Albums of Purgatory Interview Orphanage Guitarist, Guus Eikens

Albums of Purgatory: First of all, How did the Metalfest go?

Guus Eikens: Great! (especially Tilburg) We liked the audience's reaction on our new songs and that's why we were so eager to play those on the MetalFest2002-tour. Tilburg was also great for me personally because my 3-year old son saw us play for the first time and he was dancing, clapping and shouting all the time ... he liked it a lot and the people that stood around him enjoyed the sight of the youngest Orphanage-fan around.

AoP: How did Orphanage begin and what bands influenced you all?

GE: Bands that influenced us were: the Gathering, Paradise Lost, Metallica, Mekong Delta, Watchtower, Meshuggah, the Swans, Dead Can Dance, Anthrax, Exodus. Orphanage started out as a project, initiated by Lex Vogelaar, with guest musicians (myself, amongst others) to see if several beloved musical-styles could be mixed into a credible sound. Only after 2 demo-tapes ("Morph" and "Druid") we found our music strong enough to search for a record company. Mixtures of very different musical elements is still the band's most unique feature.

AoP: If you were a guitarist, how did you come to play keyboards for so long? What was the key in you ending up on guitars?

GE: I didn't end up on guitars, I started with it. It was only an accident that I started playing keyboards, because Lex needed someone who could play the keyboard-parts of his demos on stage.

AoP: What is the bands proudest moment?

GE: Dynamo Open Air 1996 (not on the mainstage, but in the campingsite-tent); something that we dreamt of since we were little. We all had a very unique and exciting feeling that something NEW was going to happen. Extremely nervous, but with tremendous pride, we did the 45-minute show; an event that still gives me chicken skin, even after 7 years.

AoP: Where do you find has the best atmosphere and where do you look forward to visiting the most?

GE: We have a secret list of venues, containing not only the best, but also the worst. For us the best venues are places were we are welcomed as friends by both the audience as the venue-owner and -personal. In the Netherlands: Vera, 013, Tivoli ... and not to mention the "Lowlands"-festival; and of course our rehearsal-room "dB's" in Utrecht.

AoP: What are your favourite songs?

GE:  That differs day by day
"For Whom the Bell Tolls" - Metallica
"Have a little faith in me" - John Hiatt
"Reign in Blood" - Slayer
"Deep Peace" - Devin Townsend

AoP: What is your favourite Orphanage track?

GE: "Requiem"
I'd still like to make songs like these, but I'm very insecure wether there's interest in slow, doomy songs, especially in a live situation.

AoP: What would be your dream metal line-up?

GE:  "Devin Townsend" - vocals
"Guus Eikens" - guitars
"Josh Silver" - keyboards
"Ian Paice" - drums
"Steve Harris" - bass guitar

AoP: Do you have any funny stories from the road you can share with us?

GE: Mmm, funny stories ... not really (disgusting things are SO normal when you're on tour). One day in 1997 we all woke up believing we had the same shared dream in our sleep, that is: visiting a shop filled with saucages up to the ceiling ... strange ?!? After a while it became clear that we had ended the previous night in a German butcher's store, eating "bratwurst" ...

AoP: and finally,What do you see for the future of Orphanage?

GE: acquiring HEAVY-METAL-STARDOM !!!