MM: It’s great to chat to you tonight and congratulations on your recently released Live Album 2016 . It’s a real tasty morsel for the modern Prog Metal fan and encapsulates the Band live is that a fair comment

 

Andreas: Thanks a lot. Since years it was really a goal for Vanden Plas to release a live DVD/CD. We were glad to get the chance to record the live show in Atlanta. Unfortunately it took a long time to get the video files from U.S.A.

After receiving the files it was a big work for Björn Widmann and me to cut the best scenes together.

 

 

 

MM: How pleased are you with the response from fans and media to the release.

 

Andreas:The response is great. I think it is very important for a band like us to release a live video because we tour most of the time in Europe. For a lot of fans it's hard or not possible to visit our live shows. So these people can get a imagination of a Vanden Plas live show which is better than some youTube videos.

 

 

 

MM: You have played some amazing Venues in your career, but if I could ask you to pick your favourite ever appearance which one would it be and why.

 

Andreas:I would pick a show we played on our tour as support for Dream Theater in 1997 in Oslo. I think it was the Rockefeller. It was like a former theater. We were looking in balconys packed with people. The crowd was amazing during our show. After the show we visited the Hard Rock Cafe to get some drinks and it was hard for me to play the next day's show in Stockholm/Cirkus because my total hangover. All in all a great Rock and Roll evening.

 

 

 

MM: Can you remember the first time you played live and how it felt to have people watching you perform

 

Andreas:The first show I ever did was on 6.3.1982. Easy to remember because it was also the 18th birthday of my older brother. At that time it was easy to get a big crowd to a venue when every band was playing their own songs. It was a full packed sports hall and it was a great start for me as a 16 years old beginner. The band was called Exodus. When Andy Kuntz joined the band one year later we changed the name to Vanden Plas.

 

MM - Having been in the music business for some time you must have seen some radical changes over the years. Some good, some bad. What if anything would you like to see change?

 

Andreas :It would be great, if more people go to real live events seeing a band perform again. That was easy in the 70s, ok in the 80s and became harder during the 90s if you were not a top act. A DJ is not a live event.

 

 

MM: Away from Van Den Plas what other projects are you involved in.

 

Andreas: I was involved in:

• Missa Mercuria

• Abydos

• Section A

• Winterlong

• Ian Parry's Consortium Project

• Headcrash

 

 

MM: Which 2 Prog Metal Albums would you give me to listen to if I was totally new to the scene

Andreas:Try the

Dream Theater Images and words

and

King's X Dogman(which is not really Prog Metal - i know....)

 

Quick Fire Round:

1.Festival or small intimate gig

Festival

2.Vinyl or digital

Digital

3.Theatre or Festival

Festival – again....helps Vanden Plas more

• Bratwurst or beer

  Bratwurst and beer

5.The Swedish chef in the muppets or Donald Trump

Donald Trump in the Muppets Show. So every thing he does stays

still funny but not still dangerous

 

MM: Final Words for your fans and our listeners

Andreas:Thanks for your support in every way. Go to see bands performing live.