If you look at a map of Europe 35 years ago you will hardly recognize the geography of the continent. So much has changed since then. U.S.S.R., Czechoslovakia, etc. were still on the map and Germany was still divided between the West and East. Germany was split as a result of the Yalta Conference, held in February 1945, during which the U.S.A., United Kingdom and Soviet Union agreed on the division of Germany into occupation zones, as an aftermath of World War II. The part of Germany under Soviet control became known as the German Democratic Republic and was physically separated from West Germany by means of the infamous Berlin Wall, which came down in 1989. Both sides were officially reunited in 1990.
Rightly you might be asking, what the heck does a history lesson have to do with the Maltese music scene? Apart from trying to put some context to my story, it happens that West Germany, mainly due to presence of British and American forces, became another attraction for Maltese bands and artists to go and perform there. Bands such as Black Train and singer Mary Charles (Maryrose Mallia) were few of those who ventured on the German soil.
High ‘N Dry
Formed in 1984 and originally based in the city of Cologne in West Germany, High ‘N Dry are a heavy metal band with a strong Maltese connection. The line up that released ‘Hands off my toys’ in 1988, which was their first record, included two compatriots namely Joe Mitz (Mizzi) on vocals and Gino Micallef on bass. The rest of line up of High ‘N Dry consisted of Detlef Kowalevski on guitar and Mark Rich on drums. The adventures of Joe Mizzi and Gino Micallef deserve to be written on their own merit but that is a story I am not qualified to write. Maybe someone else can take up the task. As far as Maltese who have made it abroad only Marc Storace is mentioned, and full credit to him is well deserved, but there were others who made the cut.
‘Hands off my Toy’ came out during a period when speed, trash and the heavier side of metal were dominating the scene. 1988 was the release year of ‘.....And Justice for All’ (Metallica), ‘Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II’ (Helloween), ‘State of Euphoria’ (Anthrax), ‘Blood Fire Death’ (Bathory), ‘Them’ (King Diamond) and many more. Other magnificent releases in the same year, worth mentioning are ‘Seventh Son of a Seventh Son’ (Iron Maiden), ‘No Rest for the Wicked’ (Ozzy), ‘Kings of Metal’ (Manowar), ‘Destiny’ (Saxon) and many more.
High ‘N Dry were not staying put in Germany, in fact the band had toured heavily in France, Belgium, Holland, U.K. and other countries. This helped in making the name known. They played alongside many important names such in the metal and rock scene of the time. The mood on the record oscillates from heavy tracks such as “Bad in Black” to ballads such as “Too much to lose.” Apart from being very capable musicians, the band members had also the image to complete the package. Though the band was put together for years before the release of ‘Hands off my Toy’, each member had a baggage of experience that can be witnessed on this record. The tack list of the album is as follows:
1. Intro
2. Run Away
3. The Last Time
4. Streets of Fire
5. Too Much to Lose
6. Piece of my Heart (Cover)
7. Love Reaction
8. In the Dark
9. Bad in Black
10. Lost Souls
11. Ain’t Gonna Take It
12. Standin’ on the Frontline
In 2016, after the album was reissued as a cd by Scream Records, Michael Bugeja caught up with Joe Mizzi and Gino Micallef and interviewed them. The interview, which I am reproducing in its entirety hereunder, was published in the Times of Malta on May 15, 2016. It makes a very interesting read as it gives a clear picture of how Joe and Gino ended up in Germany and the band’s connection with Iron Maiden. The reissue includes three new tracks namely The Light, We All One and Welcome to the Show.
It’s not that unusual these days to hear of a Maltese artist moving abroad in the hope of pursuing a career overseas. In the 1970s and 1980s, however, when the local music scene was very different to what it is now, things were different. Bassist Gino Micallef and vocalist Joe Mizzi were among those who took the big step into the unknown back in the day, their overseas experience culminating in a fruitful experience as part of the German band High ’N’ Dry. Michael Bugeja caught up with the two musicians after the band’s 1988 album Hands Off My Toy was reissued on CD by Scream Records.
What had you been doing musically before joining High ’N’ Dry?
GM: I was playing with Fragile back in 1978, and then with B3, with Joe Mizzi as lead vocalist. After B3 folded, I met (guitarist) Detlef Kowalewski, with whom I formed High ’N’ Dry after moving to Germany. Two years later I went to London, where I played alongside Ray Mercieca in the original Characters before moving back to Malta and then back to Germany as Detlef was reforming the band.
JM: Gino and I first met at Għadira Bay, and we hit it off straight away. He played with Fragile then, and I was an aspiring singer. Later on, after Fragile split up and Gino formed B3 with John Gafa, they asked me to join them. B3 was the band that really helped our creativity as we played with some of the best musicians around at that time. When B3 folded, I joined StratKast, then Gino, who had moved back to Germany, gave me a call saying I should audition for High ’N’ Dry, so off I went and got the job.
Was it difficult fitting into a music scene that was new to you and so much bigger?
GM: Yes, in the beginning it wasn’t easy, but on the music front it felt great; we had a proper rehearsal room and a recording studio. When I started to understand the language I felt more at ease. I also recall being very nervous when we played our first gig at University of Cologne in front of a few thousand people.
JM: The difficulties we faced in the music scene were practically the same we’d have faced anywhere else. Detlef had some good contacts, among them the management team that got us our record deal with Bellaphone Records, so that was a big boost.
Which are your most memorable moments with High ’N’ Dry?
GM: Mine are opening for Iron Maiden twice in Cologne. Another great moment was playing to a large crowd at the Lorelei festival in Koblenz on the same bill as Meatloaf and Marillion.
JM: For me, the two concerts with Iron Maiden are my favourite memories from High ’N’ Dry, but touring France and the UK was a great experience too.
The Iron Maiden connection is now legend in High ’N’ Dry’s history, but how did that come about?
GM: I met (Iron Maiden vocalist) Bruce Dickinson at a club in Cologne and we obviously ended up talking about music. They were interested in our studio as they needed a rehearsal space ahead of their Seventh Son of A Seventh Son World Tour. They moved in a few weeks later and, since my apartment was above the studio I could listen to them rehearsing every day for a month. We were lucky enough to open for them on both of their warm-up gigs in Cologne.
JM: Detlef owned the Empire Complex in Cologne where we were based, which included rehearsal rooms for bands, a fitness club, a music club and disco which could host about 1500 guests. Accept had already used our studio to rehearse in, and recommended it to Iron Maiden, who wanted to rehearse for their world tour. Steve Harris and Bruce Dickinson came with their road manager; they loved the studio and while we were showing them around, they mentioned the club could be a good venue for a surprise gig.
Gino and I both remarked that we’d love to open for them and they just said OK, so that was it basically. We had a great time in the weeks they spent there. Gino is still in contact with Steve Harris to this day. The last time we met them was backstage last year when they played in Germany.
At the time of its release, Hands Off My Toy caused quite a fuss here in Malta. What was the reception in Germany?
GM: When the album came out in Germany we played a few gigs and did TV shows in Germany to promote it. We also gave radio interviews in Malta, where I believe only the vinyl format was available, which we sold quite a good number of. In Germany it was also avail-able on cassette and CD. The promotion abroad worked well, as it landed us some important festivals in Germany and France.
JM: Regionally, the band’s profile was quite high, particularly in the area around Cologne, where we had played plenty of gigs. The band’s popularity was growing quite steadily, although along the line we did encounter some unforeseen hiccups that inevitably held the band back from going on to greater things.
Looking back and listening to those songs now, is there anything you would have done differently, both for the record and as a band?
GM: Listening to the album now, I know we could make it better but Scream wanted to reissue the original version, further to which the CD includes three bonus tracks we recorded as demos these past few years.
JM: Looking back, yes, there are definitely things I would do differently, especially with my voice. I wasn’t technically trained then, but I am now as vocal coaching is my main activity. As a band, I wish we’d had the time to move on stylistically. When the album came out, Hair Metal was coming to an end and I’m sure we could have evolved with the times.
The album’s reissue suggests there is a relevance to the current market. Could this and the three new songs mean High ’N’ Dry may be getting back together at some point?
GM: It’s a question of gauging sales really, but we’ve agreed to record more tracks this year. We actually recorded the new songs via internet, except for one track which I recorded bass for at Detlef’s studio in the Azores. Joe did the vocals at his home studio in Germany.
JM: Detlef and I co-wrote the three new songs, with input from Gino and (drummer) Mark Ulrich. At the moment, there are no concrete plans to reunite or tour again. With Gino in Malta, myself in Germany and Detlef in the Azores, the distance makes it all the more complicated to organise, but who knows?
For the record, High ‘n Dry as a band are still active, with Detlef Kowalevski as the only survivor for the legendary 1980’s line up. If you still do not own a copy of this album its high time you get your hands on one.
PS. Opinions expressed in my rants are completely personal and might not reflect the opinion of melodija.eu.
Main references:
Times of Malta, October 21, 1988
Times of Malta, May 15 2016.
Note from Melodija Team:Everyone has an opinion and we at Melodija value each and every one of them. To make this a healthier and interesting please comment in the space provided below. Thanks
Comments