You’re bidding auf wiedersehen to your former band on this tour with an Accept‑only set. Why is that? I’m doing this one final time for closure. I’ve been with U.D.O. [his post-Accept band] for over twenty-five years and we have so much material, so I had the idea of making a break. For me, a reunion with Accept is not possible, so this tour is the very last time I will sing those songs.
You recently complimented current Accept singer Mark Tornillo on the job he’s doing. So there’s no rivalry from your side?
No! He’s a good singer. But now they have three albums with Mark, they don’t play so many of the old Accept songs any more. So for fans of the original Accept, this is one last chance to hear them with me.
Will the set-list cover your entire repertoire with Accept from 1979 to 1996?
No. Let’s say it will go up to Russian Roulette [1986]. I don’t play anything from Objection Overruled, Death Row or Predator. We have twenty-three songs, mostly the best-known songs, but some won’t have been played for a long, long time. It will be a two-hour show.
You must take pride when people say that songs like Fast As Shark inspired the thrash metal explosion?
Yes, of course. Accept influenced a lot of bands. We didn’t know what we were starting, but it’s great to know that the band influenced so many younger musicians.
The support act for the tour is Anvil. How well do you know Lips and those guys?
We have toured together for a long time. They’re a lot of fun, and both bands are kind of classic in a way.
It’s a very heavy metal double bill.
[Laughing] I agree. We are going out with a bang. I’m looking forward to it.
The first of the six UK shows is in Manchester on April 13.
