NP:

My next plan actually is to go on tour

and let’s see what happens after that. We have got about 15 dates confirmed across Europe, and it will be first headlining tour for Astral Doors, so we look really forward to it.

K: So do you consider Astral Doors being more a live band or do you more enjoy to write songs?

NP: Hm, I love to be in the studio, that’s for sure. But Astral Doors is such a great live band. Many people think that we sound better live than on albums, and I really love to play live with Astral Doors. I consider us both a studio and a live band. It’s important of course that you can deliver your stuff live, because it’s so easy just to take things in the studio today. You actually don’t see how good an artist really is until you have seen him live.

K: Good point. An I’ve seen you on tour with Blind Guardian last year. As a Blind Guardian fan I have to admit that I’ve almost like you more than Blind Guardian themselves.

NP: Thank you! Which gig did you see?

K: The show in Düsseldorf. Though I had a bad place to see: Quite far away from the stage. The Philippshalle is a huge place.

NP: 6000 people get in there, I think…

K: 6000, maybe even 8000…

NP: Yeah, and almost sold out, I think. But because it was Blind Guardian’s “home gig” the audience was pretty quiet when we played that night. We had much better response on most of the other gigs actually. But is was a very successfull tour for us. Incredible. I could have never dreamed of it.

K: What about your relationship to Blind Guardian? Do they like their music, do you like their music?

NP: Of course! And Blind Guardian are such nice guys, fantastic guys! And on that tour the whole band got the flu: fever and coughing and after two or three gigs the entire band has been really sick. They we’re sick for three, four weeks or something. But they didn’t cancel one single show, they played on antibiotica and stuff, that’s amazing, they do everything for their fans. Great guys, great band. At one gig the drummer had almost 40 degrees fever, he played anyway. I take my hat off to those guys!

K: So will your paths cross again?

NP: Yeah, they invited us to their “grand finale” in November. That will be us and the other band that supported Blind Guardian in the United States, Leaves’ Eyes, I think.

K: Will there be some more dates added to your plan? But yeah, it’s your first own tour so I won’t complain.

NP: Yes, we will try to add a couple of more dates. But of course, as you’ve said it, it’s our first headliner tour, so we cannot go onto a 7 weeks tour. That would probably be too risky, we have to be careful. So we do a 3 weeks long tour, but maybe will go back on the road in spring and will do another tour. Because now we have released 4 albums in 4 or 5 years, so we’ve got a lot of music to tour with.

K: So what would change for you – except the fact that you obviously can play longer – on this headliner tour?

NP: What will change? I don’t know. Maybe… I’ve talked to the guitar player Joachim and maybe be will do some instrumental guitar solo stuff and it will be a bit more hammond organ… You know, we walk in the roots of Deep Purple and Rainbow and they had very long solos on stage… So we have to give the audience at least some of that. But no cover songs, hehe.

K: And which songs form the new album will make it into your live set?

NP: Definitely the title track… Probably also “Freedom War”… “Bastard Son” could be a really good live song to calm things down a bit. So it’s these three I can tell that I’m certain they will make it onto the live set. But maybe more, I don’t know. We’ll play just as many songs from the first and second album as we do from the third or this album, so it will be a mix: Astral Doors’ greatest hits!

K: Sounds good. I’ll try to catch you on tour.

NP: Great!

K: Though I’m afraid you won’t come to Ireland within the next half year… Anyway, touring must be a nice way to see new countries!?

NP: No, actually I don’t see much of the countries. As a singer I have to prepare for the show. I just take it easy, I don’t have the time to see the countries and that’s a shame, of course. We played in 15 countries with Blind Guardian and I didn’t see anything.

K: But at least you see the nice people from these countries…

NP: I see the people, that’s most important!

K: So how do the reactions differ in the countries? Do they differ?

NP: Yeah, absolutely. Germany is always a good metal country, great audience, I love playing in Germany. And I also have to say that the shows we did in Spain were totally crazy, the audiences were fantastic there… and also in Italy! It was good everywhere. But if you come to Sweden the Swedish people are shy and quiet.

K: Even in your hometown?

NP: Yeah yeah, they are a bit stiff, hehe. But that’s Swedish, we are quiet people. But it was good anyway.

K: And it will be good again for sure! Okay, I’m done with my questions, so thank you very much for your time to answer them!

NP: Thank you very much! I hope you could find out something for this interview.

K: Sure! So I wish you all the best for your tour and I’m looking forward to see the Astral Doors on stage somewhere!

NP: Yeah, that would be cool. Thanks again! Bye!