In the 1990s, the German band Fury in the Slaughterhouse also celebrated international success with melodic rock anthems such as “Time To Wonder”. At this year’s Heavy Metal Festival in Wacken, they once again face an audience that is used to a somewhat heavier style. They made it onto the holy ground of the metal scene with kindness and good relationships: Holger Hübner (60), founder of the legendary Wacken Open Air, is also the band’s manager. In an interview with spot on news, singer Kai Wingenfelder (63) and guitarist Christof Stein-Schneider (61) talk about the special features of a concert in the Nordic metal Mecca.
Christof Stein-Schneider: We’ve always been known for our good band names… In the past, when we kept getting bigger, we couldn’t play in the clubs in Hanover where we grew up. Then we always gave ourselves different names so that we could play there. We were from The Incredible Stinkin Garbagecans via Glandularism, The Drunken 5… and eventually The Fucking Six.
Christof Stein-Schneider: At some point we asked Holger, who is the head of Wacken and our manager, if we could play with Fury in Wacken. Then he said, no with Fury, that doesn’t work. From the band name we would of course fit perfectly into Wacken, but we can forget that, musically. But you can play with the Bescheißen Six in Wacken. Then three or four years ago we played in Wacken for the first time – with the Beschissene Six. It was quite successful because very few people really knew what to expect. We played the court to the full and then ended up playing “Won’t Forget These Days” and “Time To Wonder”. Then people also knew who we are. Yes, and now we can play again. Wacken is simply a great festival!
Kai Wingenfelder: I’m looking forward to it. Recently I was at the premiere of the “Wacken” TV series. Charlie Hübner, when he’s running, he looks like Holger Hübner. That’s totally cool. I saw the first episodes on tour and laughed my head off. It’s just sensational.
Kai Wingenfelder: Exactly, last time it was the Beer Garden Stage. Now there are the two main stages and next to them there’s another one, we’re playing there now. So on the main stage, I don’t dare.
Christof Stein-Schneider: We’re not there yet. But who knows.
Kai Wingenfelder: At normal open-air concerts, people buy tickets for Fury. In Wacken they buy them for Hammerfall. That’s the small difference.
Christof Stein-Schneider: There is a series of photos from this first Wacken concert, from the beginning of the concert to the end. At the beginning you see our faces, how dogged we are, because we didn’t know at all what to expect. The longer the concert goes on, the more you see our facial features relax. And in the end everyone has fun. I think it’s good, this challenge, going on stage and not knowing exactly what’s going to happen. To have the feeling, butter by the fish, let’s see where the journey is going. Last time in Wacken was great.
Kai Wingenfelder: We only play the tough numbers.
Christof Stein-Schneider: We always have two or three tracks on every record that are also real board rock’n’roll. And we mainly play these numbers.
Kai Wingenfelder: We just play full board and then we play “Time To Wonder” and “Won’t Forget” towards the end. That’s it.
Christof Stein-Schneider: But actually it’s just … riot. It is fun. We can do that too. Fury isn’t a drawer, it’s a cupboard and we can serve this corner quite well.
