Following the snake’s trail
DORO PESCH HAS BEEN WOWING ROCK AUDIENCES WORLDWIDE FOR FOUR DECADES AND THIS MONTH SHE’LL BE WARMING UP SAXON’S PARTISAN CROWD AT NEWCASTLE CITY HALL. SIMON RUSHWORTH CAUGHT UP WITH THE ULTIMATE METAL QUEEN.
NORMALLY nerveless, it’s likely Doro Pesch will need to unravel the odd knot deep inside her stomach when the time comes to step on to the fabled Newcastle City Hall stage. For one night only, she’ll be treading the same boards as her favourite band inside the venue which made their name.
The nerves apart, where Whitesnake led in the late 70s, Pesch is eager to follow.
“I didn’t realise what a part Newcastle and the City Hall had to play in Whitesnake’s early years and I’m even more excited to play there now,” admitted the former Warlock frontwoman and self-confessed David Coverdale fanatic.
“The band were such a huge influence on me and they were the first band I saw live when we’d started our band. Don’t Break My Heart Again is one of my favourite songs on our new double album and Whitesnake were always going to feature somewhere!
“I called my first band Snakebite in honour of David Coverdale and I still love the band today. It’s exciting to know I’ll be treading the same boards as that classic early line-up and hopefully playing for a few original members of the Whitesnake Choir.”
With Warlock and as a solo artist, Pesch has played to the North East’s passionate rock community in the past. But this month’s City Hall gig – as the undercard to headliners Saxon – is, perhaps, her highest-profile Newcastle show yet. And Pesch is predicting fireworks from Biff Byford and his NWOBHM stalwarts.
“Am I surprised Saxon are still at the top of their game as a live band – not at all,” she added. “What they do is the real thing. It’s so passionate and there’s so much energy. When Warlock were finding their way as a metal band I had three major points of reference: Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and, of course, Saxon.
“We’ve toured together so many times over the years and they’ve always had so many killer songs. Biff is such a great frontman and I’ve learned a lot from him. He’s one of a kind and the very definition of a metal singer. I asked him to be a part of our 30th anniversary set at Wacken and he performed with us at the 20th anniversary show too. He’s such a great singer and Saxon are still an amazing band.”
Quiz Byford on Pesch and it’s clear there’s a mutual respect underpinning the relationship between two vocal greats. Both have enjoyed the highs and endured the lows of heavy metal’s five decade-journey and new double album Forever Warriors, Forever United is a star-studded and steely celebration of a genre that simply refuses to die.
“In 1990 I made my self-titled solo album with Gene Simmons,” explained Pesh. “I was a big Kiss fan and he was an excellent producer. It was still going well for me in Europe back then but you got a sense that the climate was changing. In 1991 we went to Nashville to make True At Heart and I remember listening to the radio and realising that I couldn’t hear any of the rock music that I knew and loved. Suddenly grunge took over and it was really tough.
“The whole industry changed overnight and I just couldn’t get a release for my records in America. I remember presenting four or five songs to the record label and they asked me if I was happy with them. Of course I was, but then they asked me if there was any grunge on the album.
“When I replied that there wasn’t, their simple answer was that they couldn’t release the record. It was very, very tough but I still loved my fans and I still loved music so I decided that, no matter what, I was going to hang in there.”
And she did. A decade later Pesch found herself back in the game and back on the road with the legendary Ronnie James Dio and Yngwie Malmsteen. The comeback was on and this year’s critically acclaimed double album captures the spirit and passion at the heart of a truly unique performer breathing new life into an enduring genre.
“Forever Warriors, Forever United is a real celebration of rock and metal in every sense,” added Pesch. “So many of my heroes and my friends are on there. There’s some great guitar work from [ex-Whitesnake and current Dead Daiseis guitarist] Doug Aldrich and I loved doing a duet with Johan Hegg from Amon Amarth.
“It was so much fun to do the album and there are so many great songs.
“When I told my record label that I’d like to do a double album they pointed out it was pretty rare in this day and age to do that but they gave me the green light. And I think everyone’s happy with the end result.”
■ Doro Pesch supports Saxon at Newcastle City Hall on November 11. Forever Warriors, Forever United is out now on Nuclear Blast.