... and just before Christmas the rubel... oh sorry... I mean the pumkin is rollin' again all over good old Bavaria, or better said - Kaufbeuren. And what a surprise - it is really sold out completely - All Karth venue, which ain't a little club but quite a big venue. No clue, why it's doing so well, but why thinking about it? Let's be happy that it is what it is. Maybe because the fish heads from hamburg have been quite a while abstinent, and the fans were hungry for it what's up to generell live activities. - Oh well - never mind....

I only know one thing, I'm almost late again. Because in this case, it's not only the kings of the road - to check out and take pics of, but also the first and the second chapter of the bavarina Heavy Metal battle. 

I just make it by time to get a view visual impressions of Berny and his Axxis.... 

Yes, that cheers me up  or not... according to the weak light conditions. And Berny moves so fast around on stage, that I do very hard to freeze in the action with my camera. Since Axxis last visit some things have changed. It's a new guitarist named Marco Wriedt and also leads us to the fact, that the usual femal addition within the band - Lakonia pulled out of this tour, apparently out of personal reasons. Therefore a lady named Ana Mladinovici jumps in, who is the singer of romanian band 'Magica'. Not bad, but you've gotta get used to it. Berny like usual - sings i with his impressing tenor onto the ground, which seems to lift off within the next second with the speed of sound. But thanks god, it doesn't. It's only a bit shaking in vibrations - I mean of course the ground......

Okay, 40 minutes are pretty short and 'Doom Of Destiny' still wants to be promoted to everybody, who hasn't heard the piece so far. And as we say so: "are you not ready, then you get forced to it". No, - don't need to.... In the end Axxis don't leave the impression beeing just the opener tonight, who have to be grateful to be  here. The boys get a lot of applause, which they deserve. But there's one thing I have to complain to Berny personally. They never ever even once played my favorite Axxis tune 'Wonderland'. Because in my opions it's one of the best shots Axxis ever created. But well, individual tastes are usually pretty different and I don't wanna complain. Axxis surely belong to the better kind of bands in the genre. And yes Berny next time you get another lession in phototechniqus and the know how... (and maybe I get Wonderland.... !) 
http://www.axxis.de/  

A few years ago, nobody would have thought, that Gamma Ray  will ever tour together with  Helloween, even stand on one stage together at the same time. 

All fans know, what I'm talking about. So it had been Gamma Ray frontam Kai Hansen, who once upon a time in the past made Helloween what they are still are. I don't wanna discuss the old odd topic again. What happened had happenend and long time past. Although both parties didn't go on with each other for a long time. But we all get older and wiser (hope so) And a while ago they probably realized, that everlasting misunderstanding doesn't lead anywhere. 

Unfortunately Kai and Gamma Ray or his other projects later on never reached the status of early Helloween years. But I think that's not the fault because of his songwriter qualities, but rather a matter of signs of time. And that one was best in the middle of the eighties and couldn't reach another peak yet or ever will do so again. Though I really do like what these boys are playing up there. To be honest,for me they are the winners of tonight. Kai is not a big guy and there ain't any other extraordinary things focussing him. But this little musician genius owns such a huge aura that let's not only me do multiple roll overs. Please don't ask me what it is. It's invisible, unfeelable, but it still fascinates us like snowwhites stepmother, who rapes her magic mirror. What's up to the voice Kai does well, although the high tunes are not his strenght. But thats not further important, as the songs are exactly fitted to his vocals (rubbish - he does write all the music himself anyway, doesn't he ...

About a month agao and a bit more, 'Land Of The Free II', another chapter in the Gamma Ray history, which again shows the great artist potential of Kai Hansen. Though the new record gets a bit neclected within this show here tonight. Probably, because of a lack of time.and because the kids rather prefer to sing along to 'Heavy Metal Universe'. And be surprised, but even an old Helloween song, writen of course by Kai, has found it's way on the list.  - 'Ride The Sky'. That's when the magic stops a bit, because some people might have hoped, that the old collegues will join onstage for a short session. But it doesn't. - Not yet!
They give one encore with 'Send Me A Sign'- And you could possibly take it as a symbolic message, or maybe not. 
I for my part and surely several 100 other fans are very satisfied with what we received from Gamma Ray. And that's my friends, apart from the rest of the gang - guitarist Henjo Richter, bassist Dirk Schlächter and drummer Dan Zimmermann (sorry boys, when I neclected you) but that, what the whole magic of the band is about and even a bit more. 

 

http://www.gamma-ray.com/

The march of the tycons is a big one and yep - in the sense of gambling with the devil, starting off with the song 'Helloween' (so even the last person knows, who is up there :-) Although it it doesn't need to and is unneccessary as well as the 2 pumpkins  left and right handside - image care - again and it belongs to the establishment. So just leave it and lets dedicate out attention to the action figures up there, who play their poker as usual, starting off with the unavoidable cigarette in Weiki's mouth (hey hey, the smoking ban is waiting for you!!) and goes across the -still-curly hair of Mr. Bassinvader Großkopf, ending with the jacket of frontman Andy Deris, who he won't take off during most of the show, despiet boiling temperatures.

The Show – however is energetic as ever and doesn't show any signs of aging. No, it's still fun and taking the mickey outta themselves in form of a little trip to smurf-city just beside the drumkit, where Papa Smurf, and his mates, dressed up neatley smurf up a funny version of Smoke on the Water. Gargamel Weiki doesn't hesitate and smurfs them all into Nirvana after seconds. And this all to the pleasure of all smurfs in the audiance. 'Gambling With The Devil' is becoming a smurfy pleasure with several solo stints 'till the ever going - 'Dr.Stein'. - Did you smurf me???

But the highpoint has yet to come along.Andy Smurf is changing to the magician of Oz with a red satin suit and the black zylinder hat. Yes, the christmas miracle is here, when Kai Hansen and his Gamma Ray come on to the stage casino and gambling along with Helloween their two biggest hits ever - „Future World“ and „I Want Out“
Songs, Mr.Hansen is responsible for. 

Demzufolge ist ihm auch der Vortritt überlassen an den Vocals. Wobei der kleine Große die hohen Töne denn doch lieber Herrn Deris überlässt. Die Spielhölle ist nicht mehr zu halten und überschlägt sich an Royal Flashs. Der ultimative Lotto-Sechser hat sich verwirklicht. Und für alle Helloween Fans ist heute nicht nur Weihnachten, sondern auch noch gleich Geburtstag und Ostern zugleich.
http://www.helloween.org/ 

That's a brilliant finish of this gambling evening at the Kaufbeuren- hellfire, which has including an entertaining Black Jack of Axxis, a musical high quality poker of Gamma RAy and a smurfy solitaire of Helloween. But the true winner of tonight is once again - Kai Hansen. One point for you. And that's a clear musical love spell from me to you...