feuerengel.
Ulli: Several cover bands and projects. I used to play with Lotto King Karl (a singer from Hamburg)
DML: How did you first get interested in Rammstein?
Boris: I worked as a backliner at the Hurricane Festival in 1997. I had to organize some things for Rammstein. During their concert I was allowed to sit on stage to see the show. After that I was fascinated by Rammstein and had the idea to form Feuerengel.
Thorsten: I liked the energy and impact of both heavy guitars and of course all the keyboard and sequence stuff.
Florian: Someone gave me tape with the Herzeleid-album on the b-side. He wanted me to listen to the band "Schweisser" on the a-side. But I liked the Rammstein-side much more and played the tape until it broke. So I bought the cd and later Sehnsucht. Ten there were two concerts on TV and I decided to go to a show. I became a fan.
Holger: By playing the songs.
DML: You guys do a REALLY good job of covering Rammstein! It's hard to tell you from the original! Was it hard to get the Rammstein sound down so well? How do you, Boris, manage to sound so much like Till?
Boris: I simply change my voice. Like Till does it too.
Thorsten: Programming the backings was quite hard. Just like producing the songs all over again. But it was fun.
Florian: You can’t copy the sound en detail but we try our very best. Especially Boris does a great job.
Holger: It isn’t exactly the original sound. I always wonder how Boris does it.
Ulli: We have a good keyboarder.
DML: Are the background voices, such as on "Engel", sampled or did you find singers for it?
Boris: Thorsten?
Thorsten: I asked my wife and we think she did a really good job.
Florian: ?? That was before I joined the band.
Holger: I "sang" some parts.
Ulli: I sing on stage ;-)
DML: Do you have interest in writing your own music? If so, will we be able to hear it sometime?
Boris: I’m working on my own project: www.der-bote.com
Thorsten: www.der-bote.com Click and enjoy.
Florian: No time left. But I like www.der-bote.com
Holger: No. Just playing.
Ulli: I can’t write at all.
DML: I have never seen you live but hear you have a great stage show! Do you do your pyrotechnics yourselves or do you have professional help?
Boris: We have professional help.
Thorsten: We have our own technician for all the pyro stuff. He has an official license although it’s all still more of a hobby.
Florian: (see Thorsten)
Holger: Unfortunately I never saw our show...
Ulli: I also never saw our show. Just my burning hair and fingers ;-)
DML: Have you ever released any of your Rammstein covers? Maybe on a tribute album or something?
Boris: No, unfortunately not.
Thorsten: We asked the Rammstein-management. Unfortunately, they didn’t allow us to do so.
Florian: No.
Holger: We only recorded a five-track demo.
DML: Any chance an album would ever be released?
Boris: Not by Feuerengel. I hope to release my own album soon.
Thorsten: No. (see above)
Florian: No. (see above)
Holger: No. (see above)
Ulli: We would be able to, but... (see above)
DML: What was your best professional experience?
Boris: Our big success in the Netherlands! I wouldn’t have dreamt of it.
Thorsten: Playing for Rammstein at their platinum-award-party.
Florian: Great concerts and festivals, especially in the Netherlands. And nice chicks in the front row...
Holger: Earning money by making music.
Ulli: Sex.
DML: How often do you get to see Rammstein when they're on tour?
Boris: A few year ago, I saw them three or four times per tour. Now only one concert, if Paul Landers invites us.
Thorsten: Once per tour.
Florian: Once per tour.
Holger: Seldom.
Ulli: Seldom.
DML: What other German bands do you like besides Rammstein, if any?
Boris: Lacrimosa, Megaherz, Witt
Thorsten: Wolfsheim
Florian: Megaherz, Stoppok (singer/songwriter), many others
Holger: Tic Tac Toe
Ulli: ?
DML: What do you do when not making music? What kind of jobs do you have?
Boris: I work in a workshop for handicapped people.
Thorsten: I’m a teacher.
Florian: I’m an editor.
Holger: Same as Boris.
Ulli: Mainly musician.
DML: Do any of you have wives &/or children? If so, how does that affect you musically?
Boris: I have a fiancée. She supports my work for Feuerengel very much.
Thorsten: I have a wife and three children - a strong inspiration.
Florian: No wife, no kids. Music goes first.
Holger: I have a wife and two children. They do not influence my musical activities.
Ulli: Yes, I have, but that does not affect me musically.
DML: We ask this of everyone: What is your favorite band & album? (though I suppose we can guess the answer to the "band" question)
Boris: I don’t have a favorite band.
Thorsten: Hard to tell. There’s so many...
Florian: If I had to chose an all-time-favorite: Appetite for Destruction
Holger: Hard to tell.
Ulli: AC/DC.
DML: Any cool story you'd like to share or anything you'd like to add?
Boris: Too many to write them down.
Thorsten: see Boris.
Florian: There are so many funny stories about Feuerengel. It’s a funny band.
Holger: I had fun while filling in this interview.
Ulli: ???
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