Author: Rok Klemše
Interview date: 27.07.2007
Before Paul Di’Anno’s Postojna gig, I got to sit down with Di’Anno for an interview in the cozy setting of Jazzy club in Postojna. I was pretty nervous going in, since Paul doesn’t exactly have the nicest reputation, so I was all the more surprised when Paul turned out to be an incredibly relaxed, fun and approachable guy to talk to. He had the obligatory jack and coke and a pack of cigarettes in front of him at all times, and the 25 minutes flew by in the blink of an eye.
RockLine: Hey Paul! Welcome back to Slovenia! This is your third time here, right?
Paul: Thanks a lot! Yeah, third time.
RockLine: You played Bled yesterday. How was it?
Paul: Ugh… a really small gig and it was crazy hot too. I was dead tired, so I admire Lady’s First even more, since they spent two days building the stage as well. The stage was tiny, we didn’t have much room, and I was incredibly tired on top of that. I’d been up for 24 hours, had to get up at three in the morning, and went to bed at three in the morning again. So I’m still tired, which is why my voice wasn’t so great either. Anyway, I’m not some amazing singer or anything, fuck it (laughs).
RockLine: So how’s the tour going otherwise?
Paul: It’s not really a tour, more like a vacation, since we only play on weekends. Last week we played in Sweden and then it was off on holiday, this weekend we’re in Slovenia, holiday again, then back to Slovenia, then Spain, and after that I’m heading back to Brazil. I haven’t been home in Brazil for a whole year, I haven’t seen my kids for that long.
RockLine: You’re living in England at the moment, right?
Paul: Yeah, I’ve got two homes, one in England and one in Sao Paulo in Brazil. I can’t wait to go back to Brazil.
RockLine: So Brazil is your real home? You lived in the United States too.
Paul: Yeah, I grew up in New York, and then I lived in Los Angeles for 10 years. But I haven’t been back to the US in 13 years, actually I’m banned from entering the country. Public enemy number one (laughs).
RockLine: You did time in the US, right?
Paul: Yeah, yeah… Right now I’m working with the governments of some South American countries. My life goal is to get the Americans out of South America. I work a lot with Hugo Chavez and with people in Brazil, and I often talk with Fidel Castro too, who is sadly very ill at the moment. I’m really worried about him.
RockLine: Me too, Cuba is the last refuge of socialism…
Paul: Yeah, that’s true (laughs). Fidel is one of my heroes.
RockLine: How would you describe the golden years of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM)? After all, you were a major part of that “movement”.
Paul: Hm… I come from the punk scene, man. I’m not really a heavy metal fan, even though I play it, I play it with a punk attitude. When all of that was happening I was deep into punk, Sex Pistols, Ramones, so I didn’t even really realize what was going on around me. For me it was totally normal. But I don’t think anything like that will ever happen again. It’s weird, you know, there are these kind of cycles. You know, the 50s, then the 60s with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Have you noticed that most of the best stuff comes from England? Then came Queen, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, and then punk showed up. And NWOBHM showed up at the same time as punk, so the two got tangled up together, which I was actually really happy about. Like I said, I didn’t really get what was going on with metal, even though I was playing it. I never went to metal gigs, I only ever went to listen to punk.
RockLine: I don’t know if you know, but last week The Exploited played at Metalcamp…
Paul: Absolutely fantastic! Wattie is a legend, man! But when he talks you can’t understand a single word (laughs). The Exploited are fucking great! I haven’t seen them in years, but I’m a huge fan. I grew up with them, and with UK Subs, GBH. Of the newer bands I like Casualties… I think I’ve got three metal records in total (laughs).
RockLine: Today, almost 30 years later, how do you look back on the early years of Iron Maiden with you out front?
Paul: I don’t think about it (laughs). There are bands that have been doing it even longer. Honestly, I really don’t think about it. As long as playing is still fun, even with my busted leg, I do 250, 300 gigs a year. I still enjoy it, and when I don’t anymore, I’ll stop. Through music I’ve been able to achieve a ton of other things, like my work with UNICEF in South America. That’s really important. That’s what I think about. When I climb onto a stage it’s not some automatic thing, I still fucking enjoy it every single night. If I thought about it too much I’d probably have quit already. The best part of my job is that I get to travel the world, meet young people and see the other side too, the uneducated, the hungry, and I can actually do something about it. But the real best part is meeting the fans, everything I have, I have because of them. They’re the best!
RockLine: I just rewatched the Early Days DVD yesterday…
Paul: Oh boy (laughs). Aaand? (laughs)
RockLine: I wanted to say there’s a really interesting interview with you on it. But I don’t think you met up with your former bandmates, right?
Paul: I don’t remember it (laughs). Clive and I were together. Clive had broken his leg just a few days before the shoot, and since then he’s been in a wheelchair because of multiple sclerosis. He was trying to grab the remote off the TV and tripped. Idiot (laughs). I filmed first, then him, and we left together too. Clive is actually the only one I still see, I helped out with Clive Aid too. We’ve played for him twice already, and at the last one in London Bruce Dickinson showed up and played only his solo stuff. Dumb, the fans didn’t want to hear that. I played one song, Running Free, the fans were happy, Clive was happy. Then Bruce stepped onto the stage and Clive left.
Rockline: One last Iron Maiden question. When Dickinson left the band in 1993, there were some rumors that you’d be going back to Iron Maiden. Would you ever go back?
Paul: Ha ha ha… Never, never, they can’t afford me. I said I’d go on tour with them and contribute to an album too if they paid me something like 5 million dollars, which I could give to UNICEF. Yeah, I’d go back for that. I was part of it, I play a ton of Maiden songs too, and I play my own songs as well.
RockLine: You just put out a covers album…
Paul: Huh? Did I really?
Rockline: Yeah, I think it’s called Iron Maiden Nights & Evil Nights.
Paul: I don’t remember that one… When did it come out?
RockLine: This year. The record has covers of Iron Maiden, UFO, Nazareth,…
Paul: Aaaaah, right!!! I thought it was some Maiden covers thing. It was just for fun.
RockLine: How did you pick the songs to cover?
Paul: Well, I actually had some help. I know UFO of course, we played together. It wasn’t about the money, it was about having fun. A few friends encouraged me to do it and I sang whatever they wanted. I can sing anything (laughs).
RockLine: Your last studio album is The Living Dead (2006), which is a re-release of Nomad (2000).
Paul: Yeah, which I feel kind of bad about. I’ve got eight new songs ready and I just can’t manage to record them. Tour, tour, tour… Paulo, my guitarist, had some problems with his wife. They came over to England, then went back to Brazil, and right now I have no idea what’s going on with them. The new album will be out within a year, a year and a half. But I found an incredible new songwriting partner. He’s a buddy of mine from Canada who plays in a band called Mad Spiral. I’ve been a huge fan of theirs for years. I’m heading to Canada in December, and that’s when we’ll most likely lock ourselves in the studio.
RockLine: Will you be playing anything from The Living Dead tonight?
Paul: Maybe the title track, The Living Dead. We play more and more of my songs, but it’s really hard, since there’s not much time to rehearse new songs with my bands around the world. We just stuck A Song For You into the setlist, we played it for the first time yesterday.
RockLine: You mentioned you’ve got bands all over the world. Is it easier for you that way?
Paul: Yeah, of course. That’s why I play 200 to 300 gigs a year. Yeah, it’s great because I love playing, and this way I can play practically non-stop. If I stopped gigging I’d have to put out a new record (laughs). But I’m slowly getting tired, I need a rest. I told my manager I’d like to take a year off, and that way he’ll be able to squeeze another five years out of me. Otherwise I’ll quit in a year or two.
RockLine: In several interviews in the past you’ve said you’d end your career, and it hasn’t happened yet.
Paul: Yeah, I’ve thought about it. But man, I just love playing! I am tired though, and I’d like to go home to Brazil, to my kids. I haven’t seen my two little girls in a year. I call them every day, but it’s really sad. When I’m touring in Brazil I always take them with me.
RockLine: So your life has changed quite a bit since you had kids?
Paul: Yeah, I’ve got six and they drive me out of my mind (laughs).
RockLine: A few years ago you put out an autobiography, The Beast. Was that a kind of outlet for you, you’ve lived a wild life?
Paul: Yeah, yeah, of course, it closed a chapter for me. People had been pestering me for a decade to write something. I wondered why, is there even anything worth reading in there, honestly. They finally convinced me, but I only agreed on the condition that all the money goes to various cancer charities. I don’t remember half the stuff from those days at all, so I had a ghost writer help me. A lot of friends helped out too, since I couldn’t remember half the fucking things, because of the coke, the booze. Today everything’s different. I’m not saying I’m not a “bad boy” anymore, but I’m way more moderate. My kids have never seen me with drugs, I don’t keep any alcohol in the house. I still like sex though (laughs). Although I’m not married at the moment.
RockLine: But you’ve been married six times?
Paul: Five. Five wives, yeah. Well, I married one of them twice. It’s actually funny, we renewed our vows and then split up after a year (laughs). She’s the mother of my kids in Brazil. And now I’ve got a gorgeous girlfriend in Bogotá, Colombia. She’s incredible, she’s a pop star. I won’t tell you her name (laughs).
RockLine: Shakira? (laughs)
Paul: (laughs)
RockLine: What do you think of the music scene in Brazil? Last year in Serbia you even sang Running Free with Max Cavalero, if I’m not mistaken.
Paul: Yeah, with Killers too. We’re good friends anyway and hang out a lot. Derrick and I are great buddies too. I can’t wait to see him again in a few weeks. Andreas and I are putting together some joint project. Let’s keep it a secret for now. Yeah, and the music scene in Brazil is fucking insane. You really can find practically every genre of music – rock, punk, hardcore, thrash… The musicians and fans are incredible. If I want to use the best musicians in the world, I go home to Brazil. Their enthusiasm and love of life are unique. When I go home it’s like being born again. There are tons of poor people, and rich ones too, the middle class is big as well, but everyone hangs out together. There’s a really free spirit there. Brazil has countless fantastic bands playing everything from samba, bossa nova, jazz.
RockLine: I can totally believe it! Kiko from Angra told me the same thing in an interview a few months ago.
Paul: Absolutely! The drummer and bassist of my Brazilian band are playing with Angra right now. Personally I don’t like Angra. Too soft for me. Aquiles is without a doubt one of the best drummers in the world. He’s incredible! What that guy can do with his feet and hands! And Felipe is an excellent bassist. I love them and respect them deeply.
RockLine: So what are you listening to these days?
Paul: Punk, hardcore, thrash. Mostly punk. I’ve got something like 5, 6 thousand punk albums. I listen to the Ramones every day, Sepultura, Pantera… I listen to a ton of indigenous Brazilian music, which Sepultura also used on a few records.
RockLine: Yeah, on Roots.
Paul: Yeah, you know, the Indians and their singing. Fucking insane!
RockLine: Who made you start singing? Do you have an idol, or did you just decide to sing on your own?
Paul: I sang in my bedroom. I was a total copy of the singer from T-Rex. I like David Bowie, Bob Marley. I started out as a drummer, then bass player, and then bass player/vocalist. That’s it! I don’t know, I’ve got a mouth, I never learned to sing, I smoke cigarettes. If you can’t, you can’t.
RockLine: Do you still skate?
Paul: No, I can’t walk properly anymore. My leg and back are completely fucked. I even had to get my motorbike modified. The last time I stood on a skateboard was two years ago, and I wrecked my leg and back even more. We went skating in a “pipe”, I somehow managed that, but I fell completely apart after jumping down a few stairs. I’ve always had problems with my back and leg, but now it’s even worse. I can barely walk.
RockLine: I believe you, I wrecked my knees skating too.
Paul: Yeah, I wrecked my knees too. It hurts every single day and I have to live with it. I’ve got screws in my knee, and a gunshot wound… Anyway, a few years ago in Brazil I still skated in front of this incredible skater. I think he was a world champion, I don’t remember his name. We wear the same skate shoes, which sponsor me now.
RockLine: Okay, I think that’s it. Paul, thanks a lot, fingers crossed for the best possible gig, and I hope you manage to get some rest before it.
Paul: Cool, thank you, it was a pleasure. If you need anything else, let me know. Oh yeah, and first I’m going to bed!
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