Kerrang! – June 28, 2019

Photo: TOM BARNES

THE AWARDS

You seemed genuinely shocked that

Prequelle won...

TOBIAS FORGE:“I was! I thought there

were technically some bigger bands

in the category, so I assumed that one

of those would be the winner. A lot of

artists try to play it cool when it comes

to award shows. For some it’s real, but

for others it’s an act because they don’t

want to seem like you care too much.

But I care, and it’s a big honour to be

here and to have won this. What makes it

slightly awkward for someone like myself

is that, as much as I like being onstage

on my own terms, I find it difficult to

talk in front of people, so giving an

acceptance speech can be tough.”

And presumably it’s tougher when

it’s a room that includes some musical

legends. Who were you most thrilled

to see?

“Oh Jimmy Page, absolutely. His music

has been such a huge inspiration for

me and so many other musicians for

decades that it’s difficult to even start

summing that up. He has helped create

a special rock landscape. To be honest,

when I was in the room I was nervous to

even go too near him.”

Metallica are also here tonight. Are

you sick of one another yet, having

been on tour together for a while?

“I could have given a speech dedicated

solely to Metallica. Not just because

they’re the reason I’m here tonight,

having invited me to come and play with

them on this tour, but because they’re

the reason I’m here as a musician in the

first place, having been a fan for so many

years. It’s been a dream come true to

tour with them. Leaving the professional

aspects aside, the biggest and most

inspirational thing about the whole

experience is the fact that every time

I see them they transform into the band

I first listened to when I was a kid.”

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