Former Accept singer Udo Dirkschneider told his ex bandmates he’d only agree to a 2009 reunion if they handed over rights to the act’s name – because he didn’t think the project would work out.

The German band are riding high with new album Blood of the Nations featuring vocalist Mark Tornillo. But two years ago their future didn’t look so bright, and Dirkschneider was concerned that if he rejoined the band his solo act UDO would suffer.

He tells Sleaze Roxx: “We reunited in 2005 for some festival appearances and it was a lot of fun. There were no plans to do more than those appearances, to record or continue further. But promoters wanted us to keep doing and I was on a break from UDO so I said, ‘Why not?’”

Accept ground to a halt again before a full reunionm including recording, was suggested in 2009. Dirkschneider had serious concerns – although he insists he wasn’t against the idea.

He says: “I told them: ‘We did that in the 1990s and it don’t work out.’ My thought was, if I do this reunion then I have to cut down UDO, and UDO has become quite successful.

“I’d rather not have two bands at the same time. I want to be able to concentrate on one.

“So I said to guitarist Wolf Hoffmann: ‘Okay, when this reunion doesn’t work out I’ll have to continue under the name Accept.’

“Wolf wouldn’t agree to those terms so I said to them: ‘I wish you good luck.’”

Dirkschneider says his motives weren’t simply motivated by finance. “Money was a consideration, of course, but it isn’t the most important thing in the world,” he explains. “I wanted assurances that I could continue with the Accept name because I had the most to lose by putting UDO aside.”

U.D.O. is set to play at the Hristo Botev Hall on 16 November.