Interview with Mr. Doogie White (Cornerstone)

Friday april 27th I went to Plato in Helmond together with my reviewer Jolanda to see Danish/English rockers Cornerstone. Reason enough to arrange an interview with front man Doogie White. I arrived at 18.00 PM and 19.00 PM Oliver the tour manager let us in the venue to have the interview.

Doogie and I took place at the bar and I asked him these following questions

How was the show last night in Luxembourg?
DW: It was canceled!

Canceled?
DW: The show last night in Luxembourg was canceled because. We had no idea why the venue was closed We couldn’t get in touch with the promoter. We drove all the way from Bonn (Germany) to Luxembourg for nothing. Sometime these things happened First time for Cornerstone, but I have no idea why. Can even hazzard a guess. The promoter doesn’t even answer the phone, you know I don’t know why. Two disappointed bands and disappointed fans.

Can you tell us about the new CD, who wrote the lyrics and who wrote the music?
DW: Steen and I co-wrote some of the songs together musically, sometimes we co-wrote the melodies together, I wrote all the lyrics, just it’s the natural as we always done it. We now are able to send them over using skype or messenger, so you get an idea to what the song is like very quickly, and sending it back. Steen is the driving force, He is got the production brain and he is got the production engineer and he is talented. Lyrical and melodical dimension.

What are the differences between ‘A two tales of One Tomorrow’ and the former albums? Arrival (2000) Human Stain (2002) and Once Upon a Yesterday (2003).
DW: I think the difference is Steens productions, we were always good on this album. We recorded it at Steens studio Stonelab in Copenhagen, so we setup a tight time scale. I have a vocal studio at home, so we got the chance to do the vocals in London. Last time I was suppose to do the cord in Copenhagen to do them.. I think it is a darker album again. There is a lot of several lyricaly gothic emmetry in the lyrics. There is a tide zone in the album, and Steens productions have done the best so far.

Do you have personal faves on the album yourself?
DW: I am really enjoining playing Two Tales of one Tomorrow and I am really enjoining playing Missery. The songs we play on the set live I really enjoining. In that corner recording or playing live is a different dimension. I don’t have any favorites, I mean…….,It wasn’t fun One Man’s Hell, it’s not of my favorites songs, it is the same with Passion To Warfare from one of the other albums ( red. Once Upon a Yesterdays) just the two songs I don’t like. And they both on the set, because I overruled to people that seems to like them. I like all the songs, as I would love my children or my pets.

You already did answered my following question, about the vocal recording-parts. How was the recording process this time?
D.W We did the original vocals, Steens studio in Denmark, then I went on tour for two months, and when I came back there was a CD waiting for me. And I played it and it was awe full. It wasn’t awe full just not good enough and I said to Steen with this vocals I didn’t agree and so rather than me go back over to Denmark, I flew him over to London, and Steen and I sit five days in my vocal studio and we did all the songs all again in five days, so that went really well. And we drunk a couple of beers and some thai food and another couple of beers and some tex mex (Mexican food), but so it was nice. It was good to see that my little studio was rockin’ that way and we know now that I can do vocals in my studio to make a new record.

You prefer (not only with Cornerstone) to record the vocal parts in your own studio, or someone called you and ask you: ‘hello Doogie, I write the lyrics and or the music, can you fly over to record the vocals in another country’?
DW: That can be depends. If it is just one or two songs I don’t mind, you know I go fly to Japan or wherever, someone needs to be do it. I don’t want to be stuck somewhere for a week or 10 days. Starting one o clock in the afternoon and finished one o clock in the morning. When I am home I can do whenever I feel like it. I can go up at nine o clock in the morning and start at 9.30. It’s more relaxing approach and it doesn’t cost any money (hahahaha)

Do you use in-ear systems?
DW: No, I don’t like them. I try them, but I don’t like them and I don’t use them. I gave it a try. It isolates me from the audience so I don’t bother with them………………………………

What do you expect from the show tonight?
DW: It is a lovely venue.

Did you play here before?
DW: No, I never been here before. I’ve played in Tilburg at 013. A couple of times and also Vosselaar Belgium. And I did Ahoy. I don’t know. Let’s wait and see. The thing is that people come to see us play, and they are very dedicated, buy the CD’s and buy the T-shirts, like the band. We take time after the show, to answer questions chat with them and no body guards. We just see. I don’t have any expectations particulary about anything.

Does Cornerstone has any plans making a DVD? A life DVD in the near future?
No, were not going to make a DVD. We’ve been looking some DVD’s on the bus, also live stuff, from the same label as we are. DVD’s look rubbish at last you can do it with 12 cameras or 40 cameras and you gonna edit that it just looks good. The people: Alice Cooper and Whitesnake and at least you can compete with that, you know. 10 seconds the guitarplayer and 10 seconds of that, it is just boring. The last thing we come up with something that we gonna make exciting and valuable for us to sit down. And actually have a fastly edited and high paisted, good looking DVD. I’ve done a couple in the past, and you know, shocking, shocking, and so I won’t do that again. Not until you done it properly.

One final word to our readers?
DW: Am I supposed to say something like: Peace!! Well: save the planet!! We don’t have anywhere else to go. Thank you very much for the interview It is very kind of you to come all over here to do this. And I hope you will enjoy the show.





Interview and Photos: Silvana Breur