ZED YAGO / VELVET VIPER – Interview with Jutta Weinhold

Actually it doesn't matter if you are fan of Epic, Dark, Romantic or Heavy Metal. It also doesn't matter, if you are fan of female fronted Traditional Heavy Metal, or not. Why? Because I'm sure, that if you are just a bit deeper into Metal of the 80's, you know this premier German act known as ZED YAGO. Spv Records has just released double CD compilataion titled “Zed Yago From The Twilight Zone”, so I decided to ask ask few questions to owner of one of the mightiest female Metal voices ever. Ladies and gentlemen: Jutta Weinhold!

Hello Jutta! I just have to start our talk with this question… Are you rebel? Rebellion seems to be one of favourite subjects of your lyrics, you know, you did “Rebel Ladies”, “HM Rebels”…?

Of course, rebellion is what Rock´n`Roll is all about. The roots of Rock´n`Roll are revolution, progress and creation accompanied by inexhaustible fantasy, freedom and love.

As I noticed, you were highly influenced by (in my opinion), biggest Heavy Metal composer, Richard Wagner. You opened your second album with “Pilgrims' Choir” from mighty “Tannhauser”, and the debut had “The Flying Dutchman”. Would you also describe Wagner a Heavy Metal composer, like me? What are your favourite Wagner's works? Are you much into Classical music? What other composers do you like?

You´re absolutely right. I´m sure, if Wagner lived nowadays, he would be the most important heavy metal expert. Wagner was the first composer to lay the same stress on the music as well as on the lyrics.That is what I like very much. I think that the words are as important as the music. Today I go even further by saying that there is no need for music without a message. In 1985 I wanted to bring new themes and influences into the hard and heavy music. I`m still looking for enlightening ideas concurring with my view. I see my music in some kind of European way. I don`t like copying the American stuff. They have great music but neither does it reflect my way of life nor does it touch my heart. I strongly believe, that everything you do should reflect your state of mind and correspond with your character. I also want to tell everybody that music doesn´t only mean consuming it. It can convey values which already got lost in our money-orientated society. It is a shame how indifferent people consume music, especially pop music. That music has the perishability of yoghurt. My favourites are “Der Fliegende Holländer” (The Flying Dutchman), Tannhäuser, Parsifal and “Der Ring der Nibelungen” (Ring Of The Nibelungs). Sometimes I´m listening to classical music. Right now I´m involved in Rachmaninow.

What do you think about Manowar, band that highly worship Wagner as well?

I´ve seen them a few times and I think they are sexy. I like their music. I´m not so sure about their lyrics though. Stuff like “Be my slave” I can`t agree with. This is a huge problem with metal music. Women only get the very cheap roles. The whole scene seems to be very conservative, especially concerning the role expectations of women. Maybe this is why I became part of the Metal scene, to show that women have more to offer than just long legs, tits and asses.

Did I mention you are very sexy? :)) For the last few years, there wasn't especially loud around of you on the Metal scene, but as I know you were very active. Can you please tell me more about your current act? As I heard it is called Jutta Weinhold Band, am I right? Who plays with you? Any of the Zed Yago or Velvet Viper members?

Right now I got studio work to do. I`m producing a new album. The project is called ´Weinhold` and it`s going to be the return of dramatic metal. I`m working with a fabulous guitar player, Kai Reuter. He is totally unknown up to now, but I strongly believe that he is on his way to make a great career. The ´Jutta Weinhold Band` was ´Rhythm and Blues`. The band existed for three years. We had a few gigs in local pubs around Hamburg and Hannover. But last year I made up my mind and decided to go back to my hard and heavy roots. Just about a month ago I played on a Metal festival near Leipzig -´Fuck the Flood`. It was my first get-together with that Metal scene after 13 years. It was a great feeling after such a long time and the all decisive-event to start the return of dramatic metal.

By many (except me, hehe…) you are recognized as the Queen of Epic and Dramatic Metal… How do you feel with that? Are you listening to your own albums sometimes?

The ´Zed Yago` band took a very bad end. You`ve probably heard about it. We had trouble within the band and I lost the name ´Zed Yago` which was my creation, as well as the whole story about the Flying Dutchman´s daughter in search for the lost fantasy. I didn`t listen to the music for many years. But now, since I worked on the ´Best of ` I very much like to listen to some of it again.

As I know, you started your musical career for a long time before the birth of Zed Yago, for example before it you have sung with Breslau. Can you tell me more about your first steps on the music scene? You look very young so I guess it couldn't be long time ago…?

Breslau! As a singer of Breslau I was regarded to stand for it, but I just grabbed a chance EMI offered me. It was serious heavy punk with German lyrics. During that time I wasn`t really, what you could call, politically involved and I didn`t quite grasp the potential danger that lay in their lyrics. They were extremely provocative and the name of the band implied ideas of National Socialism for some people. Accusations hit me, as I wasn`t aware of what might arise from it and I only slowly understood what happend. I never was and never will be a follower of Nazism in any way. It is disgusting that there are still people proclaiming this kind of bullshit. I am against Nazism and those violent thickheads and I believe, that Nazism has its roots in stupidity and indifference. I was attacked by the press, letters were sent to my private address and I had to justify myself in several ´talk-shows`. I had one of the hardest times of my whole career because I got attached to something that was far from my attitude. Only one month later I left the band. I felt ashamed for my naivety. By the way, EMI -records was also surprised by the reaction of the press, so they stopped the project after its first release. From then on no word passed my lips that I hadn`t thought over for at least a hundred times. It was clear to me, that in the future, I was only going to sing or write songs with serious engagement. At that time I started to read Heinrich Heine, Goethe and Schiller. I wanted to bring those contents and issues into rock music.

As I know there was some concept story behind Zed Yago, the names, the tracks and so on… For example Zed Yago was daughter of the Flying Dutchman, and… Can you explain that?

When I read the ´Flying Dutchman` by Heinrich Heine, I had the idea to put a daughter at his side. I was looking for a dramatic figure to lead through the whole musical concept. I decided that it should be a female hero (there are plenty of male ones in our world !) who got the will, the power, the capability and the allowance to do everything she wanted to. Here is how the story goes: She sails as a spiritual creature the Twilight Zone and is obsessed by the wish of gaining a human body. One day she meets God and Satan who share one severe problem: people on earth have lost the fantasy and without fantasy the soul will die and without a soul mankind is condemned to die. They made a pact with her: in return for a human body she has to bring the lost fantasy to the people. The anchor hits the earthly dimension and the quest begins. Wherever there are legends and myths you will find ´Zed Yago`.

What really happened to Zed Yago? You continued this Dramatic Metal sound with Velvet Viper, and the first song from the same titled LP starts with the words “Fascinated by the stone, Zed Yago fell in a hole”… any comments?

That is the continuation of the story: Stonehenge as the centre where dimensions change. ´Zed Yago`went there and woke up in King Arthur`s Camelot in the world behind the ´Avalon` world. That`s the story of the ´Velvet Viper` CD.

SPV has just released the fantastic double CD “Zed Yago From The Twilight Zone”. Whose idea it was? It doesn't look like kind of moneymaker, but more as a gift for fans…

I`ve got my homepage for about 3 years now. I received so many messages and e-mails from all over the world asking for ´Zed Yago`/ ´Velvet Viper` CDs. That was the reason for a ´Best of `.

This new-old CD includes except some biggest of your hits, if I can say like that, also a lot of rare stuff, like demo and live tracks. Do you have many of such unreleased tunes left in your private archives?

No, the music your hear on the CD is all what is left from the ´Zed Yago`days.

Album includes also some of the Velvet Viper tracks… Why have you decided to put them on these discs? Am I right if I will say that Velvet Viper was actually still Zed Yago, but under a different name?

You are exactly right.

Some time ago I had in my hands limited promotional MCD of Velvet Viper… Did you have any other rare and exclusive releases like that? I don't know, picture discs, singles? Generally how looked the merchandise? Official t-shirts and so on were ever done? Do you have any of such memorabilia at your home?

I don`t have anything. No merchandising and so on.

Did you ever think about release of Zed Yago live LP? Sadly I have not seen you live on stage (everything before me, I hope…), but from what I heard on that compilation release, I dare to say that you are perfect stage band…

The original ´Zed Yago` separated over 13 years ago. There is no more live material around. I strongly believe in my new project ´Weinhold`.

As I noticed, all the live tracks included on that album were recorded in 1989. It is just an accident, that only records from that year were included?

The band only existed for a period of 5 years. It started in 1985 – two years of rehearsing, two years of successful work and one year of pure chaos.

Do you think that return of Zed Yago would be possible, in the present times of so many bands' reunions? Generally, what do you think about all those legendary bands playing again?

I think a reunion with all the ´Zed Yago`members is not in sight. As I told you, I believe in the new ´Weinhold` project. I`ve got nothing else on my mind. But when all the fans scream loud enough for bands to reappear, they should do so.

When there is a talk about German 80's Metal, it is easy to hear about both Zed Yago and Velvet Viper, and all those so called Teutonic bands, like Accept, Running Wild, Stormwitch, Warlock, Gravestone, Grave Digger, Veto or Atlain (ok, ok, I agree, I just mentioned my favourites from Germany, hehe). But generally people don't put you in the same group with them. How do you think, why? As I know, you lived and worked in the same area where most of those bands: Hamburg. Were you, or are you maybe still in touch with members of any of those bands?

Because we were different. I am woman with female thoughts. I never had much to do with the scene. I think I was not long enough in the centre of the Metal scene. The only contact I still have is ´Weiky`, Michael Weikert from ´Helloween` and Lars Ratz from ´Metalium`.

What bands from that era (I mean the 80's) you remember the best? The best live shows, festivals, and happenings?

This is a hard question because I fear to leave out some of the names. The biggest happening was the anniversary concert of ´Metal Hammer` in Dortmund and the ´Monsters of Rock`shows. And I should not forget our support for Deep Purple in Germany.

As I'm from Poland, I have to ask you about Polish scene… As I know you aren't limited to the Metal music only, so tell me please, what do you know about our scene in general?

I`m sorry, I don`t know anything about the Polish scene except for what you told me – that the prices for rock concerts are so high that only a few privileged people can afford to go there. In my opinion Rock´n`Roll should be accessible to all people. Rock´n`Roll is made for all of us. Besides, I think that it`s good that Poland has the chance to join the European market.

The new compilation CD includes also great video clip for the “Black Bone Song” hymn… How do you remember making of it?

That was a great feeling. The video was made in England and we had a lot of fun. Back then we still felt good the vibrations.

The pirate themes were easy to find on your tracks… Have the most known Heavy Metal pirates, Running Wild, ever influenced you anyhow?

As far as I remember ´Rocking Rolf `created his pirate style inspired by ´Zed Yago`. But never mind.

Wow, sounds interesting! I think that's all for the moment. Thank you from my heart for your time, it was really great honour to talk with you! Tell me please; what are your futures plans now? What can we expect from the Queen of Dramatic Metal?

Dramatic Metal. A new production in spring.

Your last words for the Rebel Ladies and Heavy Metal Rebels out there?

To all the headbangers in Poland: stay the course and don`t forget that only loud music can destroy all evil spirits. Please visit my website www.jutta-weinhold.de

Interview by: Bart Gabriel (c) Dragonight Agency 2002 / www.dragonight.de
Photos & logos taken from the official Jutta Weinhold / Zed Yago homepages