Guitarist, composer and producer is by DATOG Stefan Kaufmann. Born on 4th August 1960 in Solingen, Stefan had his first public performance at the age of five, with an accordion on which he played the song “Ännchen von Tharau” by sight reading the music. At the age of ten, he received his first guitar lessons from his mother, who played concert guitar in the Solingen mandolin orchestra “Lyra”. The "teaching material" included the songs “Little Willy” and “Wig Wam Bam” by The Sweet, for which mother Kaufmann had picked out the chord accompaniment and had shown them to her son. Around the same time, Stefan discovered the enjoyment of drumming on so-called “dash drums”. In 1972, he was given an electric guitar and a small compact amplifier as a confirmation present. For the distortion, which was already a necessity at that time, his father's tape recorder had to serve that purpose, which, according to his parents, did not withstand this extreme strain for very long.
When a school band at Stefan's grammar school was looking for a drummer in 1974, his father bought him a second-hand “Rogers London V” drum kit for 800 DM. After only two weeks of rehearsals, Stefan had his first public performance with the group in early summer 1974, this was just before his 14th birthday. To supplement his pocket money, he worked in a music shop in Solingen are also delivered the “Solinger Morgenpost” six days a week in the mornings starting at 2:00 am.
During the studio recordings for their debut album, the Solingen band Accept was looking for a new drummer in the autumn of 1978. Through Stefan's long-time classmate and fellow musician Jörg Fischer, the guitarist in Accept, the band became aware of the just 18 year-old drummer and invited him to an audition. Stefan brought his big double bass drum kit to this appointment, (a novelty for Accept at the time) and he really pushed the song “Free Me Now” forward, which had been recorded without double bass drums during the album recordings, he brought a previously unknown rhythmic level to the band right from the beginning. After two more songs it was clear to Accept that Stefan was a perfect fit for the band. When an important tour of Holland was due just a short time later, the prospective high school graduate dropped out of school two weeks before his final exams and went on a concert tour with Accept.
Just one year later, Stefan sat in a recording studio for the first time and drummed on the second Accept album “I`m A Rebel” in the “Studio Wilster”. Small side note: The music video for the title song was shot at Radio Bremen under the direction of Michael Leckebusch (among other things, creator of the TV programme Beat-Club and Music Laden for Radio Bremen).
In 1980 the recordings of the third Accept album “Breaker” took place, which brought the band their European breakthrough and their first headlining shows. Two tours with Judas Priest and Def Leppard through Great Britain, Germany, Belgium and Holland followed, and in the autumn of 1981 came the band's consequent decision to make music their profession.
In the spring / summer of 1982, the recordings for “Restless And Wild” began in Cologne's “Dierks Studio”, an album that caused a sensation, especially in America. Then one year later, again in the “Dierks Studio”, the production of the album “Balls To The Wall”, the ultimate Accept classic album, followed. After concerts in Europe in autumn 1983, the band went on a lengthy tour through America, Canada, France, Spain and Germany from February 1984 as “special guests” of Kiss, Iron Maiden and Saxon, among others, also sometimes as headliners. This was followed by sensational concerts at the famous “Monsters Of Rock” festivals in Castle Donington, Karlsruhe and Nuremberg, with acts and artists like AC/DC, Van Halen, Ozzy Osbourne, Dio, Mötley Crüe and Gary Moore.
In autumn / winter 1984, the recordings for “Metal Heart” took place, once again in the “Dierks Studio”, for the first time in direct collaboration with Scorpions producer and studio owner Dieter Dierks himself. A world tour followed from February to September 1985, including their first ever performances in Japan. Only a few weeks later, the album “Russian Roulette” was recorded, again in “Dierks studio”, followed by another world tour between March and December 1986.
In spring 1987 Accept parted company with Udo Dirkschneider and they hired the American David Reece as his successor on the microphone. For the songwriting of the album “Eat The Heat”, Stefan spent almost the whole of the year 1987 in Vermont, U.S.A., while meanwhile, Udo Dirkschneider founded his own new formation U.D.O. in Germany. Their debut album “Animal House” remained a co-operation with Stefan and his Accept colleagues.
After Stefan had left Accept due to his disagreements with singer David Reece during a US tour from June to August 1989, there evolved a renewed collaboration with Udo Dirkschneider. At the same time, Stefan was the producer of the Accept “live” album “Staying A Life”, released in 1990 with recordings from September 1985 in Osaka, Japan, he also directed the VHS video version of the same name. At the request of Dieter Dierks, Stefan produced the U.D.O. albums “Faceless World” and “Timebomb” at the “Dierks Studio” in both 1990 and 1991. These four releases helped launch his career as a producer.
In the spring of 1992, initial talks took place between Stefan, Udo Dirkschneider, Wolf Hoffmann and Peter Baltes with the aim to revive Accept in the original line-up. The result of the reunion saw the light of day in February 1993, “Objection Overruled”, composed and produced in Stefan and Wolf Hoffmann's own “ROXX Studio”, which they had both set up together in the meantime, but was mixed again in the “Dierks Studio”. From April to November 1993 the original line-up of Accept went on yet another world tour.
In the spring of 1994 “Death Row” was recorded, this time not only the recording but also the mixing took place in the “ROXX-Studio”. During the recordings, Stefan was diagnosed with a severe slipped disc in the neck area of his spine and was advised by doctors to stop playing drums. Stefan finished the work on “Death Row” as the sound engineer, he was forced to leave the band as an active musician during the production and sadly had to withdraw from the following planned world tour with the band in June 1994. His career as a drummer seemed now to be over! After the album was finished, Stefan took over the “ROXX Studio” and from then on, has worked there as a freelance producer ever since, he also frequently took over bouts of production in the “Dierks Studio” now and again.
In January 1996 Accept released the album “Predator”, to which Stefan contributed two songs as a songwriter. During the following tour, the remaining members agreed to break up the band. Wolf Hoffmann and Peter Baltes then retired from the music business. Since Udo Dirkschneider still wanted to continue making music, he asked Stefan to take part in the U.D.O. comeback as his guitarist. Stefan spontaneously agreed, that very same year the album “Solid” was completed at “ROXX Studio”, followed by “No Limits” (1998), “Holy” (1999), “Man And Machine” (2002), “Thunderball” (2004), “Mission No. X” (2005), “Mastercutor” (2007), “Dominator” (2009) and “Rev-Raptor” (2011). Each of these releases was also toured extensively worldwide. Due to his back condition returning once again, Stefan left U.D.O. in September 2012 and concentrated more on working as a freelance music and video producer.
Since his former bandmates Wolf Hoffmann and Peter Baltes, had in the meantime, re-established a new formation of Accept, they approached Stefan in the summer of 2013 with the request he play drums on their upcoming album. Although Stefan hadn't played drums for almost 20 years, he agreed, he was also involved in the songwriting and demo production for the album “Blind Rage” in the autumn of 2013 and also completed the final recordings with the band in Nashville, Tennessee in January / February 2014. During this period, he continued to work as a freelance music and video producer, with many commissions, including many from the music industry.
In March 2017, work began on the U.D.O. album “Steelfactory”, to which Stefan contributed several songs, and on which he was also responsible for overseeing the vocal recordings, due to an illness received by the project's producer. Released on 31st August 2018, since the album “Steelfactory” Stefan has overseen all of the band's vocal recordings and following the departure of their previous guitarist, he also took on the role of "stand-in guitarist" at a number of important 2018 festivals, including a U.D.O. concert with the German Armed Forces Music Corps, where the idea for the album “We Are One” was born. To the great surprise of the fans and public, Peter Baltes, who had also contributed some songs to “We Are One”, announced his departure from Accept just a short time later.
The co-operation on “We Are One” led to several meetings between Stefan, Udo Dirkschneider and Peter Baltes during the one year production. This also gave rise to the idea of “Dirkschneider & The Old Gang”, for which former U.D.O. guitarist Mathias Dieth, Udo's son Sven and singer Manuela Bibert (known, among other things, for her duet with Udo on the “We Are One” album) could also be recruited.
In May 2020, the version of the song “Where The Angels Fly” sadly became a left over from the album “We Are One”. This recording with the German Armed Forces Music Corps was then first released via YouTube. Eventually, Stefan, Udo Dirkschneider and Peter Baltes rearranged the number and turned it into a thoroughbred rock track. The result, In September 2020, you could suddenly find a low-budget video clip of the new version of the song on YouTube. The prompt reaction of the fans was overwhelming! Without any advertising or marketing measures at all, the clip was clicked millions of times within a few months. The second DATOG song “Face Of A Stranger” hit the web on 29th April 2021, followed by a third clip, “Every Heart Is Burning”, on 28th May 2021. A single featuring all three songs will be released on 27th August 2021 as a CD, a 12" vinyl and a download.
Status May 2021
First drum kit
Roger's London V
1 x 22" x 14" Bass Drum
1 x 12" x 8" Rack Tom
1 x 13" x 9" Rack Tom
1 x 16" x 16" Floor tom
1 x 14" x 5" Snare drum
Cymbals: No Name
Self-made, with drums designed by a German drum manufacturer,
hardware from Pearl
2 x 22" x 14" Bass drums
1 x 12" x 8" Rack tom
1 x 13" x 9" Rack tom
1 x 14" x 10" Rack tom
2 x 16" x 16" fFoor toms
1 x 14" x 5" Pearl Snare Drum
Cymbals: Paiste 2002
Ludwig Maple Chrome-O-Wood
2 x 26" x 16" Bass drums
1 x 10" x 9" Rack tom
1 x 12" x 11" Rack tom
1 x 13" x 12" Rack tom
1 x 14" x 13" Rack tom
1 x 16" x 16" Floor tom
1 x 18" x 16" Floor Tom
1 x 14" x 6,5" Super Sensitive Snare Drum
Cymbals: Paiste 2002 / Rude
Ludwig Maple Chrome-O-Wood
2 x 26" x 40" Bass Drums
(shells from southern German drum manufacturer, custom-made stainless steel plating from Kronprinz-Mannesmann AG, Solingen Ohligs)
1 x 10" x 9" Rack tom
1 x 12" x 11" Rack tom
1 x 13" x 12" Rack Tom
1 x 14" x 13" Rack Tom
1 x 16" x 16" Floor Tom
1 x 18" x 16" Floor Tom
1 x 14" x 6,5" Super Sensitive Snare Drum
Cymbals: Paiste 2002 / Rude
Tama Imperialstar
2 x 22" x 16" Bass drums
1 x 10" x 6,5" Rack Tom
1 x 12" x 8" Rack tom
1 x 13" x 9" Rack tom
1 x 14" x 10" Rack tom
1 x 16" x 16" Floor Tom
1 x 18" x 16" Floor tom
1 x 14" x 6.5" King Beat Snare Drum
Cymbals: Meinl Raker
Tama Superstar
2 x 22" x 16" Bass drums
1 x 12" x 8" Rack tom
1 x 13" x 9" Rack tom
1 x 16" x 16" Floor Tom
1 x 14" x 6,5" Bell Brass Snare Drum
Cymbals: Meinl Raker
Studio recordings for “Russian Roulette”
Tama Artstar
2 x 22" x 16" Bass drums
1 x 12" x 8" Rack tom
1 x 13" x 9" Rack tom
1 x 16" x 16" Floor tom
1 x 14" x 6,5" Bell Brass Snare Drum
Cymbals: Meinl Raker
Tama Artstar
2 x 22" x 16" Bass drums
1 x 12" x 8" Rack tom
1 x 13" x 9" Rack tom
1 x 16" x 16" Floor tom
1 x 14" x 6,5" Pro Custom Copper Snare Drum
Cymbals: Meinl Raker
Tama Artstar II
2 x 22" x 16" Bass drums
1 x 12" x 8" Rack tom
1 x 13" x 9" Rack tom
1 x 16" x 16" Floor Tom
1 x 14" x 6,5" Pro Custom Copper Snare Drum
Cymbals: Meinl Raker (“Objection Overruled” & “Death Row”) / Paiste Signature (“Blind Rage”)
Gibson Les Paul Custom (1988)
Gibson Les Paul Standard (1976)
Gibson Explorer (2000)
Gibson Explorer w/Floyd Rose (2001)
Fender Stratocaster (1989)
Duesenberg Starplayer D6 (2020)
Marshall 50 Watts Model 1987 w/Bogner Tuning
Marshall 50 Watts Model 2204 w/Bogner Tuning
Marshall 50 Watts Model 2204
3 x Marshall JCM 900 Lead-1960A Cabinets w/ 4 x Celestion G12H-30-16 70th Anniversary
3 x Marshall JCM 900 Lead-1960B Cabinets w/ 4 x Celestion G12H-30-16 70th Anniversary
2 x Engl Ritchie Blackmore Signature 100
2 x Engl E412VGB Cabinets
Boss GT-5 Guitar Effects Processor
2 x Tech 21 PSA-1.1 Sansamp Rackmount Amp Simulator
2 x Amcron Micro-Tech 600 Power Amps
2 x Mesa Boogie 4 x 12 Recto Standard Oversized Slant Cabinets
Boss GT-5 Guitar Effects Processor
