Rock meets classic" has proven itself as a crossover concept. Gotthard's Leo Leoni and Nic Maeder will also soon be showing their orchestral side. Nevertheless, rock 'n' roll will not be neglected.
When rock meets classical, the shreds fly. Not on stage, but among the fans. Because the mixture of the two musical genres polarizes: Alongside passionate supporters, there are also those who find classical versions of rock classics boring or hackneyed. Nevertheless, the idea has proved its worth. After eight years with over half a million enthusiastic visitors in five countries and with stars such as Ian Gillan (Deep Purple), Alice Cooper, Steve Lukather (Toto) and Midge Ure, "Rock meets Classic" is going into another round in 2018.
Two Swiss musicians will also be taking part in Zurich and Basel in April: guitarist Leo Leoni and singer Nic Maeder will be performing popular Gotthard hits in orchestral versions. Of course they know the pros and cons of the event. It doesn't matter that this experiment has now been dared by almost every big rock band, says Leoni. Because: "'Rock meets Classic' is a bit like spring for me. It comes again and again - and every time it's a great thing!"
Not just ballads
The Ticinese are experiencing a second or even third spring themselves. Singer Nic has now been accepted as the successor to Steve Lee († 47), who died in an accident. After an album at the beginning of the year, the band is working on a follow-up to the acoustic success "Defrosted" from 1997. The fact that they are also rehearsing with strings is a coincidence, but comes in handy, says singer Nic. "We don't have to completely rearrange the songs for 'Rock meets Classic'. But in such a way that fans of Saga, The Hooters, Status Quo or Supertramp also feel comfortable with it." The two Gotthard stars will share the stage with the singers of these acts. However, they won't just be playing ballads: "Rock 'n' roll won't be neglected," Leoni assures us. The two are not yet ready to reveal which hits the fans will get to hear in classical versions. But "Heaven" is likely to be included. After all, Deep Purple have to play their "Smoke on the Water" every time, says Leoni. They will probably play a mix of songs from the era with Steve Lee and the one with Nic Maeder.
The event also has a special significance for the band. Shortly after Lee's death, Krokus singer Marc Storace sang a touching tribute at an earlier edition of "Rock meets Classic". "So we've come full circle," muses Leoni. What's more, "Rock meets Classic" has a meaning for him that goes beyond music: "Events like this prove that music brings different genres and people together. Especially in this day and age, that's incredibly important."
