Doro Pesch joined DIRKSCHNEIDER on stage on September 10 at the Historische Stadthalle in Wuppertal, Germany, and stayed for two songs: a cover of JUDAS PRIEST's "Breaking The Law" and ACCEPT's "Winter Dreams". Fan-filmed video of both appearances is below.
"Winter Dreams" is the one with history behind it. Doro and Udo Dirkschneider cut a studio version of it together for "Balls To The Wall - Reloaded", the guest-heavy reworking of ACCEPT's 1983 landmark, and it went out as a single in February 2025.
"It was a very special experience for me to re-record 'Winter Dreams' with Doro Pesch," Udo said at the time. "Doro and I have spent so many years together in the scene and there is a deep, almost familial connection between us. Her voice gives this song an incredible magic and emotionality that takes it to a whole new level. It was like a reunion with an old friend for me and together we made 'Winter Dreams' even more intense and personal. It just feels right to share this moment together."
Doro's answer was shorter and just as warm: "'Balls To The Wall' has always been one of my absolute favorite albums. I was really happy to sing the wonderful 'Winter Dreams' as a duet with Udo Dirkschneider and to shoot a great video for it. We have a long friendship and it is always special to work with him."
DIRKSCHNEIDER is the band Udo formed to play ACCEPT material and nothing else. He announced eleven years ago that the first DIRKSCHNEIDER tour would be the last time he ever sang those songs live, and he has been booking shows under the name ever since — a farewell that has now outlasted most bands' careers. Alongside Udo the group features his son Sven Dirkschneider on drums, former ACCEPT bassist Peter Baltes, and guitarists Fabian "Dee" Dammers and Alen Brentini.
Udo turned 74 in April. He made his name in ACCEPT, left in 1987, built U.D.O. into a career of its own, and his raspy bark over a huge chorus is still one of the most instantly identifiable sounds in German heavy metal. In 2021 he put out new music with former ACCEPT drummer-turned-guitarist Stefan Kaufmann and Baltes as DIRKSCHNEIDER AND THE OLD GANG; in 2022 he marked his seventieth birthday with a covers album called "My Way". Nothing about the pace suggests a man winding anything down.