HOBBY SHOP
By ANDY SECHER
(Hit Parader, Jan.1994, pp. 86-87, Hit Parader Publications, Inc)
Rock stars don't live by music alone. While it may seem that some of hard rock's more single minded performers have little ability to think of anything more than their next studio session or live performance, most rockers have a wide range of exciting outside interests. This month, we invite Accept's guitarist Wolf Hoffmann to discuss his love for photography in the Hobby Shop.
ACCEPT'S WOLF HOFFMANN
Hit Parader: How long have you had your interest in photography?
Wolf Hoffmann: I've had it for many years. It began as just something to do when we were on tour. It's a very nice diversion to be able to look out of a bus window and look at things with a photographer's eye. It makes the time go by much faster. In addition, it gave me a chance to chronicle some of the places we've been and the strange things we've done- and believe me, with Accept there have been some very strange things.
HP: Are you one of those people who always carries a camera with him in case something interesting happens?
WH: I do usually have a camera of some sort with me. (He proceeds to reach into a small sack and produce a little pocket camera.) In fact, I brought this along because I want to take your picture! I want to have evidence that this interview took place.
HP: Why? In case we end up in court?
WH: (Laughing) Exactly! Actually, I'm trying to keep a full record of everything that's going on around Accept this time from the making of the album, to the tours, to the interviews. It's fun!
HP: Did your photography become more of a focal point in your life during the last few years when Accept wasn't recording or touring?
WH: Absolutely. It really did. I believe that one day I will work full-time on my photography. I enjoy working in black and white, taking portraits of people. But I enjoy all kinds of photography. The photo on the cover of our newest album, Objection Overruled, is one of mine. I think it's very powerfull and makes a statement the moment you see it.
HP: Some people might say that a pair of hands that are tied is a rather unusual artistic statement to make. Did that reflect some of the frustration Accept has felt in recent years?
WH: That really wasn't what we were trying to convey at all. We actually have not felt tied down in the least. We've gotten back together strictly because we wanted to. It wasn't a money thing or some legal commitment that we had. We simply wanted to do it. The album cover was really just taken from a photo I had previously done. It wasn't made expressly for the cover. We just all felt that the title and the photo worked very well together.
HP: It has been a long time since we've heard from Accept- especially with your original lineup intact. How have the fans reacted to the band being back together?
WH: Their reaction has been incredible. They are the reason that we got back together in the first place. They kept sending in letters asking us to reform and make a new album. Since we've always been a band that wanted to please the fans, it gave us serious reason to consider doing it. We were all happy doing what we were- my photography, for example. But when we did all get back together, it was very special for us. We only hope that some of that special feeling comes across to the fans- they're the ones really responsible for this album.
HP: We know that the band's vocalist, Udo Dirkschneider, had gone off on his own for a few years. Did he make a smooth transition back into the band?
WH: In my mind, Udo has always been the singer for Accept. His voice is the voice of our music. We made one album a couple of years ago with an American singer, David Reece, but we realized that was a mistake. We had always stayed in touch with Udo, and in fact, we helped him write many of the songs he did on his solo albums. There were never any hard feelings, so his coming back into the band was very easy. It's the way it's supposed to be.
HP: Objection Overruled was released on a small independent label. Why did you do that? Did the major labels show no interest?
WH: There actually was quite a bit of interest from the big labels, but we've been through that already- both the good side and the bad. We felt like we wanted to have more control this time, and we wanted to work with people who placed our album at the top of their priority list. You sacrifice certain things working with a small label, but there are many other things you gain. We're very happy with the arrangement we have now.
HP: You recorded this album as a four piece. We always think of Accept's "classic" lineup as a five piece with two guitarists. You've stayed a four piece on the road. Why?
WH: Because we like the way the band sounds this way. We always recorded as a four piece, even in the earlier days. But we had another guitarist on stage to round out the sound. But with modern technology and better equipment, we really don't need that. We're stripped down and very focused as a four piece band- it's pure Accept with no frills. That's just the way it should be.