Powerwolf

After Robert's passing, Steve reminisced about all of the great times he had with Elvis, especially during the '98 US summer tour...

Was Robert a good driver?
SW: For a European driving in America, I was impressed. He did better than I would have in Germany, I'm sure.

Any fans come to mind that you stayed with along the way?
SW: Eric Nielsen (he had the most Metallica posters on his walls)

As Gerben and Eric have stated in their stories, why did you sleep so much (on that summer tour in 1998)?
SW: Did I sleep that much (on that 1998 summer tour)? I think people sometimes confuse a late sleep-cycle with actual amount of sleep.

[The following is a message from the National Allergy-Defense Committee: "Doctors say that..."]

SW: When you have allergies like I do, your body has to fight extra-hard to defend itself - especially during the summer months. As a result, you're really wired, yet exhausted at the end of the day; which results in falling asleep later - therefore waking up later. If you don't get the rest that you need, you end up drinking a lot of caffeine to stay awake or you nap whenever possible (i.e., long car rides).

SW: By the way, I aim and tend not to sleep more than 8 hours a day - it's just that my cycle starts a few hours later than everyone else's. (Did that sound convincing enough?)

Eric's apartment - June 1998
(from left to right) Jimbo, Mark, Gerben, Me, Elvis

You guys drove over 18,000 miles during that summer tour. Did you ever get lost?
SW: Probably, but not that I remember...I was probably sleeping :P

Care to explain the "Starhanger" nickname to readers?
SW: Maybe whomever came up with it would be better-suited, but it was probably a way people to make light of my relationship with the band. (What about all the other nicknames?!?!?!)

Did you guys ever do any damage to hotel rooms, etc?
SW: Robert had a habit of throwing televisions out of the hotel room every night (usually right after checking his eeeeeee-mails). If we weren't in a hotel room, he usually threw the television of the person we were staying with out of their front window. (Obviously, Steve is joking.)

Between the three of you (Gerben, Robert and yourself) who stunk the most?
SW: Robert "Gig-Butt" Reisinger

Any regrets of doing that tour that summer (in 1998)?
SW: Hell No.

Would you ever do it again with those guys?
SW: Hell No!

What was the relationship like between the three of you?
SW: We basically got together because of that summer tour. Robert and Gerben hooked themselves up with some work with the MetClub and I was assisting Zach Harmon and the other backline guys onstage. We helped each other survive - sharing transportation, finances & connections.

SW: I remember Robert being the most sensible and organized. Gerben seemed to be the most fed-up with America, yet he had a great sense of humor. There was a lot of sarcasm and silliness throughout the tour between all of us.

Gerben makes it sound like you two were at each other's throats constantly, while Robert was the mediator?
SW: Where's Dr. Phil? Yeah, we hated each other (is this Star Magazine???)...I'm kidding of course.

SW: Maybe there was tension because I couldn't drive (since I wasn't on the rental car agreement) and there were a few grueling drives, so naturally everybody gets a little tired and cranky - but that's to be expected. Plus, I represented the country of their frustration. I had to answer for it on a daily basis (i.e., "Why are there no little breads!?!?", "Why is gas so expensive here?!?!", etc.), but I do remember way more laughs and good times on that tour than I do anything negative.

Any more funny Elvis quotes or memorable moments?
SW: Lots of laughs that summer. I had fun showing those guys around the States...

SW: One thing that comes to mind when I picture the summer of '98 is Niclas joining us for the Canadian shows (for reasons which he can explain later). Niclas couldn't drive either and I remember him sleeping in the backseat with his stinking, summer-sweaty, Swedish feet hanging over the seat in Robert's face (who was driving). I think Robert drove overnight with one hand covering his nose and one hand on the steering wheel.

SW: I also remember all the silly contests they/we would come up with at the MetClub booth during the afternoon before the doors would open. Since Robert and Gerben worked at the MetClub booth and I worked on the stage, they'd come up with these drawings, contests and raffles and stuff to keep us all amused - often-times with me being the butt of the joke, since I wasn't there to defend myself (or possibly "Star-Hanging"). But basically it was just another way for Robert to talk to girls.

The "lucky" contest winner
(Elvis was in charge of the raffle tickets, if that tells you anything...)

SW: I also remember Robert always referring to himself in the 3rd person - as "Powerwolf". By the end of the tour, it had been shortened to "Paulf".