I met Heike Mangold in New York in the late '80s. I met her through the infamous and notorious Weisenheimer. I mentioned the Weisenheimer in other posts before, but will add some facts about him. The Weisenheimer was and is a slippery character known to create havoc and leave behind shattered lives wherever he appears. He would slip in and out of cities throughout the world creating chaos and then disappearing without notice. One day he arrived at my door with Heike. I couldn't turn them away. What can I say? He was and is a friend of mine. It is my motto that you have to stick by your friends for better or worse. He introduced Heike as The Kid. After they both stayed with me for awhile they disappeared one night and I did not see Heike for several years. When I saw Heike again she was no longer with the Weisenheimer. He had taken her on a journey throughout the world and Heike was no longer The Kid. We caught up on what she has been doing and I guess the Weisenheimer has had a good influence for a change.
Heike has been doing doing music for almost 25 years. She started singing background in the Austrian band called Billion Bob and discovered that she had a real talent for playing drums. She started playing drums on her own. She traveled throughout the world playing drums, but finally came back to Vienna and started playing in bands again. She also started studying the drums at the American Institute of Music. She proceeded to play with lots of bands nonstop in a blur of activity. She started playing in a punk band called Open the Barngates and played with them for two years. She then went on to start an all girl band called Mangold. Heike then had a child and stopped playing music for a few years, but couldn't get the music out of her blood and played in a band called The Cover Versions, a project in memory of a band member who killed himself.
With music still in her blood, she found it difficult to be a mother and be in a band touring, so she switched careers. She was determined to still be involved with music. She has been working in the cultural business for 15 years in Vienna. She started with the Gasthaus Vorstadt creating programs and organizing tours for children's theater and various cabarets throughout Austria. She has been working at the Music Information Center Austria for 6 years now and is dedicated to doing something for the Austrian music scene. MICA is there to support Austrian musicians and music in all situations. Heike is slowly going back to her musical roots and started singing in a country and western band called The Wichita and playing the drums in a band called Royal South.
And I forgot to add, Heike is doing something very unique and special. She has formed an event with other people called Babyclub, a club for children and parents usually held on Sundays, parties with special DJs and music. A Club for parents with their little children, there is nothing similiar on this planet.To have a better understanding, look at the youtube video and the interview witth Heike: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orhnmAa0Yt4