Victory - Show, July 31st + CD in Summer
Night to Remember - July 31st - Exclusive-Reunion-Show
with the original members:
Line-up:
Charlie Huhn - vox
Tommy Newton - guit
Herman Frank - guit
Peter Knorn - bass
Fritz Randow - drums
Also the new album will be out in summer 2003 and feat. the original line up!
Victory hold a prestigious position among the ranks of distinguished hard rock acts. During the Eighties and early Nineties, Victory, alongside their fellow-Hanoverians the Scorpions, were considered the most outstanding German rock export. Top positions in the album charts all over the world, successful tours in Europe and America, plus sensational appearances at reputable festivals ? Victory were everywhere. The band went through various line-ups, the most legendary without doubt including American vocalist Charlie Huhn, who had previously worked with Gary Moore and Ted Nugent. Together with Huhn, they recorded unforgettable cult albums like Victory (1985), Don?t Get Mad ? Get Even (1986), Hungry Hearts (1987) and That?s Life (1988). Charlie Huhn subsequently returned to the States to join rock heroes Humble Pie. Since that time, in other words for a good 15 years, fans have been demanding a reissue of that illustrious Victory line-up. At last it has happened: Victory have returned with their original team consisting of frontman Charlie Huhn, the two unequalled guitarists, Herman Frank and Tommy Newton, founding member and bassist Fargo-Peter Knorn and drummer Fritz Randow (Saxon), who was also part of the band in the Eighties. Their brand-new comeback album is due out in late summer, after the band?s scheduled appearance at the W:O:A 2003, and prior to an extensive tour. Another triumphal procession appears to be on the cards.
The story began in late 1984, when guitarist Tommy Newton and bassist Peter Knorn were busy preparing for a new album by their band Fargo. Impressed by the compelling material, Scorpions drummer Herman Rarebell took charge of the group?s fate, advancing the studio costs and hiring an American producer. Just two days later, the sensational enlistment of the internationally renowned vocalist, Charlie Huhn, was announced. The result of the studio sessions was dispatched directly to David Krebs? American management company (who had Aerosmith, Scorpions etc. on their books), triggering an invitation to the States. The band name was changed from Fargo to Victory and the group were presented to all major record companies, eventually signing with Epic (Sony Music). Victory then moved on to Los Angeles to have their material mixed by the most eminent sound engineer of the time, Michael Wagener. Their debut album, Victory, saw the light of day in 1985, and the musicians toured the States that same year, playing 60 shows in America, including four of the country?s most reputable festivals, and were celebrated not only by the 80,000 enthusiastic fans at the Texxas Jam in Dallas.
Following a restructuring process, as a result of which Herman Frank (formerly Accept and Sinner) was enlisted as the ideal second guitarist, the most legendary line-up of the band to this day materialized. Victory, now consisting of Huhn, Newton, Frank, Randow and Knorn, returned to Germany and signed with Metronome. Their Don?t Get Mad ? Get Even album came out in 1986, superseded by the acclaimed Hungry Hearts one year later. Following countless tours all over Europe and another trip through the States, the most successful chapter in the history of Victory came to an end with their eagerly awaited live cut, That?s Live (1988). Charlie Huhn subsequently returned to America, accepting a lucrative offer by rock giants, Humble Pie.
In the course of an extensive search, a suitable new frontman was found in Fernando Garcia. Culture Killed The Native came out in 1989, entering the European and American charts again. A third US tour followed, plus a European tour alongside Gary Moore. After two more studio recordings (Temples Of Gold, 1999 and You Bought It ? You Name It, 1992), Victory played a farewell gig in their home-town of Hanover, which was released on the double album Liveline. Things then went quiet for the successful group during the next four years, until Victory recorded their 1996 studio cut Voiceprint with a new line-up, albeit unable to take up where they had left off in their heyday with Huhn, Randow and Frank. Particularly Charlie Huhn?s (referred to as ?Chicken Charlie? by his friends) extremely blues-oriented vocals appeared impossible to compensate in terms of compositions. Still ? or perhaps for that very reason ? more and more voices made themselves heard, demanding a comeback of the original team. When all the musicians involved indicated their interest in a reunion a few weeks ago, the Hanover label Steamhammer/SPV were fast to act, securing themselves the rights to the scheduled comeback album, which is due to be recorded in early summer at Tommy Newton?s Area 51 studio in Celle. At the beginning of August, Victory are set to face their fans again in this distinguished line-up for the first time in fifteen years at the Wacken Open Air festival. The release of their (currently still untitled) album is scheduled for early summer.
DISCOGRAPHY:
VICTORY (1985)
DONT´T GET MAD ? GET EVEN (1986)
HUNGRY HEARTS (1987)
THAT´S LIFE (1988)
CULTURE KILLED THE NATIVE (1989)
TEMPLES OF GOLD (1990)
YOU BOUGHT IT ? YOU NAME IT (1992)
LIVELINE (1994)
VOICEPRINT (1996)
