If you're going to have a magazine called Fireworks, named after the classic Bonfire album of the same name, then it would seem only appropriate to have an interview with the band itself for this premier issue.

I had done an interview with Claus Lessmann some time ago, so I went scurrying to my pile of old magazines to dig it out. I looked at the date... April 1990. Exactly 10 years ago! Damn I'm starting to feel old! But at least Bonfire is still around and still creating great music. They started their career as Cacumen. As Claus originally told me...

"There's no special story about it. It started like any other college band. We met at school and just decided to form a band and play together, no big deal. But after a year we started really playing… doing gigs up and down Germany. We did many shows and got a lot of experience playing live. We finally got a record deal with an independent company that actually wasn't very good for us, but was something special at the time. So we took the chance and made a record, which sounded... terrible (laughs). It didn't do too well, but after a couple of years there was a break point for us, where we had line-up changes and changed the record company and management. With all this change we thought it was the perfect time to change the name also. Besides, people were having a lot of trouble understanding the name Cacumen. So we called the group Bonfire and everything just started for us."

I think most people know the history from then. A fabulous debut in 'Don't Touch The Light' followed by the awe-inspiring 'Fireworks' which saw Bonfire announce themselves onto the scene as the natural successors to the Scorpions. But then things started to inexplicably go wrong. The follow up 'Point Blank' was a disappointment in many people's eyes, despite the inclusion of many big name song-writers. Then founding member Hans Ziller left to be replaced by Gerhard 'Angel' Schleiffer (augmented live by 2nd guitarist Michael Voss). The band released the massively under-rated 'Knockout' before Lessmann himself left, hooking up with his former guitarist for the Lessmann/Ziller project. Then followed a period and uncertainty as the remaining members brought in Paul Sabu to replace the departed Lessmann, but ended up selling the rights to the Bonfire name back to Lessmann and Ziller who proceeded to release an English version of the Lessmann/Ziller project as an official Bonfire release. To my ears, this album was way too light, with the predominance of acoustic guitar particularly inappropriate for a band of Bonfire's nature. The first proper Bonfire album after this was 'Rebel Soul' which I again found wanting. Cheap packaging and un-memorable songs left me sorely disappointed, and I wrote the band off as a spent force. However, with the release of 'Fuel To The Flames', the guys have finally realized what it is that the fans wanted, and just like Ronnie Dio, have returned to the sound that made them such favorites in the scene during those heady days of the late 80's.

But to begin my conversation, I refer Claus to some of his answers from my previous interview, because the last ten years have seen some interesting choices. I had asked Claus back then if he had ever considered writing and singing in German. He had replied then that he never felt like doing this. He preferred writing in English as it was more international. So not then, but maybe some time in the future. Of course, the original version of the Lessmann/Ziller album was recorded in German. An interesting choice and I wondered what had brought about this change of mind.

"Basically, I must say, after I left Bonfire back in '92, everyone expected me to do something like Bonfire. So when I started working with Hans again we said 'Let's make something completely different that nobody will expect'. And so we decided the best thing would be writing songs in German. That was the main reason for doing it. And I must say that it was a good experience doing it but I still can tell you the same answer I gave you back in '90, that I feel better writing and singing in English."

The Lessmann/Ziller album was subsequently re-recorded in English and released as a Bonfire album. Was this version more successful?

"It was more successful, yes. But I must say the German version was pretty successful too because after Bonfire was starting again people got so interested in the German stuff we did, and bought that as well. That was a very interesting point for us to see. There's one song on there, 'Rock n' Roll Cowboy', and for a lot of people it's a cult song already - the German version, not the English one. And that makes us very happy."

Another point we discussed back then was the decision to dump the 'Fireworks' logo, which I thought was one of the most eye-catching monikers I'd seen, for the flaccid update seen on the then new 'Point Blank' album. Claus had defended that decision, claiming the new logo was better. I vehemently disagreed. Now we see that since the resurrection, the band has gone back to using the old logo. Why?

"I think because the 'Fireworks' times were the most successful times for Bonfire and it was a lot more fun than the years afterwards. You know, all that pain we felt with Hans and the management. So we said let's go back to the 'Fireworks' times and try to make almost the same kind of music and recombine it with the 'Fireworks' logo."

Around the time of 'Point Blank' Bonfire also contributed the song 'Sword And The Stone' for the 'Shocker' soundtrack. 10 years ago a video was being shot and the song was due to be the second single from the album. Having never seen the video, I wonder if this ever came to fruition?

"Yes, we did shoot the video and it was a single, but as the film was a flop in the States the single didn't make it in the charts and the video wasn't played very often. It was shot somewhere in the middle of Germany in an old castle and it was a very good piece of work."

So how did Claus personally feel when Paul Sabu was announced as the new singer of Bonfire?

"Actually, I didn't really care with whom they were going. I couldn't do anything against it because I left the band and the boys were trying to find a new singer and get a new line-up. But they never got a deal and didn't release anything, so they gave up. And in '96 Hans and I bought back the rights for the name and we started the band again. And that was a good move I think."

So after all the problems he had experienced in the past, had he found it difficult at first to work with Hans again?

"No, not at all. We have known each other since '78 and played music together since '79. It was no issue at all and we discussed all the problems we had, and we were friends just like before - maybe even better."

And Joerg and Angel?

"I've just been on the phone with Jorg this morning. With Angel I have no contact at all. As far as I know he's in Arizona in the States, but there's no problem between us."

While a classic and undeniably fantastic album, 'Fireworks' has become something of a mill-stone around the band's neck. Every album since has been held up against this benchmark and found wanting. Does it annoy Claus having each new album put against 'Fireworks' for comparison?

"Well 'Fireworks' is "Fireworks' and a new album is a new album, and the bottom line, I think, it is correct that people do that because Bonfire's best and most successful album was 'Fireworks', and so it's kinda normal that people always compare with that album. And it makes me a little bit proud that 'Fuel To The Flames' is compared to it. I think it's correct what people are saying, and sometimes it pisses you off, but I would do the same thing with another band. When I talk about Bon Jovi, Scorpions or Van Halen, I would say... with Bon Jovi for example, the 'Slippery When Wet' or 'New Jersey' albums were the best. I think that's what people are always doing."

'Fireworks' and the follow up 'Point Blank' had many contributions from some very famous song-writers: Joe Lynn Turner, Marc Ribler, Jack Ponti, Bob Halligan Jr and of course, Desmond Child. Is this something the band would ever try again?

"Actually, I'm quite happy with the way it is going right now - but never say never, you know. If I should meet somebody where there's a good chemistry, why not write a song with them? And if it's a good song, why not put it on the album? But I think in the near future we'll stick to our own song-writing."

The new album contains a distinctive Southern flavour, with a cover of 'Sweet Home Alabama' and the song 'Rebel Pride'. Not what someone would associate with Bonfire, so where did that influence come from?

"That comes from Hans who is a big fan of southern rock, and I spend a lot of time in the States - going to the Daytona bike week, or all the Harley stuff, and I really love the southern sound as well - 38 Special, Lynyrd Skynrd... so the influence was very big because of that."

I'd read in an interview that you wrote 50 songs in three weeks for this album!

"I think it's important that you write a lot of songs because when you start song-writing again, in my experience, you first have to write a few shitty ones so you can decide which is a good song and which a bad one. So sometimes when you get into a groove it starts over-flowing and it can end up almost fifty songs."

The guys have been questioned many times about the songs 'Proud Of My Country' and 'Thumbs Up For Europe', but really, as far back as the debut with 'SDI' Bonfire have been making political comment. I asked Claus if he felt it was important to use his position to sometimes put a message across to the listeners.

"I think it's more important than ever because I think our whole generation is drowning in a party feeling where nobody cares about anything at all. I think it's a good thing, when you're writing songs and lyrics, that some of the songs should point something out. We don't want to change the world, because we can't, but there's more to life than only partying. So we reserve one or two songs to make statements about political or social things."

During the recent troubles in Yugoslavia, German, American and British troops were in combat together, on the same side, for the first time this century. For me, that was a strange situation, but I was happy to see it. It seemed that the world was at last letting Germany take its place again. How did Claus feel about this?

"I was feeling the same as you. As I always said, I'm proud of my country and proud that Germany has found its place with the nations again, because it was so hard after the war to get respect again from other countries and I think it was a good thing to fight side by side for freedom."

The band toured in October/November last year, but only in Germany and Switzerland. Any chance of a wider tour this year?

"We start doing festivals in April until August, but mainly Germany and Switzerland again. We're doing a show on the island of Sardinia, close to Naples. And we're 99% sure to play a show in Macedonia for our soldiers in August. That's a cool thing because no-one has done it before."

I wonder, after so many years in the business, has he reached a point yet where he can look back and be happy with what he has achieved, or is there always more?

"I think in life there is always more to achieve. You know, you can be happy about some things and sad about others, but I think, basically, you can call it life. And if you are ever satisfied then I think it's about time to leave."

So what does the future hold for Clauss Lessmann and Bonfire?

"Hopefully only good things, and I just hope that I stay healthy."

I would think that if the band can capitalise on the return to form of the new album then there are certainly only good things ahead for the band.