Members’ Facts
Markus Grosskopf
- In 1983, after Markus’s school studies were over. He began working as a butcher apprentice, since the band broke up due to Piet Sielck’s departure to USA
- Markus have actually started his musician career in a punk band.
- In 1983 Markus joined Blast Furnace band. There he met Michael Weikath.
- It was Markus who found Michael Kiske in 1986.
- Markus met Kai at an audition for a bass player that Kai did.
“I met a guy who told me they were looking for a bass player and I just said, “Well, you got one! There’s one standing right in front of you!” (everybody laughs) He gave me the address, I called them up and… well, and I’ve been in since then. What a lucky day! Imagine I could have gone somewhere else on that day! - The first song that Markus ever wrote for Helloween was “Shit And Lobster”.
- Back in 1991, when Helloween had legal problems with Noise Records, Markus played in a band called Mr. Prouster that later became Shockmachine. It’s almost the same guys. That was the story with Shockmachine, they were close to doing some recordings with Mr. Prouster, but then Helloween started again, saved these songs. Later on that band became Shockmachine.
- Markus song “Cut In The Middle”, the title was suggested by Michael Weikath. Actually there’s no meaning, he didn’t put any meaning into it.
- Markus playing style has been known to have very prominent basslines, occasional but not very often solos (being the most famous the bass solo on “Eagle Fly Free”), and is known to use both his fingers and a pick, depending on the song. He regularly uses a pick for the more straightfoward, simple bass lines, like “I Want Out” or “Just a Little Sign”, and fingers for more lead type of playing, like on “Eagle Fly Free” or “Halloween”. His playing style also expanded on Helloween`s latest album Keeper of the Seven Keys – The Legacy where more bass solos and lead parts are heard, and even some slap bass on the first single “Mrs. God”.
Ingo Schwitchenberg:
- While Helloween couldn’t perform on stage due to legal reasons, Ingo Schwichtenberg, Markus Grosskopf and Roland Feldman created a band called Doc Eisenhauer and started playing in various Hamburg clubs. Their debut released in 1992 called Alles I’m Lack by BMG.
Michael Weikath
- Weikath started playing guitar when he was 12 and his main intention was to collect women at the campfire.
- When he was 19, Weikath also wrote “First Time” from Chameleon. It’s about his blondie-gf. He and his old band always played this song as opening track for most of their concerts.
- In 1991, Michael Weikath recorded a guitar solo for Let Love Conquer The World, German Rock Project, done for charity.
Andreas ‘Andi’ Deris
- Interestingly enough, Andi didn’t start his musical career as a vocalist. He learnt to play the guitar to KISS, but then was coaxed to sing even though he didn’t want to.
- His first band was Paranoid.
Michael Kiske
- In 1986, after his graduation, Kiske’s mother found him a job in a greenhouse company. Michael worked there for 6 months.
- Michael Kiske favorite Helloween’s song is “Eagle Fly Free”.
- Michael Kiske did “Time To Break Free” vocals in his bedroom.
- Michael Kiske wrote “Always” in the last 2 months he was in Helloween.
Uli Kusch
- He starded playing drums in 1981 in a CCR. Cover band. His first band was Violent Kids.
- He never took drum’s lesson, only one session with the former Zeltinger Band drummer.
- It was Harrie Smits, who called Uli to join the band if he still play the drums.
- Also called as Robert Duvall
Roland Grapow
- 1973 Grapow’s first band, named Prisma or Virus, came into being. They played several concerts in Hamburg.
- In 1980 Michael Weikath who visited a Rampage show was impressed by the guitarwork of the band and kept the band’s name in mind.
- Between 1984-1988 Grapow worked as a car mechanic at the same time playing in several local bands.
- In August 1988, Weikath remembered Grapow as he was searching for a new guitarist for Helloween. He called Roland and they agreed that he joins the band as soon as Kai Hansen leaves it.
- In 2000, Grapow composed some guitar riffs for a TV ad of German magazine called Money.
- Roland has a studio called “Crazy Cat” named after his cats Oskar and Felix
- Roland played Gibson Les Paul for all the rhythm part on The Dark Ride, Flying V for the overdubs and 60% of the solos and all the rest was made with his Stratocaster.
- Roland had some guitar lessons during the Master Of The Rings for harmonics from a spanish guitar player.
Since then, he had written as his first song after taking these lessions, “Still We Go”.
Sascha Gerstner
- In 1983, he got his first musical instrument, it was a gift Bontempi-Organ. Sascha starting to play the guitar at the age of 14, influenced by his uncle Wolfgang Meinert.
- In 1995 Sascha tried himself as a singer
Stefan Schwarzmann
- 1979 Stefan’s father, a professional drummer, gave him his old drum set.
The first playing lessons, also by his father - In beginning of 80s, Born Loosers, Stefan’s first school band was created.
- In the middle of 80s Stefan played in Cronos Titan, Canberra and Die Suicides bands.
At the same time he earned his living as a taxi driver. - Stefan met Weikath and Marcus in 1987. They shared a breakfast room together at that time. At the time he played with Running Wild and Helloween and Running Wild shared a breakfast room and it was from ‘87 to ‘88.
Daniel Loeble
- The only member that graduated from Music Academy. He graduated from Modern Music Academy in Zuerich.
Helloween’s Keyboard Players:
- Harris Johns (Walls Of Jericho)
- Tommy Hansen (Keeper of the Seven Keys I & II, Chameleon, Time of The Oath, Better Than Raw)
- Pete Iverson and Paul Nichols (Pink Bubbles Go Ape)
- Joern Ellerbrock (Master of The Rings, Time of The Oath, Better Than Raw, Metal Jukebox, The Dark Ride, Rabbit Don’t Come Easy)
- Rene Merkelbach (Metal Jukebox)
- Friedl Amon (Keeper of the Seven Keys – The Legacy)
- Andi Deris (Keeper of the Seven Keys – The Legacy) additional
- Sascha Gerstner (Keeper of the Seven Keys – The Legacy) additional
