Ask-Arjen-Anything Questionnaire
By the fans, collected by "Taz" for ArjenLucassen.com
What's up?
Uh...your time? ;-)
With Ayreon, who was the first "guest artist" you approached (who you didn't know
personally)
That must have been Lenny Wolf of Kingdom Come fame. I was really surprised when he said
yes. And when he asked me to join Kingdom Come afterwards!
and how did you hit upon the idea of
long distance collaboration?
Because some musicians live far away...
Because I am also a
rather big Golden Earring fan I would like to know how Arjen experienced the collaboration between him and
Barry Hay for TFE.Why Barry for Sail Away,how did that go about?
I knew Barry from the old Vengeance
days back in the 80's. He helped us out with lyrics and we performed Back Home with him live in his (and my)
hometown The Hague. When I asked him for Ayreon he said: Sure, just give me a bottle of whiskey! I was so
nervous when he came to the studio…it was such a kick hearing the voice I grew up listening to as a kid,
singing MY song! I still feel that Avalon was the perfect song for him.
And how was it to play
with Golden Earring for "Vrienden van Amstel Live"
I was asked to play my favourite intro of a famous
Dutch song, and of course I chose an Earring track. I didn't actually play with the Earring,
unfortunately.
What do you say to Amateurs (I mean the ones who really suck) who send you stuff
and hope to be envolved in one of your Projects?
In the beginning I answered all the stuff that was
sent to me. When it really sucked I was having a hard time finding something positive to tell them (sure
hope you weren't one of them!). But the last years I really don't have the time anymore to answer
everything, or even to listen to it. I try to though, of course there could be an Astrid or Marcela among
them.
This might be a contentious question,
Wow, I had to look that word up in the
dictionary ;-)
but have you ever gotten back a contribution from someone that you scratched your
head about and wondered, "Did they even listen to the song they were playing on?" In that case, do you just
say "Thanks" and hit the erase button?
Yes, I got back some recordings that I really didn't like.
Sometimes they were able to improve it, sometimes they weren't. It's VERY hard to tell a musician that it
just isn't good enough and I'm not going to use it, especially when you know they can't do any better. I
really prefer to record singers in my own studio, that way I can guide them if necessary.
Who was
originally supposed to sing the best friend's part on THE?
I seem to remember the first choice was
Gary Hughes of 'Ten', but he had some personal problems at the time. After that there were about 3 singers
that didn't work out for various reasons, I won't mention their names obviously. I'm sure Paul McCartney
wouldn't like that.
When you pick up your guitar, which chord do you play first?
Mostly an
E chord, because it's the lowest and fattest. So that would be a B on my 7 string. When I want to check if
it's in tune I play an open G. The F# is one of my fave chords, because you can easily go down to the E or
up to the A. I also often play a G#maj7sus4augm5 when I feel bold. Anyone still reading this?
Is
the musical duel between Gary W and Jens J in "Master of Darkness" supposed to be a duel between Luke and
Darth? And if so, who represents who?
Haha, I remember asking them the same thing at the time! Well,
in my opinion the fight between these two virtuosos was undecided, so I guess we'll never know. I just can't
imagine one being the other's daddy anyway... I'm sure Gary would look great in a black helmet
though.
How much of your characterisically manly guitar sound is due to technical wizardry (i.e.,
equipment and processing), and how much do you think is in your hands (i.e., the way you play)?
There
is not much wizardry going on soundwise, because I simply use the presets of the line 6 POD, and lots of
people tell me they can't get a good sound out of it. So I guess a lot of it has to do with the chords and
riffs I come up with, and the way it fits in the whole production/mix. Having said that, I don't like my own
guitarsound, I always think it can be better. Especially when I listen to old Van Halen or new
RAMMSTEIN.
If you could pick a band to work with as producer, which band would it be? That is, who
do you hear as a "diamond in the rough" that you are just itching to get your hands on?
Okay, guess
that leaves out Pink Floyd ;-) Hmm…I guess that goes for a lot of the singers I work with. I often think
they can do much more, or different things than in their own bands. The reason I'm not producing other bands
is because I'm afraid I would give them all the typical Ayreon sound so they'd lose their own
identity.
Do you plan on working with Edward Reekers again in the future?His solo cd isn't too bad
but he sings so much better on Ayreon.
The list of people I want to work with is endless. But Edward
will always be on this list, he fits very well in my music.
Do you like Celine Dion? Or what is
your opinion about her music? (my gf wants to know)
Haha, I think I know who you are! Sorry, that's
not for me... but then again there's not much music I do like. Maybe just two or three albums a year.
Various styles, not just metal or prog.
Would you like to have Till Lindemann (Rammstein) on
future Ayreon album?
Definitely, that would be so cool!
What role he could have?
That would be very hard. Obviously he would have to sing German and sound evil, because that's what
we all like about him. So it would be hard not to 'mention the war', to quote mr Cleese. But if he would do
it, I would certainly find a way.
Do you have a favorite album/song from your own
career?
That changes all the time. At the risk of sounding arrogant, when I listen to one of my
albums I always feel that it's my favourite. At the moment I would say Electric Castle. And I always think
that Isis and Osiris is a good introduction to my music; it has acoustic, folky, gothic, electronic, metal
and proggy parts.
Will Arjen be doing more with Stream of Passion?
I would love to. We had
a great tour, we've become very good friends and I think all musicians are very talented. Anything is
possible.
Is there a great album you wish you had made?
I wish I had written Stargazer by
Rainbow. And I wouldn't mind having made Dark Side of the Moon. And receiving the royalties on my back-
account ;-)
What are Arjen's feelings/thoughts about the SOP tour?
It was simply magic.
There were no bad shows.
Was it different than expected?
Yes, I didn't expect the band to
be so professional.
Were there a lot of (technical/logistical) problems to overcome?
I
invested a lot of time and money in this tour, so everything went fairly smooth in the end. But of course
the fact that this band hails from different corners of the world doesn't make things easy logistically
speaking.
I wanted to know if there is a fausse modestie (kinda wrong modesty / inacurate
modesty...notadmitted pride... you see what it means ?)
Oui oui, monsieur. :-)
that makes
you sing on your albums. You always like 'oh i'm not a great singer but i wanted X to do it but due to
problems he could not make it so i had to do the vocals myself' on all your albums.... Come on, you like to
sing a bit on your own stuff.
Indeed I love singing! But I'm really not a great singer technically
speaking. In plain terms: I sing out of tune and my voice is very thin and fragile. Anyone who has heard me
live can affirm that! But with some studiotricks like doubling my voice I do sound okay I guess. But when X
can do a better job than me, I'd go for X anytime.
It's like when you say you don't like
touring... but man do you look like happy when i saw you on stage in Paris...
You bet I
was.
How do you explain that big fella ?
Well, the 2 hours on stage are great. However, the
other 22 hours of the day consist of waiting, travelling, waiting, not being able to sleep well and…waiting.
And most of all, not being able to be creative. And having to play the same songs night after night with the
danger of routine creeping in. I had that feeling with Vengeance, we've been touring for 9 years, playing a
couple of times every week.
Oh and thanks for the show, all the people that went to see SOP said
it was one of their best concert EVER (and I'll second that).
Merci beaucoup, mon chere ami, you're
welcome!
Do you plan to make a movie soundtrack?
I don't think I can write music on
comission. I wish they would make a movie to my music though...
How many hours you can loop the
same riff in order to find the right sound?
For hours and hours! Especially synthesiser sequences,
endlessly twiddling all the knobs. Drives everyone crazy I can tell you...
How much is your guitar
sound due to Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier or POD?
I just use the Mesa as a monitor on stage, so most of
the sound you hear in the venue comes from the POD, which went straight into the PA. The left line out of
the POD to the mixer and the other line out to the Mesa (effects return, so no pre-amp, clean).
I
wonder what's with his brother Gjalt...'cause in the SoP booklet it says 'no synthezisers, no samples, no
thanks to Gjalt'...and at the end of the THE DVD he says 'Well I had this brother...'. Is it just joking
between the two of them, or is it a serious problem or does Arjen prefer to leave this question unanswered?
No problem at all! In fact my brother Gjalt and me are the best of friends nowadays. But things were
different when we were young...hmm...did you ever have an older brother who was stronger and more
intelligent than you? :-) This is my way of getting back at him!
Your long-time Idol finally
agrees to guest on your album.
That would be Alice Cooper.
There is only one small thing:He
(or she) doesn't feel the hippie-like vibe and is afraid it might ruin his or her reputation.The requirement
is that you cut your hair in order to have this person on your album.
Alice wouldn't ask that! Though
he hates hippies...
Would you do that?
NO WAY! I would look silly with short hair ;-) And
remember what happened to Samson...
Hi Arjen, I would love to know if you where have been ever
inspired from the music of the American Melodic Metal Band "Kamelot"?
Excellent band indeed. But they
haven't inspired me. Bands that I grew up listening to in the 60's and 70's inspired me most. Guess the
music you hear in your teens is most influential and generally shapes your taste in music.
Why
does Arjen uses a stuiver for a pick, and not a regular pick?
When I started playing acoustic guitar,
I used a huge floppy pick. But when I started playing electric guitar I started using smaller picks all the
time. At one point I couldn't find a pick and used a coin. It was very hard to play, but the sound was
great! And because all those amazing guitar wizards like Yngwie came along, I just gave up trying to be fast
and concentrated more on the sound. And besides that, the coin is much cheaper than a pick ;-)
And: how many stuivers are left? And does he have any kind of storage for them?
I still
have hundreds of stuivers (old Dutch coins). When the euro was introduced everybody gave me all their
stuivers! They are lying around all over the house and studio.
Why don't you like
Saxophones?
I can't explain, just really hate the sound of it. No matter how well it's played.
Sometimes I can 'tolerate' it, like on the Floyd albums. But a sax is even a reason for me not to like a
band or album. I don't like trumpets either. Sure hope you're not a brass player!
Apart frp, "One
Small Step"are there any more songs autobiographical?
On my Anthony solo album there are some
autobiographical songs, especially Not Over You. On Ayreon most of it is fantasy, but if you search well
some personal views are hidden between the lines. I've never been lost in an Electric Castle though, I
haven't been in a coma and never travelled back in time in a Dream Sequencer ;-)
Any thoughts on
ever playing any shows in the USA?
That would be great, but the US is so damned huge… The distances
between the cities are just way too big. It can be done when you have thousands of people coming to the
shows and you can fly from one city/state to another, but unfortunatly I haven't reached that status. Yet ;-
)
Ok, so here's my question: I'd like to know how he and Marcela worked together on writing
songs: music first and then lyrics, or lyrics first, or both at the same time, and the melody? I don't know
how he usually does that, also with other singer/songwriters?
I always start with the (instrumental)
music myself. Then the melody, and then the lyrics. I'm sure every composer works differently
though.
Could Erik Norlander do a synth solo without a double band?
What is a double band?
Anyway, he programs all his solos in the computer. Also when he plays live a lot of his keyboards are
sequenced by that Apple computer. The big modular synth behind him is just for show. The flashing lights are
kinda amusing though!
Do you think that this 
is the right way to dance listening "Losing
you"?
Absolutely, that's the only way. Do the bananaboogie, baby, give it to me!
How do you
come up with titles for songs or albums? Example please!
Simple, I steal them from SF movies! I heard
Jean-Luc Picard talk about the Human Equation to Data, so there you go ;-)
What are Arjen's ten
desert island discs (only one per band)?
This changes all the time. Right now I would
say:
Pink Floyd – Meddle
Rainbow – Rising
Led Zeppelin – 3
Alice Cooper – Love it to
Death
Queen – 2
Webber/Rice – JC Superstar
Xavier Phideaux – Ghost Story
Remy Zero – Villa
Elaine
Jethro Tull – Thick as a Brick
Camel – Moonmadness
Beatles – Anthology 2
(mine
goes to eleven)
What is the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you during a concert? In
General?
Being played off the stage by a beautiful and talented female guitarplayer with lots of
hair.
What was the most embarrassing thing YOU ever did on stage?
Besides the countless
mistakes I've made during the shows, that must be the time when we all came back on stage after a power
failure in just our underwear in the Vengeance days. We thought it would be a nice joke, but we didn't
realize we still had to play for an hour!
Did you ever fall off Stage?
Oh I must have, in m
my wild days! So wild that I don't even remember it... or maybe I don't want to… I did fall off stage at the
last SOP show, but that was just to scare some crazy fans in front of me ;-)
OK, after extensive
discussion with my mother we have decided that we want to know if Arjen practices his guitar faces in the
bathroom mirror on a morning And my dad wants to know if there's a course you can go on to learn how to do
it properly
Haha! Well, I don't even realize I'm doing that. I'm always shocked when I see those
silly photos or videos! Believe me, you don't want to learn that. Come to think of it…is there a course
where I can unlearn that?
What does a normal Arjen Lucassen day look like? Describe 24 hours
briefly.
I wake up (usually after a pretty bad night's sleep) at about 7. I get up at 8 and feed the
cats. I spend a looong time on the toilet reading the latest music magazine and at 8:30 I start answering
emails. At 9:30 I have breakfast and at 10 I go back to my emails and make some phonecalls. Between 11 and
12 I go into the studio and 'work' there until about 4:30. Then I feed the cats again and go shopping. I
cook at 5:30 and eat at 6. After dinner at 7:30 I go back to my office, make some more phonecalls and do
some more emails until 10. From 10 till 11 I listen to music, mostly new stuff, something different
everyday. At 11 I turn on the TV and grab my guitar in the hope that some new ideas might surface while
watching tv. Depending on my inspiration I go to bed at about 1. Hmm…a regular day at the office ;-
)
What do you think about the fanart that is being sent or given to you (such as the arjen-banana
drawing I gave you in Rijssen) and what do you do with them?
It's such an honour for me, thanks all!
I have a big box for all the letters I get. Some of the fan-art gets a nice place on my office desk and it
stays there for months until there's no more room because of my business papers piling up. The banana
drawing is lying here in front of me together with a fluffy lion and a lovely ladybird. The blow-up banana
that was given to me on tour is in my studio. And some of the paintings that I got from fans are in my
sitting room. Come to think of it, there's no more room…stop giving me stuff! ;-)
First reactions
that come to mind please:
~ Hammond
Keith Emerson, Ken Hensley, Jon Lord. One of the
greatest instruments ever made, provided it's cranked up LOUD!
~ Jolanda
A very special
woman, a good friend and an extremely multi-talented and beautiful lady.
~ Electric
Castle
One of the best albums I made, and a little studio that doesn't resemble a castle at all!
;-)
~ Peanutbutter
Thickly spread with lost of butter! And for some dark reason a
favourite subject on the Ayreon mailinglist...
~ Astrid
The biggest talent I ever
worked with. She will be in my heart always.
~ Fans
I have the best and most loyal fans
in the world. Maybe every musician thinks the same, but I know I'm right. VERY important for me, the main
reason I'm doing what I do. I'd do anything for them, and I believe they'd do anything for me. I love to
spoil them rotten! Whatever happens, it's good to know that I will never be alone in this world.
~
Behind-the-scenes DVD's
Yvette, my personal manager who films and edits them, rules big time!
Despite the fact that she knows I hate to be filmed, she gets the job done each time. And the fans love
these special features, I get so many positive reactions.
~ Lori's wah-wah pedal
Haha,
you're referring to her 'phonecall' to me! Just ask Lori if that was for real ;-) As everybody knows by now
I love Lori's playing, and the wah is part of her style and sound.
~ Ayreon
My
favourite project. I will keep making Ayreon albums until I lose my love for music. Which will probably be
the day I die.
~ Gj...
Thanks for not finishing that word, let the G word remain
unspoken.
~ Future
My future is today, not next year. I don't really know what will
happen after today. I have some ideas, but they never turn out the way I planned.
If you could go
back in time and change something you've done in life (you only get one chance), what would you
change?
If I would change anything, I wouldn't be where I am now. So I wouldn't change a thing. Not
even the golden spandex pants I wore in the 80's ;-)
Did you ever come to Canada? If no, would you
like to?
Yes, I visited Canada when I was in my teens. Had a great time there, broke a lot of
hearts, amongst other things ;-) I'd love to go there again. Many great musicians hail from Canada, like
Devin Townsend, James Labrie and of course the mighty Rush.
What is the weirdest thing you ever
photographed?
The inside of a lens cap.
What is the weirdest thing you ever
autographed?
A Lana Lane album.
If you ever were invited to do a travel in space would you
do it?
I definitely would!
And what would you bring along?1 item of max. 10 kg
A
space suit.
Do you have any phobias?
I am rather afraid of heights. Which is kinda awkward
being as tall as I am ;-)
If you could be a character from a fairytale, who would it be and
why?
Some wrinkly gnome I guess, I always wanted to know what it's like to be small ;-)
Do
you think life gets better as you get older, or do you think that is a crock of shit?
Yes, I do think
life gets better, even though I had a happy childhood. I don't mind getting older, I accept life as it is. I
wouldn't have it any other way. With all its ups and downs. When there will be no more ups, that's when I
will start to worry, and do something about it...
Is the political climat still tolerable or are
you planning on moving abroad?
Holland is fine, no plans to emigrate. Unless the music takes me
somewhere else.
Whats your favourite colour?
Black and red.
Whats your favourite
food?
Mexican, Indonesian and Indian. I don't eat meat, I like animals too much.
Whats your
motto on life?
The meaning of life is giving life meaning.
Where do you seek
inspiration?
Listening to music, watching a good movie and enjoying nature.
...nah, not
really, just lots of drugs and alcohol. ;-)
What kind of comb or hair-brush do you
use?
Hmm….now why would you ask that…you're making fun of my outdated hairstyle, aren't you? ;-
)
did you watch the recent series of Doctor Who?
Sure I did, great stuff. After Tom Baker,
Christopher Eccleston is easily the best doctor imo.
If so, what did you think of the emotional
dalek?
He was cute! But... EXTERMINATE!
Is it possible for humans and cyborgs to have
empathy for one another?
For me it is possible to have empathy for any living creature. Sometimes
even for a fluffy lion or ladybird sitting on my office desk ;-) Guess it's all about fooling yourself. As
for a cyborg having empathy for a human, guess you'd have to ask them.
Do you believe in God or
other superior Creatures (or Things)?
No. I believe in myself and in the people I care
for.
Do you like roller coasters?
I do, but my bad back doesn't. Great question, I've
always wanted to be asked that.
Do you prefer coffee or tea?
Tea. With honey. And lemon
juice. I bet you can live happily ever having acquired this important piece of knowledge, right? ;-
)
Does he like applesauce?
Not particularly, but I don't dislike it. I prefer bananas to
apples though ;-) Wow…these questions are becoming deeper and deeper...
Do you believe in UFO's,
aliens?
If the universe is infinite, there have to be other species around somewhere. I'm afraid the
distances might be too big to ever meet them though :-) But as they say…the truth is out
there...
Have you ever used a sock? Or a cucumber? YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!
Yes, I wear socks
everyday and I love a slice of cucumber in my salad.
Hmm...guess I didn't know what you mean? ;-
)
Are you finding strands of Lori's hair all over your and studio? ;-)
Don't ever mention
Lori's hair to me, that makes me VERY jealous.
What was the most stupid Thing you did as a
Kid?
That involves spandex pants, a sock and a cucumber.
MacGyver can do a super guitar
solo with a broom and an elastic band. Can you do better?
I could never equal the mighty MacGyver,
he's the man!
What would you do if you woke up in the Morning and noticed someone shaved off your
Hair?
Find that person and shave off his head.
Do you prefer Spock or Data?
I like
Spock's ears, but I love Data's eyes.
Have you ever projected to make a son (a successor for the
Lucassen's dinasty) instead of a rock opera?
I'm still too much of a kid myself, and I guess I'll
always be. And it's not easy for a woman to share her life with this one-dimensional musicaholic, let alone
a kid. I realize that it would be a great responsibility.
Have you ever been
Electrocuted?
Hey, why do you think my studio is called The Electric Castle? :-)
When can I
get an Ayreon bumpersticker for my car?
Actually, stickers should be available on the site shortly!
Drive carefully.
And..what is all this I keep hearing about Peanut Butter?!
It's brown
stuff, made from peanuts, sugar, lots of fat and vitamin E. Try it!