Andreas 'Andi' Deris

Andi became interested in rock music at the age of 14; his first favorite band was Sweet. Then he began to learn to play guitar. In 1979, Andy has visited his most memorable rock concert: KISS on "Dynasty" tour in Karlsruhe. At the age of 15 Deris formed his first band named Paranoid. Andi admitted that, despite put a lot of efforts, he did not become a good guitarist, and took over vocals. Andi's schoolmate, Ralf Maurer, was a drummer of this band, later he changed his name to Ralph Mason. In 1981, Andi renamed Paranoid to Nameless, and the reason for this change were known only by himself. At that time he became acquainted with Alfred Koffler, who played in a "concurrent" band and their rehearsal base located two houses away from the base of Andi's band. Both bands jammed together from time to time.
In winter 1984, Andi has successfully auditioned for the brothers Di Blasio and L?ddemann, and became the vocalist of Dragon. With this band Andi performed in the area of Karlsruhe during the whole year and recorded a demo - at that time he was also studying at the University of Karlsruhe along with Ralph Mason. Apparently, musical activities affected negatively to Deris' University study. In 1985 he was drafted to army, and stayed there for 9 months. Upon his return to Karlsruhe, Andi decided to continue with a music. In 1986 he and Di Blasio brothers revived the band under the name Kymera. Ralph volunteered as a drummer, but soon he realized that his musical activity hinders his study, and he was replaced by Kosta Zafiriou. In early 1987 Andy and Kosta left Kymera, deciding to create their own band. In 1987 Andi recorded vocals for the self-titled album of No Mercy band. No Mercy had already had some material, but they still have no any singer and Andi's voice seemed matching for it. This side project did not interfere to Deris' own band, titled under the name of a cocktail - PINK CREAM 69. Andi auditioned and fully support Kosta's opinion to recruit Alfred Koffler as a guitar player in early 1988, and American bass player Dennis Ward, whom they met by chance, has completed Pink Cream 69 line-up.
In late 1993 the differences between PC69 members forced Andi to quit. He has accepted the offer by Michael Weikath and became a singer of Helloween. For several years Weikath tried to get Deris into his band, but Andy did not agree to leave PC69. But, faced with the choice to leave himself or drive dissatisfied, Andi chose the easier way and went from Karlsruhe to Hamburg.
Departure of Deris was ambiguously perceived by fans of PC69. Some fans followed him and helped to revive the moribund Helloween, and some branded him as a traitor. Andi called his departure from PC69 as the most severe test in his life.
In 1994 Andi left rainy Germany and moved with his family to Tenerife made his dream to live on a warm sunny island come true. He bought the living house and built his own recording studio inside.
In Helloween Andy quickly became almost the main songwriter, but also he had a lot of material written for himself which did not fit to the band. This led him to the decision to make a solo album, which was completed in late 1996. The musical material on "Come In From the Rain", which was released in March 1997, is very similar with Deris work in Pink Cream 69. In 1999 Deris recorded his second solo album "Done By Mirrors". This work was experimental and innovative. Drums on both albums were played by Ralph Mason.
At the junction of millennium the tragedy of Jan Bayati's son, which suffered by leukemia, caused the resumption of relations between the former manager and Andi, and in 2004 Helloween signed a contract with Bottom Row Promotion, co-owned by Jan Bayati and Kosta Zafiriou. In December 2003, at the Christmas jam in Ludwigsburg, Germany, Andi met with his all PC69 bandmates for the first time in 10 years.
Currently, Andi continues to work with Helloween and as a producer in his studio "Mi Sueno".

Article written by Tanya 'ivanna' Valchishena