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When we learned that the Beast was visiting Norway again, we decided to head down to Kvinesdal Rock Festival to have another chat with him and to get up to speed on what’s happening in the world of Paul Di’Anno.
Maiden Norway: The new album, The Classics was great by the way, is that new or old recordings?
Paul Di’Anno: It’s my voice live, but is that new recordings? [laughs]
Maiden Norway: Yeah, cause some of the recordings seem to be…
"What the fuck is that you’re eating?"- Paul Di'Anno
Paul Di’Anno: I don’t know nothing about it! I didn’t even know it was on it’s way, and suddenly it was out on the website, and I was like what the fuck is this?
Maiden Norway: Some of the songs people has recognized from some Iron Maiden tribute that you did, “Numbers From The Beast” or something.
Paul Di’Anno: No, I don’t know man, it’s all my voice live, it’s all different musicians on there… What the fuck is that you’re eating? [looking at Marius Halleland, Thunderbolt and Di’Anno guitarist].
Marius Halleland: Ehm, just some fucking meat.
Maiden Norway: Are you gonna use Thunderbolt tonight?
Paul Di’Anno: Of course.
Marius Halleland: Well, half of Thunderbolt and someone from Powerslave [Norwegian Iron Maiden tribute band]
Paul Di’Anno: Yeah, half of Thunderbolt, they are my Norwegian band. They may be my full European band so…. Anyway, they support me in Norway, but might soon be my European band.
Maiden Norway: [Pål] That would be excellent, we think that you would be better off with a steady band on European tours. [Frode] I thought you were gonna use the Swedish band that your using for Russia…
Paul Di’Anno: We do, we do. But one day I will decide and decide I think I’m gonna use these guys. Cause my Swedish band are all gay.[laughs]
"All Vikings are gay"- Paul Di'Anno
Maiden Norway: That’s what you said about him [pointing at Marius] at your last concert in Bergen.
Paul Di’Anno: Alright, yeah this guy is fucking gay! All Vikings are gay.
Maiden Norway: Anyway, we recently read in an interview that you no longer go steady with your girlfriend from Russia, is that true?
Paul Di’Anno: Yes, she’s a bitch, she can go fuck herself. [laughing] She drove me fucking nuts and I couldn’t deal with it. So, what the fuck, anyway, who cares about her, she is not important, let’s talk about music yeah?
Maiden Norway: Anything happening in the Di’Anno world? Any news to tell us? What about the thing with System Of A Down you told us last time we met?
Paul Di’Anno: Ahh, no, no, they’ve asked us to do this, but so far the…. Lea sent some of the stuff on to my studio in UK, but I’ve… no nothing yet. I’m too busy.
Maiden Norway: System Of A Down are currently headlining the OzzFest, apparently there are some problems within the band…
Paul Di’Anno: Oh, again? Shit. [laughs]
Maiden Norway: Shavo (Bass) and Daron (guitar) are gonna start a new project after the tour.
Paul Di’Anno: Works for me. I’m not saying… No no, I know nothing. They haven’t approached me.
[Lot’s of noice, bands playing and door opens, everybody is talking loud, Maiden Norway.com uses this brake to thank mr. Paul Di’Anno for once again give us a memory for life]
Maiden Norway: You know, we drove seven hours today justto meet you again.
Paul Di’Anno: Ahh, you crazy fucks
Maiden Norway: We’ll also come to Festidalen with Torgrim [Hole In The Sky, and former tour manager for mr. Di’Anno]
Paul Di’Anno: Yeah, yeah, that’ll be fun!
Maiden Norway: Torgrim just sent us a text message…
Paul Di’Anno: Arrgh, you gay fucker [laughs]
Maiden Norway: He is on holiday right now.
Paul Di’Anno: Oh, is he?
Maiden Norway: Yes in LA, gonna see Slayer and Mastodon on the Unholy Alliance Tour. Anyway, he wrote: “Tell Paul he’s a fine figure of a man, and he’s a great pole dancer”.
Paul Di’Anno: [laughing] Good man.
Maiden Norway: Anyway, any news about you coming to the US?
Paul Di’Anno: No, not yet, but no, it’s looking good, it’s looking very good. I want to be there for the fans, obviously that’s the…
Maiden Norway: Yeah, we know that you have a lot of fans there.
Paul Di’Anno: The thing is, you got to be, ahh, if it’s not getting worked out soon, then I’ll be retired from music, and then it ain’t gonna be happening you know, and that’s very sad. I’m not a fucking terrorist man, you know, I’m a fucking..
Maiden Norway: You’re a fucking hooligan, there’s a difference.
Paul Di’Anno: Yeah, exactly, they wanna start looking at you know, obviously there’s some problems. Stop being so paranoid. But I can’t say anything more so…
"Who the fuck is Benjamin Breeg?"- Paul Di'Anno
Maiden Norway: Don’t know if you read anything about the new Iron Maiden album.
Paul Di’Anno: No.
Maiden Norway: They’re going to release a new album soon..
Paul Di’Anno: Oh are they?
Paul Di’Anno: Who the fuck is Benjamin Breeg?
Maiden Norway: That’s the question, back in the days, is it true that you were called Benjamin Breeg? A Norwegian newspaper [Bergens Tidende] said that.
Paul Di’Anno: That’s bullshit. No. Benjamin Breeg? Why the fuck would I call me that? Where does his sources come from man? [laughs]
Maiden Norway: That’s Norwegian newspapers for you.
Paul Di’Anno: That’s stupid. Go on then, next question.
Maiden Norway: On Wednesday you have a show in Costa Rica, what kind of venue is that?
Paul Di’Anno: Don’t know, about 5-6000 people. That’s what we normally play places like that, when we’re in South America. South America is my home, and it doesn’t matter which country, when we come to South America every country is my home. We have this “simpatico” as well, we always been really close to each other, they love me, I love them, and it doesn’t matter which country. So it is just like going home.<7p>
Maiden Norway: You’re staying in Brazil for Christmas?
Paul Di’Anno: Yes. I’m going home. I finish in Mexico in December, I was gonna fly back to Italy to be with my mama, but I’m not sure what she wants to do.
Maiden Norway: The tour of 2006, you have all scheduled?
Paul Di’Anno: When we finish the South America, we’re back in Norway, or Germany first, then Norway, and..
Maiden Norway: Then Doncaster?
Paul Di’Anno: Doncaster yeah, I’m just doing the signing thing. For CliveAid. After that we got…
Maiden Norway: Back in Norway for Haugesund.
Paul Di’Anno: Yes we got that, then we got Poland, Spain, ahh, Ukraine and Russia again. This is our third time in Russia in one year! Nobody else, we hold the record for Russia. Nobody’s done that. First time in October we play thirteen concerts, the most anybody’s done I think was 5 or 6. So the record was beaten with 5 shows. We did thirteen in October last year, that’s including Siberia, and then we played eight shows again last time, I think another tour in Ukraine as well, that’ll be cool. Then we go to India….
Maiden Norway: Not much western music acts in India?
Paul Di’Anno: They love me, and it’s great!
Marius Halleland: According to the people in We [Norwegian Rock N’ Roll act who played in India] there’s apparently a huge growth in the Rock scene over there.
Paul Di’Anno: A lot of countries we go to, we hold the record, in Brazil, I’ve played more cities and places in Brazil than even Sepultura! I’ve played in more places in Mexico… well than western artists. Nobody is gonna beat us in Russia, so you know, it’s great you know.
"Australia is on its way, we’re working on it now."- Paul Di'Anno
Maiden Norway: What about Australia?
Paul Di’Anno: Australia is on its way, we’re working on it now.
Maiden Norway: Iron Maiden hasn’t been there for 14 years! People are hungry for Maiden there!
Paul Di’Anno: They haven’t been to Russia either, and they should! Iron Maiden only ever played two concerts in Russia, and it should be more!
Maiden Norway: The thing with Australia is that it’s too expensive to fly there….
Paul Di’Anno: It’s too fucking expensive to fly anywhere! It’s one of the reasons we have different bands, loads of bands in Europe and all over the world. And every musician got their own way of doing the songs, and it is also fantastical… for once… Some bands like just sit around ant don’t play for about three years. I tour every year constantly. 250 days every year. And why is that? Because I don’t need all this fucking Rock star shit, I use different bands all around the different parts of the world. We can go play. We ended up selling more records than all these fucking so-called superstars. Fuck it man, don’t need it. You just don’t need it. And it’s like, you know, to have a full band all the time would be fantastic, but then again, the downside is you always got some assholes here and there.
Marius Halleland: You got one here.
Paul Di’Anno: We wanna use these guys in Europe eventually if we can. So it’s gonna be great you know.
Maiden Norway: Yeah we saw you at Madam Felle in Bergen, with Thunderbolt…
Paul Di’Anno: The more we play together, the better it’ll be!
Maiden Norway: Have you played with Thunderbolt since Madam Felle?
Paul Di’Anno: No.
Maiden Norway: So this is the second time you are gonna play together?
Marius Halleland: No it is the third time, we had a small tour, we also played Sandnes…
Paul Di’Anno: We are good together so there’s no problem. So it’s cool.
Maiden Norway: Anyway, good luck to night and see you later!
Paul Di’Anno: Cheers, mates!
Even though his back was hurting so much it was painful for him to get in and out of his wagon, Mr Di’Anno went on to deliver one of the best gigs he’s ever done in Norway that evening. The crowd at Kvinesdal Rock Festival absolutely loved him, and the feeling must’ve been mutual judging from Paul’s happy face when we met him after the show. Check out the review section for an in-depth look into the gig!
Interview created by Pål Johansen and Frode Kilvik of Maiden Norway, conducted by Frode Kilvik and Pål Johansen. All rights reserved.
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