KARLA TALLAS - REPORTS WITH GOTTHARD IN JAPAN | Page 18

UNISONIC:
UNITED MUSICIANS FROM DIFFERENT
BACKGROUNDS AND COUNTRIES!
Getting back to the point where I left UNISONIC
in Tokyo. Explaining the main reason for why
UNISONIC was performing as a headliner on the
Japan tour, I would like to enter into this thought
a little bit more. Not only a combination of Michael
Kiske and Kai Hansen in one band, but the entire
UNISONIC line up was attractive for the fans there.
Thanks to the wide musical experience of all the
band members and especially thanks to the fact
that they were all well-known from bands who
had always been popular in Japan: Michael Kiske
(HELLOWEEN, PLACE VENDOME), Kai Hansen
(HELLOWEEN, GAMMA RAY), Mandy Meyer (ASIA,
GOTTHARD, KROKUS), Dennis Ward (PINK CREAM
69, D.C. COOPER, PLACE VENDOME) and Kosta
Zafiriou (PINK CREAM 69). As Mandy commented:
“united musicians from different backgrounds and
countries.” These words perfectly fit to the lineup
and music direction of UNISONIC. Some might say
it’s still not clear which music direction the band
wants to go. I had a chance to see a couple of shows
during the time when Kai Hansen wasn’t already
a band member. At the time I had the feeling
that the band wanted to get into hard rock more.
Since Kai was in the band and listening to the first
UNISONIC album “Unisonic,” I would say that you
can logically feel his influence in the songwriting.
It doesn’t have to be only that the band is not
sure about the direction of their music, but this
combination of styles can be just their intention,
or simply the result of mutual collaboration in the
songwriting process between the trio of Hansen-
Ward-Meyer. Many times in the past, I heard
fans discussing if it ever would be possible to see
Michael Kiske and Kai Hansen on one stage. The
positive answer for them came with AVANTASIA
shows, when the European audience had a chance
to see them together for the first time. Before the
UNISONIC tour, Michael Kiske also appeared as
a guest during a couple of GAMMA RAY shows.
As it’s said, the third time’s the charm – now
the 2 icons are in the same band and fans all over
the world can enjoy their full-length shows, as
we saw happen in Japan.
The first chance to join the UNISONIC soundcheck
for us was in Osaka. The guys were rehearsing
without Michael Kiske, who was fully concentrating
on being in the best shape for the show. You
would also never see him at any party, probably
for the same reason. During the soundcheck
Michael was replaced by Kai and Dennis who were
enjoying singing and jamming with the rest of the
band. Jamming is probably a better way to express
it than rehearsing in this case.
Kai is very relaxed because he can mainly
concentrate on his guitar and not on the vocals
during the shows. The whole time you can enjoy the
precise performing by all the musicians: the guitar
exhibitions of 2 great guitar players, Kai Hansen
and Mandy Meyer, and the well-coordinated
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