Stjepan Juras from Croatia-based Full Metal Service has been former Iron Maiden singer Paul Di’Anno’s care-giver while he fights an ongoing battle to get his health back on track, while resurrecting his career with his new Warhorse project and touring.
An update from Juras on Facebook reads:
“Hello to all of Paul's friends and fans who always worry and ask how Paul is doing and want to help. I am writing this answer publicly so that you all have a correct insight into the situation and so that you can potentially get involved. Paul was also tagged in this post of mine. Paul is currently at his home in the UK, where he tried, with the help of friends, to organize treatments in the UK, however, for several different reasons; high price, difficulties in logistical organization, insufficiently efficient care, impossible living conditions and independent fulfillment of basic life and physiological needs in one's own home, loneliness (which then results in mentally dangerous consequences), and many other reasons, it became quite clear that Paul can't continue treatment at home, no matter how often doctors, nurses and physiotherapists come to his home, but that he must go somewhere where he will be under constant care.
It may sound strange and unbelievable, but ALWAYS during the tour, his leg was in much better condition when he came back from it than when he went on tour. Even a few days ago, Paul wrote about it on Facebook, and I will clarify. On tour, if the plane journeys are tiring, etc., someone can help Paul every day to go to bed, to go to the toilet, to take a shower, a nurse can visit him whenever necessary, and on the Brazilian tour he will have a personal carer, nurses and physiotherapists 24/7. Also, he wrote that loneliness kills him mentally, and Paul is constantly alone in his home, except for a few visits that happen here and there. Paul has reached the point at this point where he has to be under someone's care on a daily basis, because if that doesn't happen I fear the worst. Several of his friends, led by Kastro, who has been taking care of him from the very beginning, urged urgency and asked me to find some kind of solution once again for Paul to go to Croatia and continue his treatment in the clinic. Although Paul needs only a few months of work away from fully walking, it is not so easy. There are numerous mental obstacles and strength, PTSD, Depression, etc + not so healthy way of life.
All these things are diseases and there is no joking about that. Many people will say (and I have thought many times too) Paul is like this, Paul is like that, he is an enemy to himself, his worst enemy, etc., but no one will be completely right. What he is fighting is a difficult battle, and it can only be seen objectively if it is viewed through the prism of illness, and not of free will and personal choices. I'm just a fan, in this case his manager, but I'm not a doctor, nor am I a wizard. My abilities are limited, although I try to learn every day. Paul is sick and needs help. The concerts so far have helped him so much, because now he doesn't have to depend exclusively on donations, but has a source of income for treatment, however, if there's anything I need from all of you, it's the other kind of help; advice and others. If any of you are close friends with Paul, help him, talk to him, help him with the bureaucratic stuff in the UK and make it clear to him that we are all there for him even when he thinks we are not. I have never dealt with such difficulties in my life, including mental ones, but I did my best to help.
And you, Paul, who is reading this, know that we all love you and sometimes remember (when you are having a hard time and you just want to scream) that we are here to help and that there is no reason for you to scream at us, no matter how hard it is then it seemed justified.
I'm working on getting Paul back to Croatia for treatment in mid-March and getting rid of the infection and once again very swollen legs. Everyone following this, I hope you understand this and help if you can!”
Paul Di’Anno recently announced a short run of UK shows this August, kicking off at Brudenell in Leeds on August 21. The run will then hit The Waterloo in Blackpool, the sold-out Stone Dead Festival Party, The Patriot in Crumlin, and then finish up at The Vic in Swindon on August 26.
Paul recently completed tours of Australia and South America taking in over 20 cities with most shows sold out.
Joining Paul as very special guests on four of the August dates will be Gypsy's Kiss, who are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year. They also have a very interesting pedigree with Iron Maiden's Steve Harris being one of the original founding members of the band along with David Smith. This show is a real treat for any die-hard Maiden fans!
UK live dates:
August
21 - Leeds, Brudenel (Tickets)
22 - Blackpool, Waterloo (Tickets)
23 - Stonedead Festival Party
25 - Crumlin, The Patriot (Tickets)
26 - Swindon, The Vic (Tickets)
Last year, BraveWords.com announced the launch of BraveWords Records, and their debut signing of Paul Di'Anno's Warhorse. Paul Di'Anno's Warhorse will release their first title for BraveWords Records this year.
The core of the band and founders are Paul Di'Anno (vocals), Hrvoje Madiraca (guitar) and Ante Pupačić Pupi (guitar).
BraveWords Records founder "Metal" Tim Henderson: "How excited were you to hear that Paul Di’Anno was back with a new band called Warhorse?! I was so happy to see him back in action again and getting his life back to normal. The beast roared back and BraveWords Records is honoured to have him and his new band as the inaugural signing to the label. There are so many great things brewing behind the scenes, so stay tuned!”
Paul Andrews, a British singer better known by his stage name Paul Di’Anno, his nearly half-century-long career began explosively with Iron Maiden, when with the EP The Soundhouse Tapes, and the albums Iron Maiden and Killers forever cemented the foundations of heavy metal. With timeless hits like "Iron Maiden", "Remember Tomorrow", "Running Free", "Phantom Of The Opera", "Killers", "Wratchild", "Murders In The Rue Morgue", "Purgatory", etc., they influenced numerous musicians and bands and were responsible for the creation or development of many subgenres in metal music.
Paul is known as one of the most productive singers, who has a huge number of albums and other releases behind him, either as a solo artist or a member of bands such as Gogmagog, Di’Anno’s Battlezone, Praying Mantis, Killers, Rockfellas or Warhorse. In all his incarnations, Paul always knew how to find a way to the fans, with numerous hits, uncompromising singing, which is confirmed by his successful career and furious live shows around the world.
For the last eight years, Paul faced serious health problems that almost ended his career, but thanks to his loyal fans and his strong will to overcome the disease, Paul is on a big world tour again, and he recorded a new album with his new band Warhorse. This icon of heavy metal with the heart of a punk rock rebel never spared himself in his life, but he always gave everything for music and fans, which is why they have followed him faithfully for almost fifty years.
BraveWords Records have agreed to physical distribution deals with Plastic Head in Europe and MVD in North America.
About BraveWords:
The seed was planted in 1994 with the launch of Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles Magazine which ran for nearly 15 years and became the longest-running and biggest hard rock and heavy metal magazine in Canadian history. At its peak, BW&BK produced 40,000 copies in 40 countries, almost every magazine containing a unique full-length CD sampler called KnuckleTracks, which included the finest heavy music of the day. The magazine interviewed and featured all the heavyweights of the genre including AC/DC, Metallica, Slayer, Led Zeppelin, Megadeth, Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motörhead, KISS, King Diamond, Opeth, Dimmu Borgir, Sepultura, Iced Earth, In Flames, Behemoth, Slipknot and many more!
With the rapid spread of the world wide web, BraveWords.com was born in 2000 and quickly became the CNN of heavy metal. With its team of global writers and photographers, the site flourished with 24/7 updated news, features, reviews, audio, video and the Metal Market which has become instrumental for fans to find their favorite music. Today the site has seen a 25% increase in recent months and proudly serves 10,000 visitors a day from around the world; the top 5 countries being the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany and Sweden. The site caters to a wide age demographic from the late teens into those metalheads in their 60s, with a nearly 50/50 between men and women. A true United Nations of heavy metal!
Over time, BraveWords has worked with thousands of labels, bands, promoters, publicists, marketing companies around the world and its prolific partners include Iron Maiden’s Trooper Beer, Metal Reels Gaming, 70000 Tons Of Metal Cruise and Germany’s Summer Breeze Open Air.
25 years and counting, BraveWords wears their metal heart loudly on their sleeve, as they celebrate the greatest genre of music with the most dedicated and passionate fans on the planet!
(Photo - Mick Burgess)
