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Udo Dirkschneider | |
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 Dirkschneider performing with U.D.O. in 2015 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 6 April 1952 |
| Origin | Wuppertal, West Germany |
| Genres | Heavy metal |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Years active | 1968–present |
| Member of | |
| Formerly of | Accept |
Udo Dirkschneider (born 6 April 1952) is a German singer who first rose to fame with the heavy metal band Accept. After leaving the band in 1987, he formed the band U.D.O., in which he has also enjoyed commercial success.
Former Accept and current U.D.O. lead singer Udo Dirkschneider has a long career spanning almost five decades that helped to shape German heavy metal. His unique and raspy voice approach and his taste for huge choruses made big part of Accept's appeal and made him one of the most recognizable characters in heavy metal history.
In November 2011, Dirkschneider's son Sven supported U.D.O. on a date in Germany [1] and became a permanent member of his father's band in February 2015. [2] On the same year, the band was temporary renamed as "Dirkschneider" and embarked in a long tour called "Back To The Roots" where the band only performed Accept songs.
In 2021, Udo along with his former Accept bandmates, guitarist Stefan Kaufmann and bassist Peter Baltes released new music under the name of "Dirkschneider and the Old Gang" that also features former U.D.O guitarist Matthias Dieth, drummer Svein Dirkschneider and singer Manuela Bibert, with the video of the song "Where The Angels Fly" surpassing a million of views on YouTube.
On 22 April 2022, Udo released an album of cover versions, entitled 'My Way', to mark his 70th birthday. [3]
Live in Bulgaria 2020: Pandemic Survival Show 18 September 2020, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Roman theatre of Philippopolis. [4]
On his long career, Dirkschneider shared his vocals with a few artists, as in the cover of Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild" released in 1983 as B-side of "Break the Chain" single on Raven's All for One album. Dirkschneider is also famous for his duet with his longtime friend Doro Pesch on the song "Dancing with an Angel". In 1999, Dirkschneider recorded the Helloween song "I Want Out" and a new version of Accept's "Head Over Heels" with HammerFall. And as guest on the song music "Shtil" by the Russian heavy metal band Aria on their 2001's album Chimera.
In 2006, Dirkschneider sang the song "They Only Come Out at Night" with Mr. Lordi on Lordi album The Arockalypse , as well as performing it live on stage at same year Wacken Open Air.
In 2013, Dirkschneider performed a duet with Marko Hietala on Finnish band Lazy Bonez's debut album Vol.1. They sang a song called "First to Go – Last to Know". [5]
Accept is a German heavy metal band from Solingen, formed in 1976 by guitarist Wolf Hoffmann and former members Udo Dirkschneider (vocals) and Peter Baltes (bass). Their beginnings can be traced back to the late 1960s, when the band got its start under the name Band X.
Warlock was a German heavy metal band founded in 1982 in Düsseldorf by members of the underground bands Snakebite and Beast. The band gained popularity and some commercial success in Europe in the mid-1980s, due to the personality and stage presence of lead vocalist Doro Pesch. Warlock supported successful heavy metal bands on tour, such as W.A.S.P., Judas Priest, Dio and Megadeth.
U.D.O. is a German heavy metal band founded by lead vocalist Udo Dirkschneider in 1987.
Michael Kiske is a German singer who is the co-lead vocalist for the power metal band Helloween. Kiske has also released four solo albums, two albums with the hard rock band Unisonic, has participated on various metal and rock related projects such as Avantasia, Place Vendome and Kiske/Somerville, and has performed with numerous bands as a guest vocalist.
Tomi Petteri Putaansuu, known professionally as Mr Lordi, is a Finnish musician, businessman, special effect make-up artist, songwriter, painter, comics artist and graphic designer. He is best known as the lead vocalist of rock band Lordi. In the band he is responsible for songwriting and creating all the masks, costumes, graphics and stage props.
Sauna Open Air Metal Festival, shortly Sauna Open Air or just Sauna, was one of the largest music festivals dedicated only to heavy metal and related styles of rock music in the Nordic countries. It was first arranged in 2004 and takes place in the Ratinanniemi park in Tampere, Finland. From 8 June to 10 June 2006, over 20,000 people arrived to watch such bands as Cradle of Filth, Finntroll, Iggy & The Stooges, Lordi, Twisted Sister and W.A.S.P.
Balls to the Wall is the fifth studio album by German heavy metal band Accept. European label Lark Records released the album in December 1983, but its United States release was delayed until a month later in January 1984 as to not compete with the band's then-current album Restless and Wild, which had arrived in the US in early 1983. It is Accept's only record to attain Gold certification in the US. The album's title track became Accept's signature song and remains a metal anthem and trademark in the genre.
Stefan Kaufmann is a German drummer and guitarist, best known as a member of the heavy metal bands Accept and U.D.O.
Thunderball is the ninth studio album by German heavy metal band U.D.O. After their previous studio album, U.D.O. had released the DVD Nailed to Metal and an accompanying live CD titled Nailed to Metal: The Missing Tracks in 2003.
Doro Pesch is a German heavy metal singer that started her career in native Düsseldorf in the early 80s with the underground bands Snakebite and Beast. In 1982, she joined the German heavy metal band Warlock, which got its first contract with the Belgian independent label Mausoleum Records to record the album Burning the Witches. The new band quickly entered the circuit of the most sought-after support bands in the European boiling panorama of metal live shows of the 80s, receiving enthusiastic reviews and gaining a solid fan base. Warlock soon stepped up to main attraction on European tours and their albums, issued under the Vertigo label, sold well in Germany and caught the attention of US promoters, who organized a tour in the United States. Their fourth album Triumph and Agony was produced in the US and entered the Billboard 200 chart, thanks also to the videos of the songs "All We Are" and "Für Immer" on rotation on MTV. By 1988, all German members of the band, except Doro, were replaced by American musicians and Warlock ceased to exist, because of legal problems about the rights on the name and logo.
Classic Diamonds is the ninth studio album by the German female hard rock singer Doro Pesch. It was released worldwide in 2004 by AFM Records. The album presents new acoustic and symphonic arrangements for songs from Doro's repertoire, as well as some new compositions. The music is mostly played by the Classic Night Orchestra, an ensemble of young classical musicians that accompanied Doro in the following European tour.
"All We Are" is a song composed by the German heavy metal band Warlock, from their 1987 album Triumph and Agony. It was released as the band's fourth single and published by Vertigo Records. A music video for the song was shot by director Mark Rezyka in the Los Angeles river basin and was on heavy rotation on MTV's heavy metal program Headbangers' Ball. The song was published again in every compilation of Warlock songs and is a staple of Doro's live shows to this day.
Dorothee Pesch, known professionally as Doro Pesch or simply Doro, is a German heavy metal singer and the former frontwoman of heavy metal band Warlock. Dubbed the "Metal Queen", Doro's contributions to music and culture made her a global figure in metal culture for over three decades. The name Doro has also been associated with the touring band accompanying the singer, whose members have continuously changed in more than 20 years of uninterrupted activity, the most stable presences being those of bassist Nick Douglas and drummer Johnny Dee.
20 Years – A Warrior Soul is a double DVD video album by hard rock singer Doro Pesch, released in 2006 by AFM Records. The first DVD contains a movie shot by director Ronald Matthes during the tour supporting the release of the album Warrior Soul in 2006; it features also a selection of commented songs from the special concert held at Phillips Halle in Düsseldorf, Germany on 13 December 2003, celebrating 20 years of career of the German singer with many guests, and footage of the party after the show. The second DVD features the full 20th anniversary concert.
Steelhammer is the 14th studio album by German heavy metal band U.D.O., released on 24 May 2013 via AFM Records. It is the first album with guitarist Andrey Smirnov. Second guitarist Kasperi Heikkinen joined the band after all recordings were completed. It is also the first album without Stefan Kaufmann as guitarist since the 1997 album Solid, as well as the first without guitarist Igor Gianola since the 1999 album Holy. Steelhammer charted at #21 in Germany, #23 in Sweden, #38 in Finland and #67 in Norway during its first week. Music videos were made for "Metal Machine" and "Heavy Rain".
Andy Susemihl is a German guitarist, singer, songwriter and record producer. He began his career in the 1980s and gained international success since 1987 in hard rock bands such as U.D.O. and Sinner.
Bill Hudson is a Brazilian-American heavy metal guitarist, currently serving as the main composer, lead guitarist and founder for power metal supergroup NorthTale. He worked with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra as well German heavy metal bands U.D.O. and Dirkschneider, both fronted by former Accept vocalist Udo Dirkschneider and American death metal band I Am Morbid, featuring former Morbid Angel frontman David Vincent and drummer Pete Sandoval. As of 2021, he is the guitarist for German heavy metal legend Doro Pesch, after acting as a fill in guitarist since 2017.
Man and Machine is the eighth studio album by German heavy metal band U.D.O., released on 24 July 2002. A music video was made for "Dancing with an Angel" featuring a duet performance with Udo Dirkschneider and Warlock vocalist Doro Pesch.
Steelfactory is the sixteenth studio album by U.D.O., released on 31 August 2018 by AFM Records. It is the first album to feature Udo Dirkschneider's son Sven as the new drummer. The first single "Rising High" was made available for streaming on 15 June 2018. A music video was made for "One Heart One Soul". A lyric video was made for "Make the Move". Steelfactory is the final album to feature bassist Fitty Wienhold when he announced his departure in September 2018.
The discography of U.D.O., a German heavy metal band, consists of 18 studio albums, six live albums, three compilations, 17 singles, six video albums and 19 music videos. Formed in 1987 by eponymous vocalist Udo Dirkschneider following his departure from Accept, the group originally included guitarists Mathias Dieth and Peter Szigeti, bassist Frank Rittel and drummer Thomas Franke. Shortly after the release and promotion of their debut album Animal House, Dirkschneider dismissed all band members except Dieth, and rebuilt the group with guitarist Andy Susemihl, bassist Thomas Smuszynski, and future Accept drummer Stefan Schwarzmann. Mean Machine, released in 1989, reached number 31 on the German Albums Chart. Susemihl was subsequently replaced by Wolla Böhm.
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