DORO’s 25th Anniversary: And You Were There…
Special report by Mark Gromen
Think about it… how many one-name artists are there in metal? The mere mention of just one word brings instant recognition and, more importantly, almost universal adulation. I’m not talking about some iconic, self-appointed black metal nickname, but simple first name recognition. DORO…enough said. Everyone knows who she is! Sure, being the fairer sex helps pinpoint the identity, but surviving the male dominated music world, particularly starting at a time when female metallers were virtually unheard of, let alone taken seriously, couldn’t have been easy. To earn recognition within the band context (WARLOCK) and parlay that to individual success, for a quarter of a century, is astounding, regardless of gender. For all that and more, her 25th Anniversary show/party at the ISS Dome in her hometown of Dusseldorf was a reason to take an early winter weekender to Germany.
What unfolded over the course of thirteen hours, from the early 2pm arrivals seeking limited edition merchandise, through the trio of opening acts that kicked off at 5pm, to the actual three hour, career spanning celebration and hours of after-party food and drink wasn’t so much a concert (in the usual sense), but a validation, no more of a lovefest, for the diminutive singer. In addition to her long-standing band-mates (left-handed bassist Nick Douglas has been with her 19 years, drummer Johnny Dee since ’93), the stage was graced by friends and countrymen admired, inspired or awed by the blond firecracker. Bobby Blitz (OVER KILL), Warrel Dane (NEVERMORE) and onetime PLASMATICS’ guitarist Jean Beauvoir (Doro never forgets an old friend) flew in from the States. Former NIGHTWISH songbird Tarja Turunen came down from Finland: Floor Jansen (AFTER FOREVER), the Netherlands. Klaus and Rudi, from the SCORPIONS and Chris Boltendahl (GRAVE DIGGER) have all had longer Deutsch careers, yet felt compelled to acknowledge the “Queen Of Metal” (a tag that makes her blush, unsuccessfully trying to humbly brush it aside). Add an amazingly lit and over-the-top stage, complete with pyro, oversized hydraulic moveable figure and monk robed attendants/back-up singers, all made for a visual cavalcade that will surely be amongst my favourite DVDs (when released), even with nearly the entire proceedings being conducted in a foreign tongue.
HOLY MOSES began the night, afforded just 20 minutes (enough for about four songs including ‘World In Darkness’ and ‘End Of Time’), but as a female fronted German outfit, Sabina Claussen shares a kinship with Ms. Pesch. She’s also been Angela Gassow (ARCH ENEMY) before Angela was, brutally fronting this thrash band since the 80s. LEAVES' EYES kicked off with Liv Kristin cooing solo, minus husband/vocal counterpart Alex Krull (ATROCITY). One gets the distinct impression the twosome had no idea the electro-goth wasn’t working, like no one let them in on the joke. Regardless, they soldiered through the silence, grabbing each other’s ass (as viewed from the Jumbotron, thanks cameraman!) offering ‘Oceans Way’, ‘Legend Land’ and a concluding ‘Elegy’, perhaps their best-known tune, before making way for Arch Enemy. Originally allotted 40 minutes, a prolonged changeover/sound check severely reduced their time. Chris Amott is sporting closely cropped (military?) hairstyle and despite it being a hockey arena, Gassow (who told those who didn’t know, that she was originally from nearby Cologne) wore he football/baseball eye black. The Swedes were able to get through ‘We Will Rise’, ‘All For One’ and a couple others before leaving prematurely, to the dismay of many.
Although a curtain shrouded the stage, anticipation built from the time Arch Enemy exited. A litany of the lady’s accomplishments was read aloud and then female boxing champ (she’s too cute to have lost many matches) Regina Halmich sauntered onto the catwalk to introduce her friend. Lights out and the arranged strings intro mixed ‘Fur Immer’ and ‘25 Years’ as a swirl of lights greeted the band, minus Doro. The serenity was split by the rapid introduction of ‘Earthshaker Rock’, Ms. Pesch in familiar leather attire strolling from backstage. Cue thunderous screams/applause, which from the photography pit, is barely audible over the amplified onstage din. ‘I Rule The Ruins’ continues the adrenaline rush, all the more ironic given the staging, meant to resemble the remnants of an old stone castle. Staring from on high, positioned behind Dee’s drum kit, a large, long-haired monk oversees the entire stage, his outstretched hands raised and lowered by the same hydraulics which that shift his lit eyes. The oversized prop is a bit of showmanship from a bygone era, when a concert was more than just listening to a live rendition of the album. Not simply a DVD replication, but an actual event. What’s nice (and good marketing) is that much of the set differs from the 20th anniversary gig!
‘You’re My Family’, ‘Night Of The Warrior’ and ‘Hellraiser’ preceded the initial guest appearance of the night, Over Kill’s Ellsworth on ‘Always Live To Win’. At the after party, he explained his participation with trademark cackle, “I always thought our voices would sound good together, as I sound like a monkey getting burned with cigarettes!” As the procession of songs (30 in all!) continued, one is struck by how much work Doro has done outside those classic Warlock-era tunes, as a good portion of such were reserved for the final hour, when the ’86 line-up joined her onstage. An explosion filled ‘Burn It Up’ (originally penned for Rhein Fire football team), saw the team’s former cheerleaders join the cowboy hat and chap bedecked Beauvoir avoiding the constant barrage of flame cannons. The heat was intense! ‘Above The Ashes’, the crowd sung ‘Fur Immer’ (those front row nearly re-creating the ecstasy of BEATLEMANIA), the also sung in German ‘Herzblut’, a softly begun rendition of JUDAS PRIEST’s ‘Breaking The Law’ and ‘Love Me In Black’ (always hear that one as “love in bed,” or is that just my male libido?) offered juxtaposition to ‘Metal Tango’, which book ended a Dee solo (know where Energizer got the drummer idea?). Doro spent most of the evening on the catwalk that thrust into the crowd. She was frequently joined by jack-in-the-box bassist Douglas and, on occasion, guitarist Joe Taylor. Funny enough, Douglas, Taylor and Dee are all veterans of my local NJ/Philly scene.
Title track from the new Ep, ‘Celebrate The Night Of The Warlock’ saw the evening’s star joined by seven other female voices, many of whom performed on the various incarnations of said song, including Floor Jansen (After Forever), Eye’s Liv Kristin and Moses’ Claussen, singers from SISTER SIN and KRYPTERIA, plus Jackie Chambers and Enid Williams (guitar and bass for GIRLSCHOOL, respectively). Aligned across the center of the stage, they sang to each other, almost oblivious to the throng of onlookers. In jeans, purple heels and half leather jacket that revealed a sheer mesh camisole on the lower half of her torso, Tarja Turunen (ex-Nightwish) sang ‘Walking With The Angels’ as a duet and then had Doro back her on the Finn’s solo effort ‘The Seer’. Another soft vs. harsh contrast followed, rockers AXEL RUDI PELL and Chris (Grave Digger) Boltendahl storming through ‘East Meets West’, finishing with the three of them perched at the end of the walkway in full metal pose. The regular set concluded with arrival of Klaus Meine (in tie and beret) and Rudolf Schenker, who preferred to let the singer interact with Doro. Even though it was her night, the Scorps performed two of their own hits, ‘Big City Nights’ and ‘Rock You Like A Hurricane’. It was fun (and a last minute replacement for U.D.O/ACCEPT frontman Udo Dirkschneider, who was unable to make it, due to scheduling conflicts).
The curtain closed, but everyone knew the evening wasn’t complete. Just in case, the Jumbotrons flanking the stage shone the Warlock logo. A five minute changeover (accompanied by intolerable electronic screeching) and the reunited band was onstage, prancing and posing like two decades earlier, although none of the band (except Douglas on bass, the lone holdover from the group that had just played) has aged as gracefully as Ms. Pesch. Not even close! Peter Szigeti and Nico Arvanitis might be missing some hair, but that didn’t prevent them from taking the requisite, gaping mouth guitar god poses. After opening with ‘Fight For Rock’, the six-pack included usual suspects like ‘Burning The Witches’ and closing ‘Hellbound’, both staples of the Doro festival circuit, but here back by the originators (to an extent). ‘True As Steel’ saw Nevermore frontman join in, although he later contended it sounded better in rehearsals, although I doubt many cared, still a kick ass moment. The old-timers took a bow and the current band returned for what seemed to be a finale of ‘Warrior Soul’, ‘Unholy Love’ and ‘Fight’, but everyone: new, old and visiting made one last appearance for a gang vocal ‘All We Are’, filling the stage and spilling onto, nearly the length of, the catwalk.
Can’t wait for the DVD!
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