In a brand new interview with Jorge Botas of Portugal’s Metal Global, PRETTY MAIDS singer Ronnie Atkins, who’s battling stage 4 most cancers, spoke in regards to the Danish exhausting rock veterans’ current announcement that they have been planning to reunite in 2024 to play a number of concert events. He mentioned (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Yeah, nicely, we have been planning on a couple of chosen PRETTY MAIDS reveals. It is not gonna be a hell of loads, I believe. We’re gonna do perhaps 5, six festivals through the summer time or one thing. Then I’ve bought some festivals alone. After which I’d exit with AVANTASIA. It relies on how a lot it conflicts with our particular person schedules. However let’s examine. I hope I will be capable to. I really like doing AVANTASIA, and I roughly dedicated to it, but additionally now, because the issues are what they’re and PRETTY MAIDS, the chance got here there, we bought some actually good provides and we’ve not performed collectively since 2019.”
He continued: “I do know there’s plenty of followers on the market that wanna see the band once more, not less than to make some form of closure. All of it resulted in a flawed manner as a result of I bought sick, and whereas I used to be sick, I could not do shit for six months. And in that point, we launched a brand new album. We by no means had the possibility to tour with it. Then got here the lockdown. So we simply wanna exit and play a few reveals. How a lot it is gonna be, I do not know. I do not know the way a lot extra we’re gonna do. We would proceed. I do not know. All of it relies upon a little bit bit on my well being as nicely. You understand. So, now I have been releasing plenty of music for the final couple of years, and now I really feel like 2024, I intend to do much more reside reveals. I actually love to do this. ‘Trigger I just like the shut encounter with the followers, whether or not it is a large competition with 50,000 or it is 200 folks in a membership, I do not care. I imply, I like them each, really. However let’s examine. Additionally, I will probably report some stuff subsequent 12 months. I am unable to think about I will not.”
Among the many already introduced PRETTY MAIDS reveals for 2024 are the Copenhell competition, set to happen June 19-22, 2024 in Copenhagen, Denmark; on the Time To Rock competition, which shall be held July 5-8, 2024 in Knislinge, Sweden; and on the Jailbreak competition, which is slated for August 16-17, 2024 in Horsens, Denmark.
This previous September, earlier than the PRETTY MAIDS reunion was formally introduced, Atkins was requested in an interview with Power Metal Point if there have been any plans for him to do something once more with the long-running Danish exhausting rock outfit. He responded: “There’s been points between the band since 2019, significantly between me and Ken [Hammer, guitar]. However now we’re really speaking once more. We simply met a short time in the past, and we nonetheless have some enterprise via 40 years we’ve to debate typically on mails. I believe it is gonna find yourself that we’ll bury the hatchet, if nothing else for the followers.”
He continued: “It is at all times been a love-hate relationship, and I am unable to verify something, however I believe we would do some chosen gigs subsequent 12 months or one thing like that. As a result of the entire thing resulted in a foul manner and I bought sick and we had a model new album out in 2019 and we by no means hit the highway with it, ‘trigger we needed to cancel the tour. Then the lockdown got here, the corona factor. So, yeah, let’s examine, let’s examine. We would do one thing subsequent 12 months.”
In December 2022, Atkins painted a extra bleak image of PRETTY MAIDS‘ future, telling Daybreak Osborne of TotalRock: “We’ve not seen one another since 2019. And there are some points inside the band that have not been [resolved]. So nothing is occurring. Ken is doing another tasks. Everyone is doing their very own issues, form of. I am not saying we can’t get again collectively at some point. Perhaps — I do not know. However time shouldn’t be on our facet. Let’s examine. It could want some talks — a band assembly and a few discuss — earlier than we go on. I am a bit like ‘I have been there, carried out that.’ I imply, typically I miss it. Alternatively, I am on with one thing else now, doing my very own stuff.”
Shaped in early 1982 by Atkins and Hammer, PRETTY MAIDS‘ second album, 1987’s “Future World”, remains to be right now thought to be a traditional.
Through the ensuing years, PRETTY MAIDS continued to launch albums often adopted by European and Japanese excursions.
PRETTY MAIDS‘ newest album, “Undress Your Insanity”, got here out in November 2019 through Frontiers Music Srl.
“Future World” was launched by CBS in 1987. By 1990, the album had bought 300,000 copies worldwide. The album charted at No. 165 on the Billboard 200 in the USA.
“Future World” was produced by Eddie Kramer, who was reportedly fired through the recording classes. The band then completed the LP with engineer Chris Isca, who was credited as co-producer on the album. Mixing duties have been shared between METALLICA, RAINBOW and MORBID ANGEL producer Flemming Rasmussen, and Kevin Elson, recognized for producing multi-platinum albums by JOURNEY, MR. BIG and EUROPE.
After being identified with lung most cancers in 2019, the now-59-year-old Atkins underwent not less than 33 radiation and 4 chemotherapy remedies within the fall of that 12 months earlier than being declared cancer-free. In October 2020, he introduced that his most cancers had returned.
In a 2013 interview with Myglobalmind, Atkins joked that the key to preserving his voice in form was “twenty cigarettes a day and little drink at times.”
Ronnie‘s third solo album, “Trinity”, was launched on October 13 through Frontiers Music Srl.
