Things have been happening at a really fast pace in the Gotthard camp in recent months, with the band splitting from long-term record company BMG, and starting up their own record label, obtaining new management, as well as bass player Marc Lynn being cruelly injured in a motor-bike accident. Claudia Channing and Antoinette Avalon got down with vocalist Steve Lee to get the inside story...

First of all, how is Marc? When will he be back on track again?

Marc is doing fine so far - at least, better. It is surely a long-term thing and it will take longer than we all thought in the beginning. He was given an artificial shoulder joint and there are days when his body wants to reject this foreign object. At the moment he is doing daily exercises and will have to work hard on himself over the next 2 months. Playing the bass is not possible during this time. We are lucky that we found Nicola Angileri, an Italian bass player, a really lucky break. He had to learn more than 20 songs during only three rehearsals, which is only possible with a 100% professional. We expect Marc to play on the next album, at least on the next tour. We hope that he will recover.

Is it even possible that he won't join the recordings for the new album?

Maybe not on some songs. It's a little bit too soon to know that. Right after this show we will start to seriously write new songs. We will try a lot of different people. We want to break out of the cliché that Leo and me are sitting at the open fire, playing the acoustic guitar and create a new album this way. Usually we do not have a lot of time and it will be like the tour is over and in three months we need the new album and so you end up under tremendous pressure. We will take the time we need for this album but think about a release in March/April next year, so we have to accelerate. A good album needs time.

So you don't write new songs or work on new stuff while touring?

It's too much to call it writing. We are a band who needs distance from the tour to write. Okay, sometimes you have an idea, you record that with a Dictaphone or write it down, but we don't write a complete new album in the tour bus. There are bands who work like that but personally I have to get free of the pressure you have on tour. You need an open mind to concentrate on one thing - whether you do a new album or a tour.

Does it work to say, "Now I have to write" and the creativity is available on demand?

No, this is one of the problems we have a lot. If you have to, it won't work at all. You need a relaxed atmosphere, have fun and it's not good if there is the word "must". We have been lucky because we have always had the chance to free our minds of all the problems you have with being a band. There have been internal changes, also management changes, and we founded a label on our own in Switzerland and so on. A lot is new. It is a real new chapter. But on the other side there is a fresh breeze, which causes a good feeling after fourteen years I guess.

A cue ... your own label. Isn't there a certain risk in that?

There's always a risk. You never know what will happen on this crazy planet. It is the same with the music. There is always a risk, but no risk no profit, that's normal. It's the same everywhere. It has to be like that and that's the good side of the adrenaline. You want to know how far you can get and so far we always bet on the right horse.

Didn't you give up a lot (long time partners, friends) because of leaving BMG, which is now joining Sony, the second big record company? (Note: Gotthard just left their last long-time partner Tomas Fisera.)

For one reason this is correct. There are, especially at BMG Switzerland, some people who are very great and helped us a lot. We also are still in contact with them. But to be honest, even these people don't know what will happen to them. I heard that there will have to leave about only 40 people in Switzerland after BMG and Sony unite and I can imagine that one or the other of these people may not be there. It's a shame. We will stay in contact ... and the story goes on anyhow.

Why did you play shorter than usual at the Munich Deep Impact Festival? You were the headliner. Was it because of the curfew at 10pm?

Yes, that was the reason. It does not matter, no more time and bye. It's a shame.

But isn't it an impudence to cut the show of the headliner?

I don't know for sure what happened. But sometimes the responsible people have problems and so it is always the band at the end of the list who has to take the consequences. It certainly isn't funny if you are told that it is over now. But then there is the fear of the police or other bigger problems. That happens sometimes. It's kind of brutal for the audience and you would like to explain it. I also don't like that at all, but shit happens.

The set list of this year's festival tour has changed several times. I was lucky to hear "What I Like" today again.

That's great for you! I also like it! It depends on what kind of festival you perform. For example you have to accept that people going to the Headbanger's Ball would prefer the harder kind of stuff. After all, we have so many songs that we can chose the right ones. The last three shows we had to do with our replacement bass player AND the new keyboarder. The keyboarder will stay until next year. The bass player had to learn the whole set list in only three rehearsals. That lasted from one afternoon until eight in the evening in a 31 degree hot room. That was heavy.

Nicola seems to feel very familiar with you and is romping like wild across the stage.

Yes, what I really like about him is that childlike behaviour, that childlike happiness that he can play rock ´n´ roll live on stage. He is an excellent bass player but in Italy you usually play with Ramazotti, Renato Zero and all those people. Rock ´n´ roll is less known and pop and soul are more common. Gotthard is also a topic in Italy but not as big as everybody knows it. These guys have a lot of fun with us. Nicolo is enjoying the new time a lot and Nicola even more because he knows that it might not last forever. It's really great.

How did you find both of them?

Nicolo; Fragile, the keyboarder, was working with us before. He also had been on tour with Ramazotti and helped us editing the Homerun album in Ticino. Leo got his address and so one lead to the next. Nicola knew Nicolo and somehow everybody knows everybody in this business. It's a small world.

How does Marc feel about this?

He could bite his one butt. We warned him when we were sponsored with the bikes. I also got one. He is a huge speed fan and loves to ride fast. He said that nothing could happen, he would take care and there are instructors taking care of him. Everything went okay until the last bend. The instructor told everybody that this is the last round and everybody should come back to the pit. Somehow he lost his concentration and it ended as badly as possible. Just like if you go skiing, nothing happens until the last minute because you get tired and lose concentration.

During the "Human Zoo" tour you played a perfect double drum solo with Hena. What can we expect next? There are great expectations. Maybe Hena will play hanging on the ceiling upside down?

Thanks. Great, that's what you'd like [laughs]. We maybe even have outdone ourselves with the ‘Human Zoo’ Tour. If there was any criticism, it was said that the show was too big and too much. You almost didn't listen to the music but spent your time looking at the show. We have filmed this show and planned to release it one day on DVD. It's not possible yet because of the rights.

This DVD has been announced already. Did you hold it back because of leaving BMG?

Yes. We actually wanted to release it but then they said that we should not do it now and so we hold it back. We really would like to publish it. It's a complete two hours show of the "Human Zoo" tour. It was filmed with 6 cameras and so on and it is even mixed already. It became so fantastic but it would be stupid to kick it out now because of the rights and so we still hold it back.

But to come back. We had a lot of expenses on this tour. It has been damn expensive to do the drum solo the way we did it, with the hydraulic underneath my drum set. The hydraulic had to be rented in Sweden every time. If we had no show for three or four days it always had to be brought back. At the end you spent as much as you earned when you are on tour with 20 people, three night liners, trucks and such stuff. This is very expensive. But this does not mean that we will play next year with candlelight only. You have to take care that the music is the main thing but that there are also some eye catchers. I'd love to do another drum solo and you will be surprised. At the moment we don't know about it for sure, that will be developed while preparing. Next year we plan to do the open air shows first after releasing the new CD and to go on tour with the complete production later. So far it has always been different but we thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to work on the musical side at first and take care of the production in time and step by step. It might be possible to create something nice that way as well.

Will there be another Christmas tour again this year?

No. At this time we will only write new songs and record. That would not work to write songs, record and tour.

You and Leo were just in Athens, Greece. How was your visit and were you afraid of the flight or any other terror acts? How do you remember 9-11-01?

We have not been afraid of terror in Athens or just during the flight. They spent so much money for security and everything was organised very well. OK, you never know but I am not an anxious person. I think if anything has to happen it has to happen. In this very moment a meteorite could smash in here ...

Athens was a great experience. It was wonderful to see the Acropolis and to sing for the athletes. After we played they won some more medals. Only Roger Federer lost, but he did not stay the evening. I was in Greece once before with my parents and this time unfortunately I had no time for sightseeing but at least there was enough time for taking some pictures.

In the TV show VIParade you performed, ‘What About Love’. Will this be the next single CD release?

BMG wants to release this song as the new single CD.

Yeah yeah!

You as well? We have a problem with kicking out new single CD's almost every 2-3 weeks. At first this one, then the next one. You don't have enough time to explain to the people to buy this or that one. We did not talk about it officially if this will be the next one or not. We only thought it would be a good promotion for the ‘Best Of’ album, on which there are yet more unreleased songs. To close this chapter we have put these songs on the album as well. From now on there will be only new songs. I do think that this could be the next single CD but it might be a little bit too long maybe, but the company should decide that. They should know better.

The latest single CD's have only been released in Switzerland. Is Germany not such a good market place for that and what about Japan?

There have been no further single CD's in Japan, the ‘Best Of’ album only. To be honest this is the conclusion with BMG for us, the band has also chosen the songs which have been important during our career.

The ‘Best Of’ album entered the Swiss charts at #2 and finally got to #1. When will it get any metal?

It should already. But we still wait, maybe there will be even more, you know [laughs].

What about ‘Angel’ on the ‘Best Of’ album?

Somehow you have make a decision. People ask for this or that song and ‘Angel’ has been a fantastic great song but ‘Let It Be’ has been more important to us. ‘Angel’ is more like an insider hit. I think we have already written more than 90 songs and it is quite hard to chose 19 and 17 best ones.

In the meantime, are there concrete plans for the USA?

It would be great! The plans are still in their infancy. We are trying to get a deal with an independent label and as far as I know they plan to publish an extra ‘Best Of’ album for America to call people's attention to Gotthard.

On the forthcoming album are there already any titles for songs or the album? I guess you will record it again in your own studio at home, but who will produce it?

We have different titles on mind. First we work on the songs. We record a kind of demo before we start the recordings. We then chose a producer to match the songs. Probably not only one producer will be responsible for the complete album. At first this seems very expensive but we recognised that while working with Marc Tanner, he did a great job, but we already had done more than 50% of his job. We didn't really need him anymore. But there are some songs which need a final polish. We still talk about this and it is too soon yet to tell. So far no song is finished and you really can't tell now.

What about the rumours of a new lady by your side. What about a statement from you about this?

Well, I don't have a new partner yet. I have a very good friend but it is not like we’re planning to live together. Actually there has been a separation at home but that does not mean that we are divorced. It's only a separation. We found a good solution for the moment. She is happy, I am happy. But before you go to the public with things like that somehow you have at first to know with what. Even I don't know where the road will lead to. Sometimes I'd love to know it but sometimes things are not that easy. I'd like to concentrate on the music.

Do Gotthard go and see concerts of other artists? What do you think about other long time bands like The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper or KISS?

I love to watch these people. You can always learn something new and they have great experience. That's where we come from. We also have taken a lot of the 70's, the roots of our music come from there. I think it is important that you listen to a lot of new stuff and pick it up. But don't copy it. Just take care of it and notice the tendency. I am very happy that the kind of music we play is coming back. Though we don't have to copy it, it's the music we already played before. So I think we have great chances for the next tour and CD. Gotthard has been doing that kind of music for about 15 years now and now it's coming back, coming back from America. Let's hope that it will work all right.

Where will Gotthard be in 10 or 20 years?

On stage! If we aren't in jail, I'd say we will be on stage [laughs]. That's our life and as long as god makes it possible for you to sing while you're 50 years old, having good friendships in the band, good management . . . I really think we'll be on stage for sure. There are people of this age who still do great shows, you just mentioned it, The Rolling Stones and so on. They still are here. Let's see, I hope that we still can compete. It looks good at the moment.