Blind Guardian’s 22-date US tour supporting ‘The God Machine’ started on April 18th at The Fillmore in Maryland and will inevitably end with a coveted headlining slot at the 2024 Milwaukee Metal Fest in mid-May. For those not in the know, it was preceded by the band’s highly successful ‘Somewhere Far Beyond Tour’ throughout across Germany.
And while the power metal quartet has been nowhere as prolific as their adoring fans would have wished, ‘The God Machine’ stands up nicely among their storied catalog without sounding dated nor derivative. Highlights from the latest album issued on Nuclear Blast Records include ‘Damnation,” “Secrets of the American Gods,” “Deliver Us From Evil,” and ’Architects Of Doom.”
Not ones to sit idle, the group also issued a wonderful collection dubbed ‘Legacy of the Dark Lands’ under the banner of the Blind Guardian Twilight Orchestra back in 2019.
At present, the band includes founding members Hansi Kürsch (vocals) and André Olbrich (lead guitar), along with mainstays Marcus Siepen (rhythm guitar) and newest addition Frederik Ehmke (drums).
We caught up with vocalist Hansi Kürsch during the opening night of their US tour to get the lowdown on all things Blind Guardian-related and then some.
Capital Chaos TV: ‘The God Machine’ was released in 2022 after a seven year drought. Why the long wait?
Hansi Kürsch: There are plenty of reasons. On one side, we lost two years due to Corona; all plans had to be skipped. We also had two years of live activities after ‘Beyond the Red Mirror’ where composing was not possible at all. Blame the last years on our passion for perfection!
Capital Chaos TV: You have a lot of catalog to pull from each night. How often do you switch up the set list on a US tour?
Hansi Kürsch: We play mostly the same songs each night to be in control. We have approximately two different songs in the set each night to make sure we do not get too confident about what is coming next. It’s a mixture of routine and surprise. There are around 30 songs we can chose from, and a set contains 14 to 16 songs depending on the night.
Capital Chaos TV: What current bands are on your radar that you listen to regularly?
Hansi Kürsch: We have Night Demon along with us in North America. Before that, we had Sorcerer from Sweden and German band The Night Eternal. These are bands we like and we wanted to have with us. They are appealing to our audience, which is a top priority thing. All of these bands have a great chance to become bigger.
Capital Chaos TV: How do you and the others deal with the 22 hours you’re not on stage on a typical US tour? Any regimens you follow?
Hansi Kürsch: Everybody is free to do whatever he wants to during most of the other 22 hours. Everyone‘s focus is on the next upcoming show, though. I‘d say that 50% of our time is reserved for warm-ups, soundchecks and show-related stuff. The rest of the time we try to visit comic or record stores. When we have the chance, there is also a bit of regular sight-seeing involved. We love to visit churches and graveyards.
Capital Chaos TV: Does Blind Guardian still make residuals on previous Century Media and No Remorse records releases? Any plans to get the catalog back in full and re-issued by Nuclear Blast?
Hansi Kürsch: I think Nuclear Blast did great in distributing all our old records in every possible way. I don’t think we will add the old Century Media versions to the catalog as that would be a bit too much. Our focus is the future so we keep our focus not only on our legacy, but also on new songs that are going to be distributed on physical formats.
Capital Chaos TV: Some acts today live off of sync licensing in addition to live shows and merchandising. What films, commercials, etc have you been featured in? Is there anybody working on your behalf to secure more placement?
Hansi Kürsch: We take this as it comes. We have a bunch of stuff being brought in by several partners. Nuclear Blast and our publishing partners are good in acquiring such things. We also actively contacted many computer game companies ourselves. I might be the wrong one in telling you what we are involved in, but it ranges from computer games to movies, TV trailers, and TV- series. We take it as it comes. In this regard, we are very old school.
Capital Chaos TV: What do you attribute the band’s longevity to? It’s your 40th anniversary this year as a band and you are still bringing in newer generations.
Hansi Kürsch: The main reason – as with any band being in the music business for so long – is not only absolute passion and dedication to the music, but also confidence about our own musical mission. People keep saying that we’ve had a long run, but it does not feel like 40 years. I am grateful for the fact that younger generations are also loving our music. This is partly due to older fans passing the Guardian spirit to their children who became dedicated fans. Nowadays there are kids who are just now catching the spirit of our music because it is moving something within them. That is a precious thing.
Blind Guardian play The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco located at 1300 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco. Support comes from Night Demon. Doors open at 7pm and the show starts promptly at 8pm. All ages are welcome. Tickets start at $45 and can be purchased at www.theregencyballroom.com.
(Capital Chaos TV)