Q. A lot of Your fans who are not from Bangalore are very upset....
Klaus : We are aware that we have a very huge fan base here and we have sold a lot of records. In fact, a few years ago back someone from Nepal told us that we should go to India and perform for our fans. The problem is that the promoters wanted us to perform just in Bangalore. We would love to come back and do a gig in other cities. We are ready to rock you like a hurricane!
Q. Some 30 years ago you guys went to Delhi ! What's your honest view of India and our Music?
Klaus & Rudolph: We've heard Indian music, we love what Ravi Shankar plays and his daughter Anoushka, who is also extremely talented. You know, Ralph, who's Celebrating his birthday, has done some fusion work with Indian violinist L Shankar last month. The Delhi visit was instant karma, we were on a plane to Japan for a gig, it was 1978 and due to a plane crash in Chicago all the flights were delayed. So, we spent one day in Delhi, but we didn't get a chance to see much of the city. We think Ayurveda is the most amazing invention from India. Like Maharishi says, "East Meets West and West Meets East" - You guys are crazy about our music and culture the same way we love Indian culture and it's spiritual aspect. We wanted to collaborate with Anoushka for a live unplugged event but she wasn't free at the time.
Q. What do you think of this new bunch of boybands?
Klaus: I think it will be this way, after all these little boybands like Backstreet Boys and N'Sync and things like this, people want something that is not all flashy and maybe sometimes just some dirty rock n' roll. All of these people are growing out of this boy kind of thing and they are coming to all of these new bands that are doing this 70's kind of sound and a lot of them mention the Scorpions as their idols. You can't kill rock 'n roll. My feeling is that if classic rock comes back, we will be the fathers of all these young guys and the kids can come with their fathers and say "Yeah, this is fantastic!" For me, being a rock musician is a lifestyle and a philosophy. You can be a blues musician, a jazz musician, but you can't be a hip hop musician. Rock music has stood for so many, many years. It has a solid body and you can't get away from it.
Q. How's the rock scene in Germany?
Rudolph: It's like this, because of the new kind of music like hip hop, the new MTV, and things like that, musicians are confused. Most rock guys are becoming scared, they think that their life is finished. I don't see anybody, except one band called Rammstein, which is strong because they are together as a band and they have a very good idea.
Q. There you are almost 30 years. What were the high points?
Klaus: There were many. We had the luck to to play at some of the largest Festivals on this planet, except Woodstock, since that was not our generation. But in the 80's, the ASS festival in California, Skid in Rio, and at the Kremlin in '91 ( With Gorbachev there.) The Moscow concerts, like the Peace Festival with Berlin Philharmonics, that's been the biggest high point. But every concert is great and who knows, it could also be Bangalore!
Q. What inspired to record Acoustica, your latest offering?
Klaus: We got the feedback that our fans wanted unplugged versions of our hits and so we thought it would be great to bring out something the fans wanted. The response has been great all over.
Q. Any new album in the offing?
Rudolph: Yes, We have already started writing songs for our new record, expected to release in 2002.