Brad Parmerter caught up with Trans-Siberian Orchestra Music Director and guitarist, Al Pitrelli, to discuss both his emotions and technical details about Wacken, how the magic was created in the studio on Labyrinth, his go-to studio guitars, the current tour, in-ear monitors, reacting to issues that arise during a performance, his gear rundown, musical goals and why you shouldn't tell him he looks tired. An excerpt from the interview follows:

Brad Parmerter: Do you review audio of previous shows or do you make mental notes as an Music Director as the show happens?

Al Pitrelli: “I’m just making mental notes. A mistake made doesn't bother me at all. A mistake made ten nights in a row I would have noticed anyway. Somebody drops a chord or something goes wrong or you miss a note, who cares. If you're a little flat or a little sharp, it happens. It's live. If something happens say today and then tomorrow the same thing taps me on the shoulder that it's still there then I'm going to address it at soundcheck, but other than that, I have this little hand gesture that I give to John O'Reilly and I'm like, "Remember this." The next day he'll say, "You had something going on in, say, “Wizards In Winter”, that you wanted to look at." I'll say, "Ok, thanks." Then we'll review stuff like that.

“Everybody self-governs. Everybody self regulates. Every one of the singers – "Oh, I didn't do that as good as I wanted to." Or someone will say, "I had a rough night." "Ahh, that's cool dude. You had a rough night. Good. Make it better tomorrow." I don't have to worry too much.

“I hear things no one else hears. I look for details that most people won't recognize. It's the subtleties in the music and the depth of the music, that's what I concentrate on. If you play a wrong chord, you're gonna beat yourself up. I don't need to bring it to your attention. You know you did something stupid. Don't do it again.”

Brian: There have been a couple times that vocalists have been so into the character that they are portraying they've become emotional onstage due to the depth of Paul's lyrics. What instinctively comes to your mind as an MD in that type of situation?

Al: “For me or for somebody who is having an emotional breakdown?”

Brian: You, as an MD, seeing it unfold and then your reaction to be there to help them.

Al: “Well, I'm not an MD at that point. I'm just a decent human being. It has nothing to do with being musical. If you were walking down the street and somebody got hit by a car, somebody fell over, somebody was taken ill, somebody was being bullied, some people may walk away and pretend it wasn't happening, but I'd be in the middle of it. [laughs] That's who I am. Being an MD is the simplest job in the world until something goes really wrong. Reacting to it calmly and solving the problem and then – nobody, nobody while I'm still alive will ever be on that stage and have that happen to them without me holding their hand and putting my arm around them and me saying, "Hey, it's fine. You're okay. You're not alone." It happens. But it's mortifying to think that something like that goes on onstage and you're isolated? Nah. Not on my watch, dude. Other people may not get involved. Me, I can't help it. I'm Italian. I'll take care of you and afterwards we'll go get some lasagna.”

Read the complete interview at this location.