“I did it the old-fashioned way”: Herman Li squashes the assumption that DragonForce only became successful because of Guitar Hero
The inclusion of Through the Fire and Flames in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock brought DragonForce legions of new fans. But according to guitarist Herman Li, it’s a misconception that the band’s success is entirely attributable to Guitar Hero.
In a new conversation with Lee Anderton on the Andertons YouTube channel, Li recalls the journey DragonForce – which he founded in 1999 alongside co-guitarist Sam Totman – had prior to Guitar Hero catapulting their fame to new heights.
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“I did it the old-fashioned way,” he asserts. “So, my demo CD, I would go and harass record label people backstage at festivals – at Wacken [Open Air] festival – I did it the old-school way.
“And we did our shows, and I would show videos of our live shows. Because you [still had to] show that part back then.
“So in 2004, on our first album, we got to Japan already for Halloween. It was like, ‘Wow, this show is my dream come true, I can’t believe it. I’m playing Japan, doing a tour!’
“It kind of went pretty quickly. In 2004, we did an Iron Maiden tour in Europe. And we did our own headline shows, too, playing in front of 200-300 people.
“And then when the third album came out [2005’s Inhuman Rampage] – about a year before Guitar Hero, probably a year and half actually, it kind of already blew up. We did the Ozzfest on the main stage – first time ever.
“Before that we had sold out a US tour without ever releasing an album. So it was kind of blowing up, and then they wanted to put us in Guitar Hero.”
The interview also sees Herman Li showcasing his brand-new PRS Chleo signature model – an ultra-limited design loaded with Fishman Fluence pickups, dragon inlays in place of the classic PRS birds, glow-in-the-dark side dots and a range of voice options.
Limited to only 200 units worldwide, the Chleo is said to be the result of four years worth of R&D.
Learn more at PRS.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
