ERIC ADAMS On Performing For MANOWAR Fans: ‘We Soak In Their Energy And We Give It Right Back To Them’
In the video below, MANOWAR frontman Eric Adams looks back on the band’s 2023 tour of South America, including first-ever performances in Colombia, Bolivia and Ecuador and the long-awaited return to Brazil and Chile, and explains the electrifying energy at any MANOWAR show. Eric talks about the message of MANOWAR and the honor and privilege of hearing Manowarriors share the impact of it on their lives.
Asked if there are any special moments that stand out from the South American tour, Eric said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Every night I’m excited to see the fans’ reaction when we first come out on that stage, because they’ve only seen videos of us. For some of these places we played for the first time, they’ve only seen videos, so when we finally do come out on this stage, I mean, they go absolutely rabid. It’s unbelievable. And they know the words to every song. Arms up in the air all night long. I mean, they really, really are into it and loved every minute that we were on that stage, every minute of it. We try to include the fans as much as we can in every show, every MANOWAR show. [They were] going crazy. It’s a great time for us and a great time for them, and that makes it a great time for all.”
Asked how it feels to hear fans tell him that MANOWAR is the most important band in their lives, Adams said: “Oh, it’s, it’s incredible. I mean, when I see ‘Sign Of The Hammer’ tattoos on their arms, on their legs, on their tits, everywhere, it’s, like, these are true, true fans. These are true fans. And it’s gratifying for us to know that we bring the love of music and the love of our message to everybody all over the world. To listen to some of the stories, when a fan comes and talks to me, it’s almost — they’re tearful, of what they had to go through and how they thought… I don’t care if it was just them or if it was a family member that they loved and they had to go through whatever pain they had to go through, they were brought back to their fold or back to life, I think, by just listening to some of the MANOWAR songs. And that’s our whole idea, is to let people know that this isn’t the end. Everyone’s a hero. You’re your own hero. And what you do in life to create that hero is totally up to you. It’s totally up to you. Nobody can tell you what to do, how to dress, how to wear your hair, whatever you wanna do. You’re your own person and you’ve gotta let them know it. And I think that’s the message that we send to people and that’s the message that they get. And when it’s a combination of sending and getting, it’s a huge, huge thing. Huge.”
When the interviewer noted that Eric and his bandmates had previously described their live shows as electric current that flows back and forth between the stage and the audience, Adams said: “Oh, absolutely. When you play, if the fans are going crazy, which they do every, every night, it’s like, it’s like a sponge; I like to consider it like a sponge. We soak in their energy and we give it right back to them, and that just makes a great show.”
As previously reported, MANOWAR’s exclusive U.S. concert, which will take place on November 30 at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York, is officially sold out. It will mark the band’s first live appearance in MANOWAR’s home country in a decade.
Last December, MANOWAR bassist/leader Joey DeMaio said in a video message that the band’s upcoming concert in New York will coincide with the 40th anniversary of MANOWAR’s “Sign Of The Hammer”. “It’s gonna be the only show in America, unfortunately, because our recording and touring schedule won’t allow for more, but it will be the full show,” he said. “I know there’s been questions about that. This is going to be our full team of 40 people with the kind of show that we’ve been doing in Europe for many, many years. It’s gonna be big, loud, proud, massive, a huge event. So I would encourage everybody that wants to see MANOWAR in America, please come. There’s gonna be people flying in from China, Japan, all across the world. So I know there’s gonna be a lot of people who don’t mind traveling for a few hours across America. Looking forward to seeing everybody there and get ready to get your head blown off. Believe me, we’re gonna take the roof off that joint. That’s a promise. See you there.”
MANOWAR’s last U.S. shows are believed to have taken place in February 2014 when the band celebrated the 25th anniversary of its “Kings Of Metal” album on the “Kings Of Metal MMXIV” tour.
Back in September 2014, MANOWAR canceled its previously announced U.S. tour dates which were scheduled to take place in November of that year. At the time, the band claimed it was scrapping the shows “due to scheduling conflicts” as well as to concentrate on work on a new studio album.
The 70-year-old DeMaio and 71-year-old Adams are the sole remaining original members of MANOWAR, which formed in 1980 in upstate New York.
In October 2023, MANOWAR announced “The Blood Of Our Enemies” 2025 tour of Europe. The trek will be the band’s first in support of MANOWAR’s next studio album, which will arrive in early 2025.
In February 2023, MANOWAR released a new song called “Laut Und Hart Stark Und Schnell” dedicated to the band’s loyal German fans.
“Laut Und Hart Stark Und Schnell”, which translates into “Loud And Hard Strong And Fast”, is an anthemic mid-tempo hymn in the vein of MANOWAR’s classic “Warriors Of The World United” that invites fans to sing along and raise their hands in celebration of their favorite genre and band.
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