#2 JUN 2024 The most scandalous band shirt in the world A puppy for a Grammy How old metal shirts turn into brand new ones Big Metal Nights Scorpions return to Wacken Open Air after 12 years Interview with Rudolf Schenker Foto: Monsterpics/Moritz Künsterho among you can or could ever do the splits?” That’s the question I asked my friends and family a few days ago. The re- sult was quite clear: My four-year-old daughter is the only one who can almost do it. But then again she was still able to to put her big toe in her mouth not too long ago. So the fact that Ru - dolf Schenker, at 75 years old, is currently learning this exercise impresses me greatly. In journalism, there is the term “kitchen call,” which refers to a brief summary of a research or journalistic text. What I shouted to my husband after the in- terview with Schenker, however was just: “Wow!” That was my ini- tial reaction to the con- versation with the man from Lower Saxon, who according to old lore should be storm-resis- tant and deeply root- ed. Instead, Rudolf is a real “hurricane,” who has carried his Scorpi- ons through nearly 60 years of rock history. Gigantic! Before the an- niversary celebrations next year, the Scorps will perform at Wacken Open Air for the third time this summer. I am really looking forward to it and feel more excitement each day at the thought of the great time on the Holy Ground, the first welcome drink with a view of the skull, the reunion with long- time W:O:A acquain- tances and the first exploration walk over the Wacken Plaza. To make the waiting time a bit easier, we have created an especially wide-ranging edition of The Bullhead for you – which almost brings us back to the aforemen- tioned splits. You can look forward to stories about a “Beer Sheriff,” the “Holy Driver” among trav- el partners, old metal merch turned into new pieces, and possibly the most scandalous band shirt in the world. En- joy conversations with Peter Tägtgren (Pain), Mike Stringer (Spirit- box), Dani Filth (Cra- dle Of Filth), Sebastian Bach, Tina Guo and many more. Have fun reading! Imprint The Bullhead is a product of WOA Festival GmbH Schenefelder Straße 17, 25596 Wacken Managing directors: Thomas Jensen, Holger Hübner Project coordination: Peter Klapproth Editor in chief: Andrea Leim Design & Layout: arne__creates Contributors: Sabrina Boller, Timon Menge, Stefan Reuter, Victoria Schaffrath, Celia Woitas Editing: Christof Leim Credit: Wacken Open Air, private Andrea Leim Editor-in-Chieft The wow effect There are some parallels between a soccer champi- onship and Wacken Open Air: people from all over the world come together to live out their passion and celebrate their heroes. And supposedly, at least according to the brother of the neighbour of an uncle of an acquaintance, beer plays a certain role at both events. The big difference is: in the end everyone leaves the W:O:A as a win- ner. This was the case last year when Iron Maiden legend Steve Harris, along with his son George and crew, played against a se- lected Wacken team be- fore his band delivered a blistering headline set the following day. Last- ly, a current rumor has it that behind the scenes of this year’s festival, prepa- rations are underway for a true institution on the Holy Ground: the W:O:A Soccer Cup. As is well known, it is organized by fans, so make sure to add soccer shoes to your festi- val packing list! Cartoonist & metal fan Oli Hilbring will be performing at the W:O:ABy Andrea Leim aking the metal horns into the rainforest... For several years, the Wacken Open Air has been collaborating with various organizations to support rainforest projects in different countries. This includes Wilder- ness International, with whom the Wacken Community Forest in Peru is protected. By 2032, they aim to permanently and legal- ly secure an area of four million square meters – the size of the fes- tival grounds! – from destruction. And because W:O:A fans are simply the best, Janine and Sven from Münsterland area in Ger- many decided not only to support the project but also to visit the region during their trip through Peru. In early 2024, both headed towards Tambopa- ta National Park, located about 30km southwest of the city of Puerto Maldo- nado. “When buying the Wacken ticket last year, you could choose to do- nate to the rainforest project,” Sven recalls in an interview with The Bullhead. “At that time, we already had the desire to take a round trip through Peru, and when planning it specifically, we remembered that after the do- nation, the exact coordinates of the Wacken forest had been sent to us.” However, since this for- est is deep in the jungle, far from any path, and a visit would have required a multi–day expedition through the thick of the forest, they explored the ecosystem in the nearby, more easily accessible Tambopata National Park. But before visiting, they first traveled across the country to the Andes, to the ruins of Machu Picchu and finally for three days to Puerto Maldonado. The ac- commodation for their stay was very close to Tambopata Park: a jungle lodge that had no windows, only mosquito nets, so that all the sounds of the forest could be clearly heard at night. “We no- ticed every bird and every animal passing by,” Sven re- members. The rainforest is one of the most species–rich area in the whole world and therefore particularly worthy of protection. “A guide led us through Tam- bopata National Park, without whom we wouldn’t have been al- lowed to enter. This ensures that visitors respect the rules on–site, for example don’t leave any trash, don’t smoke and don’t damage the plants.” The two visitors were fascinated and impressed by the outstanding nature of the rain- forest. “That was truly a unique experience,” Sven summariz- es. Currently, the couple is once again on the verge of packing their bags – this time, however, not for the rainforest in Peru but for the Holy Ground up north, which they both visited together for the first time in 2010. By the way: With just one euro donation, you too can permanently preserve one square meter of rainforest! https://wilderness– international.org/wacken Sven and Janine from Germany visited the nature conservation project of W:O:A in Peru Credit: private Janine and Sven in the middle of Tambopata National Park, the area close to the Wacken community ForestFor almost 60 years, Rudolf Schenker has been touring the world with the Scorpions, he is turning 76 in August – and still manages one of the deepest metal splits in the business. An interview about the importance of togetherness, rocking in the rain and truly far–stretching goals. Splits? I‘ , m practicing them right now! Scorpions founder Rudolf Schenker with his Flying VBy Andrea Leim nyone who has ever spoken with Rudolf Schenker on the phone knows what enthusiasm sounds like. The guitarist of the world’s second longest– serving international rock band (behind the Rolling Stones) loves his life’s work as much as ever. The biggest difference to the beginnings in 1965: Today, the Scorpions have nothing left to prove to anyone. When we reach Schenker for the in- terview, he is preparing for a concert in Kazakhstan. By this point, he and his band- mates have already per- formed about 130 shows since 2022 alone. Rudolf, what was the longest time you’ve been able to stay home in recent years? Rudolf Schenker: I’ve never counted that. Probably the longest I was home was during the pandemic. In 2020, we had to cut our Southeast Asia tour short and were lucky to get back home. When you’re on tour, the routines are rehearsed hundreds of times, so a lot happens automatically— while travelling, in planes, on the tour bus. The exciting part is always when you’re on stage. Before and after, I don’t think about what to do next. Instead, I focus on managing my energy well, staying straight and being aware of how the fans react to us. Judging by the number of sold– out concerts, they seem to be reacting very well... Rudolf Schenker: The “Love at First Sting Tour” has turned out very successful so far. After the “Rock Believer Tour”, we were able to change up the programme and included some songs we hadn’t played before. This went down extremely well with fans in the USA and at the first concerts in Europe. It was good for us to spend almost four weeks in Las Vegas again starting in April. This gave us time to practice, go through the programme and get familiar with the entire routine again. Once you’re in the flow, everything is clear. Does the start of a tour always feel a bit exciting? Rudolf Schenker: The beginning is usually the hardest because you have to get back into the routine. You feel rusty and notice how insecure you become. That’s why it’s always good to train a bit at home and stay fit between tours. Not only with the guitar and songwriting, but physical fitness is also extremely important. Luckily, we have a great crew – with Mikkey Dee, with Pawe ł , Klaus and Matthias. All professionals. The most important thing is always good communication with each other and the right kind of sensitivity and respect towards one another. Don’t you ever argue? Rudolf Schenker: There are no arguments, no one is trying to outdo the others. Each of us does their best. If there is any tension in the band, it’s because we just want to achieve the best possible. At every gig. When you’re on stage and feel what’s happening Even after almost 60 years of Scorpions, Schenker still shows full enthusiasm on stagewith the fans – the amount of energy coming back to us from the people is incredible!. It’s amazing. That’s also what makes the Wacken Open Air so successful. Holger and Thomas started a festival, began early and stuck to their path. They did everything right. That’s the secret of Wacken, that’s the secret of music and rock’n’roll in general. It’s not about being perfect but, even when things go wrong, about not breaking down, sticking with it and doing everything you can to get over that hurdle. You’re returning to the Wacken stage after twelve years. What is the connection the Scorpions as a band have with the festival, and what do you personally associate with it? Rudolf Schenker: First and foremost, we share the philosophy that Holger and Thomas had in the beginning, similar to ours when we started. They didn’t let themselves get discouraged. W:O:A is not an industry. With Holger and Thomas, you can tell that music is at the centre of everything. For them, the Wacken Open Air is a life’s work, and they have done an amazing job. Even in difficult times, like last year... Rudolf Schenker: Oh, I felt really bad for them with that mud disaster. That was a tough time, of course. But you always have to be prepared for that; it’s the risk with an open–air festival. Such things can happen. I feel very connected to Thomas, Holger and the festival because they are simply authentic. During your 2012 performance, it also rained heavily. How much does rain affect you when you’re on stage? Rudolf Schenker: The worst thing in rock’n’roll is when a musician hides under the roof just to avoid getting wet in such weather. Whether you get wet or not – it doesn’t matter! The energy you gain from the rain, from nature, is a real adrenaline boost. The hands and fretboard get slippery, of course, but I’ve always been lucky enough to handle these problems quite well. I like giving it my all even in the rain: go out and rock! Think of Wacken 2012, it poured like crazy, we rocked, and no fan left; the celebration was in full swing. What is special about a festival show? Rudolf Schenker: When I think of performances like at Rock in Rio or the US Festival in California – they were insane. It’s exciting to play in front of ten thousand, twenty–five thousand people, but when there are 100,000 or even 400,000 fans in the audience, things get really wild. What you play should reach the people at the very back. This year, you’re playing Wacken for the first time High spirits in the band. “We don’t argue,” says the guitaristwith Mikkey Dee, who, as Motörhead’s drummer, has close ties to the festival and has performed there countless times. Rudolf Schenker: First of all, it’s clear that Mikkey has brought a lot of positivity to the band. There’s no denying that. He just fits with us. Like me, he always plays a bit forward, which brings incredible life and energy. I noticed that the first time I played with him. I knew: he’s our guy! Together with him, we look forward to rocking Wacken again. Have you known Mikkey for a long time? Rudolf Schenker: Sure. Motörhead and Scorpions have always been good friends. They were one of the first opening bands for Scorpions. When we immortalised our hands on the Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, the entire Motörhead crew came and personally congratulated us. The last time we met was at Hellfest in France, and shortly after, Lemmy passed away. That was very sad. During your last W:O:A performance in 2012, your megahit “Wind of Change” was not on the setlist. What about this time? Politically, a lot has changed since the song came out in 1990. Rudolf Schenker: After the attack on Ukraine, Klaus wrote a good new set of lyrics. In that sense, it fits perfectly into the programme again – in Wacken, too. Klaus said that you definitely want to be on stage at 90, and he doesn’t doubt that will happen. What are your actual plans for the coming years? Rudolf Schenker: There are no more plans. The only plan is to capture the moment. And, of course, to celebrate 60 years of Scorpions next year. That’s awesome, right? We are the world’s longest–serving band after the Stones. When we were asked in the late eighties and early nineties how long we would keep going, Matthias always answered: “As long as the Stones do it, we can do it too.” It was meant ironically, but now that’s exactly what happened. The Stones inspired me, and the Beatles inspired Klaus. Especially because he never wanted to stand alone on stage like Elvis Presley. I had actually already put my guitar back into the closet then because I thought: “Practicing alone and playing alone on stage, that’s not for me. I like making music but not like this.” When the Beatles and the Stones came and celebrated their first successes as bands, I thought: “That’s how I want to do it, too!” What is your secret recipe for long–lasting success? Rudolf Schenker: Most bands fell apart because they destroyed themselves with ego conflicts at the peak of their careers. If we constantly argued, I would say: “I’ve had enough, I’m not going on.” But we don’t. When I started building the band, I always made sure the chemistry was right. So everything always worked out quite well by itself. The priority was always to play with the guys you also wanted to hang out with afterward. But there were also times when rock wasn’t so popular... Rudolf Schenker: Yes, when grunge and alternative came up, many thought it was over for us. But I already said back then: “No, folks, nothing is over. Everything comes back. We just have to wait until rock is on demand again.” With “Unbreakable”, that time had come. To this day, it’s great to inspire the younger generations. When I think now that this band Heavysaurus is really attracting kids and putting on a massive tour, I find that really good. It shows that rock music is constantly being revived. Speaking of “revived”: You have been practicing yoga for over 50 years and are known for your wide–legged “metal stance” on stage. Can you actually do the splits? Rudolf Schenker: Believe it or not: I’m currently practicing them. Whether I’ll ever manage or not, I don’t know. In 2006, you did a yoga handstand on stage. Maybe the splits will work out this year… Rudolf Schenker: My pants would probably rip first. (laughs) Rudolf rocks like a hurricane Credits: Marc Theis Art Photography, Frank C. Duennhaupt, Monsterpics/Moritz KünsterNext >