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Actually I wanted to do an interview last fall while Jaded Heart were on tour, but then they got off that tour after a few days. Now they are back on the road in Europe, this time supporting Rage. Time to talk about a few things and luckily this time the interview took place. In Andernach I had the chance to talk to drummer Axel Kruse before the show and he was in a splendid mood.
Let's start with this tour... How is it going?
Great!
On the last tour you had to face some problems...
Yes, there have been problems...
Perfect Insanity - so to speak.
From the first moment!
When the information was spread that you are off that tour, I found it a bit strange that there was just a statement from the other side.
There was an agreement that nobody will talk about this and the others just broke this agreement.
You aren't yougsters who just began...
Exactly.
If youngsters go on tour for the first time there is a chance that someone doesn't behave correctly, but you are around for so many years, you know how to do this.
Right, and that's what happened.
I was really surprised!
Same with us!
I guess, now everything's great... To tour with Rage is...
Fantastic! The Rage guys are just great! The shows are better and more people come to see the show - compared to the other tour.
So it's even better now?!
Exactly!
This time you played some show more East... Prague, Budapest...
Prague was amazing! I really have to say that, just amazing!
And Zlín... which is frequently on the schedule since Masters Of Rock started years ago. Btw, nice festival.
Perhaps we will play there...
So, everything's fine?
Absolutely!
Have you already started writing new songs?
We have 3-4 songs and I think this fall we will record demos...
After being on tour many bands have a creative boost...
Right and we will play England in May...
Right.
...and we might play another tour this fall. Nothings confirmed yet, so... But it looks good, also for some festival shows. This tour really get's us onto a new level.
The package is quite good. Rage is a great live band, not just skilled - and their fans are usually give other bands a warm welcome...
Quite true. And the new songs are just great. We had no bad moments with the audience, so everything's cool.
So this tour is a lucky strike!?
Absolutely! Everything happens for a reason. Rage called us just 2 days after we returned from that tour. They said: "e;No way we believe this bullshit!"e;
Exactly what I thought.
And so they offered us to join them on the whole European tour.
Tells a lot about Rage. I know them a bit and I wouldn't have expected anything else from them.
Well, we expected something else at the other tour, too. Never thought they will act like ass holes!
You never know. It's a pity, but things like that happen.
Now everything is fine.
The future looks bright?!
Absolutely! At the end it's good the way it has been, it was destiny.
On this tour you gonna play in Spain, Italy, Czech Republic and Hungary - and Germany. In May you'll visit Great Britain, but what about Scandinavia?
Difficult, coz the Swedish guys don't really get things on the way.
I just thought about it, coz you would have fit perfectly on this 'Rock The Boat' cruise...
But you can't get yourself on the bill...
In this case it wouldn't have worked out anyway due to the tour. But musically it would have been great...
Absolutely! With the booking agencies it didn't work too well, after the tour we'll see, if we continue working with Dragon - and then we hopefully will play more often abroad.
Through the years you did some great records...
I hope so!
But touring didn't always worked out, even if it's quite important these days.
You have take in account who's touring in Germany nowadays - which are at the same level as we are. There aren't too many....
It's getting more difficult.
But we hit the road frequently, whenever we get the chance to. At the other hand is always comes down to the financial aspect.
The money is always the problem.
Especially these days where the label don't give you any money. Frontiers one of the few who give you advanced money at a decent basis.
And they try to bring the bands out on the road.
Yes, but in the end... it's still difficult.
Times are changing...
You have to have your priorities and if you get a superb offer, then the label has to help you making it happen.
Back in the days you were waiting for your favorite band to come on tour, but these days there are hundreds of thousands of bands.
Sure, that's part of the problem. And everybody gets active again and hits the road.
When you started with Mad Max it was different, there weren't as many bands, especially in your field.
Quite true, but that's the past.
Mad Max always been a lot of fun, so no need to belittle it.
We had a good time too! We had a great time - the first tour with Yngwie Malmsteen, Pretty Maids, the Future World tour and then being on tour with Stryper - and it was the only European tour they did.
I remember very well!
That was cool! We had a great time, but then something which would have really boosted out career didn't happen...
A problem many bands had to face...
Max Norman should mix the album again and Roadrunner Records wanted to sell the package to RCA, but RCA only wanted Mad Max - and so it never happened.
Well...
A major deal for the US in 1986... Well, I guess I wouldn't need to have a day job... But that's a wild guess.
Only the big ones can make a living from music.
Well, if I made big money and squander every dime, then it's my own fault.
So, stay down-to-Earth and not go over the top.
Exactly!
All this shows that it's not always in your hands, but now the future for Jaded Heart looks bright and I'm pretty sure it won't take long til we hear again from the German-Swedish outfit.
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