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BIO 

Okay, here we are, here we go! As the esteemed Klaus Meine likes to say. I'll now give you a little insight into our chaotic but logical reunion. However, that's not entirely correct either, as I've never broken up with Chinchilla!About a year ago, the boys asked me if I would like to bring Chinchilla back to life with them - As the little monster was only sleeping! So the idea was to bring back Chinchilla on stage to rock with the old boys! I was a bit surprised, as they are all in other bands and I actually only wanted to release CDs with guest musicians of my choice under the name “Chinchilla - Udo and Friends”. I couldn't let go of the idea. I first communicated with Roberto and Tommy. Tommy couldn't believe it at first when I wrote to him: “Tommy, I don't really know if I want to do this again. I need to think about it first.”Everyone imagines it to be so easy: leading a band and taking over the management! Unfortunately, it's not. You have to consider the sensitivities of each individual and you have to act in the interests of the band. That also means that you have to stick your neck out in negotiations and as result your won’t be be everybody's darling. You, speaking about me, are at the head of the band and are the contact person. You have to filter information that is not so great and pass it on to the band as best you can. It's just like working in a small company!I only ever wanted to play guitar; everything else came to me like a virgin to a child! Sometimes I was standing in the studio, recording solos and the keyboard player at the time couldn't get anything together. Ingmar Schelzel came to me and said: “Udo, nothing's working. We should finish the hook line from the keyboard and change a few harmonies.” I had just started recording the solos with Achim Köhler. He just said: “Go on and write something nice!” Unfortunately, that's the way it is with almost everything. If something works, then it was “us”; if it goes down the drain, then it was Udo! But that's human, and you know that when you lead a band. You need a thick skin!All of this is very time-consuming and takes a lot of energy. You can imagine it like with children: When they whine, scream or mess up, you could wring their necks. They bring you to the brink of madness, but a smile that comes from the heart makes up for everything and all is right with the world again! These thoughts went through my head, and it came as it always does with Chinchilla. It's not that we have stress or arguments with each other. On the contrary: when we get together, it's just like before. The time in between doesn't really exist in this relationship. It's usually a lot of fun and we all know each other very well!But it will be the same as before, the sun doesn't always shine, it rains from time to time, which is also good for growth and the harvest, but sometimes, but only sometimes, there are heavy storms, which then disappear again thanks to the sun.Kalle first asked Roberto and Tommy whether Chinchilla could imagine playing at the Bang Festival. They then referred him to me. Kalle then got in touch with me and we talked at first. But it very quickly turned into negotiations, always with “my handbrake on”, as I still wasn't quite sure whether I wanted to do it or not! Everyone somehow put gentle pressure on me, including my friend Volker, and suddenly everything was back to normal. As chaotic as ever. As Roberto always says: “Nothing will ever change here, and that's a good thing!” But that's only because we can cope with it and don't know any other way!You could compare it to a pregnant woman who is on her way to the hospital with her loved one to give birth and the child is born on the way in the car!So: WE ARE BACK! And I'm really looking forward to the upcoming creative period and the gigs with my band mates and friends as well as our wonderful crew, who are all back - even those who are in heaven! To be honest, I really enjoyed my quiet rock'n'roll retirement!With this in mind: “Go out and play!” As our Venerable Franz used to say! And another quote: “I've finished!”.

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