Böhse Onkelz
Encyclopedia
The Böhse Onkelz (ˈbøːzə ˈʔɔŋkəls, literally Bahd unclez and derived from the German term "Böse Onkels", roughly translated as "bad guys") were a German rock group
that existed from 1980 to 2005. Although being ignored by the mass media for their controversial past, since Viva los tioz
in 1998 almost every album reached number one on the German album charts. According to record certifications and additional sources they have sold over 4.775.000 records and 425.000 videos/DVDs in their career. E.I.N.S.
is their most successful album with over 510.000 units sold.
or the Ramones
, Böhse Onkelz started out in November 1980 in Hösbach
as a punk rock
band. Founding members were Stephan "Der W" Weidner
, Kevin Russell
and Peter "Pe" Schorowsky
. According to the official band biography the bandname came from from some younger teenagers of their neighbourhood, when they warned their younger siblings about them with the words:„…Vorsicht, da sind die bösen Onkels!…“ because they would take away their sledges.
The name is an intentionally incorrect spelling of "evil uncles" (böse Onkel). Before that they called themselves Beulenpest for two weeks, as seen on the Tour 2000-film. Initially, the band was active mainly in the region of Frankfurt am Main
.
The band kept its initial line-up until Matthias Röhr
(nicknamed Gonzo after the Ted Nugent
album of the same name) joined them in 1981. Musically he was by far the most experienced of the group; he had been playing guitar for six years, and had played in other bands such as Antikörper. Since Weidner played guitar, Matthias started out on bass, but they switched instruments before their first recordings for the punk sampler Soundtracks zum Untergang 2.
became more important in their lives and with it, fights surrounding games accumulated.
Initially, the band considered themselves part of the (originally unpolitical) Oi!
movement, but they underwent their first drift to the political right in the early 1980s. The gigs and demos that had been released until then appealed to their fans, who ranged from unpolitical to the extreme right. The release of the album Der nette Mann
followed in 1984 under the label Rock-O-Rama, which left its punk roots behind and concentrated on records by neo-Nazi
and far right
bands. This album was indexed
in September 1986 because of its violence-glorifying and sexist content. The album also contained the patriotic songs "Stolz" ("Pride") and "Deutschland" ("Germany"), by which the Onkelz slowly gained cult status in the right-wing scene. Der nette Mann was copied numerous times to cassettes and thereby spread rapidly in the scene. The album was followed by Böse Menschen – Böse Lieder in 1985. Shortly after the release of the Mexico
EP in late 1985 the band split with Rock-O-Rama, because they were defrauded of royalties and the right-wing image of the label, which did not represent their point of view.
in 1986, it became calm around the band after their departure from the skinhead scene. After a charity-concert there was no live performance until 1989. In 1987 they released the album Onkelz wie wir...
, which was followed by Kneipenterroristen
in 1988. The albums also contained songs about drinking and violence, but were much richer musically and lyrically. Despite substantial problems caused by Russell's alcohol
and heroin addictions, the band continued to work together.
At this time the band was widely ignored by the media, which changed with rising album sales of Es ist soweit
, Wir ham’ noch lange nicht genug and Heilige Lieder
. The band gained public interest, when in it came to several racist attacks in Germany in the early 1990, for example in Rostock-Lichtenhagen covered in the song "Deutschland im Herbst", and the band was mentioned in the media.
On 16 June 1990, the band's best common friend, Andreas "Trimmi" Trimborn, was stabbed to death during an incident in a bar located in Frankfurt's Sachsenhausen
district. Only two days later Böhse Onkelz supporters located the assailant, a "Bundeswehr
" soldier whose father held a high military rank. The murderer was tried in court but released without sentence. The judge stated that the Böhse Onkelz band and entourage were known to be violent and that the stabbing was committed in self-defense. Even today, all witnesses sharply reject this claim that Trimmi threatened the killer and his companion, both of whom allegedly snorted cocaine just minutes before the incident, with a beer mug. Russell fell into a severe depression over the loss of his friend and tried to compensate his grief with drugs and alcohol. His substance abuse habits became so destructive that he almost died as a result. The songs Nur die besten sterben jung (Only the best die young) and Der Platz neben mir (The place beside me) are dedicated to and written in memory of Trimmi.
rose to no. 5 on the German LP charts. Despite their increasing commercial success, the band was marked with the stigma of being a right-wing band till the end. During various xenophobia-related attacks, the media discovered the right-wing past of the band. Following some critical reports, the Onkelz were faced with substantial criticism, which among other things led to individual radio stations refusing to play Onkelz songs. Many outside observers simply did not believe that the band had "seen the light" and instead considered their exit from the white power scene as a maneuver to avoid bans and prosecution. The band's reputation also suffered from several poorly researched articles written about them. As a reaction to this, Weidner wrote songs like "Fahrt zur Hölle" ("Go To Hell") on Weiß
or "Danke für Nichts" ("Thanks for Nothing") on Hier sind die Onkelz
(Here are the Onkelz).
Additionally, big department stores such as Media Markt
, World of Music (WOM) and Saturn
refused to sell Onkelz albums. By the end of the 1990s, however, Media Markt and WOM took the albums back into their range of products. Only Saturn refused to sell them until the band's final album Adios in 2005 which, along with others of their later albums, was on top of the charts for several weeks. From the early 1990s onwards, the Onkelz repeatedly took positions against extremism of any kind and referred to themselves as outsiders with no political affiliation. In 1993 on the album Weiß
, in reference to the Riot of Rostock-Lichtenhagen
, the band made their first song clearly disapproving of right-wing extremism: "Deutschland im Herbst" ("Germany in autumn"). Singing about of "braune Scheiße" ("brown scum"), referring to the colour of the NSDAP, "ich sehe blinden Hass, blinde Wut feige Morde, Kinderblut" ("I see blind hatred, blind anger cowardly murders, childrens blood") and "blinde Parolen von Idioten und Verlierern" ("blind slogans of idiots and losers"). The song "Ohne mich" ("without me") from the 1998 album Viva los Tioz speaks out against right and left wing extremism. In the first verse singing eloquently that the Antifa were, in fighting the band, not seeing their real enemy and were no better than fascists at whom the second verse, which consists mostly of swearing, is directed. In which the band also acknowledges its past in the skin head scene singing: "Ihr seit dumm geboren, genau wie ich. Doch was ich lernte, lernt ihr nicht." ("You were born dumb just like me. But what I learned, you are not learning")
In 1994 the Onkelz moved to the record label Virgin Records
and were signed for the first time to a major label, under which they released the album Hier sind die Onkelz
one year later. It reached number six on the album charts. 1996 the album E.I.N.S.
followed (number four on the charts), whose title was interpreted for Eigentlich immer noch Skins (In fact still Skins) by some media. On the album itself there was a song called "Enie Tfahcstob rüf Ediona-RAP" that criticized those interpretations and made them look ridiculous. In addition to that the band reacted with the song "Ihr sollt den Tag nicht vor dem Abend loben" (You should never praise the day before the evening) on several negative statements made of both bands Die Ärzte
and Die Toten Hosen
about their change from the past, for example in the song "Schrei nach Liebe
" from Die Ärzte.
within the first 48 hours after release. In 2000 they released Ein böses Märchen
the first album under their new record label rule23 Recordings and produced their first music video for the single Dunkler Ort, which was broadcastet on MTV
. Later an MTV Masters special about the Onkelz was made. When the Onkelz saw the final version, they felt mistreated and presented in a wrong way, which lead to a small feud. In 2002 the Onkelz released the diss track
"Keine Amnestie für MTV" ("No Amnesty for MTV"), indicating that they will never work together in the future again. In 2002 the Onkelz released the album Dopamin
, which was entirely recorded on the Spanish island Ibiza
and mastered in the legendary Abbey Road Studios
in London.
On 8 August 2003, despite negative headlines, the Böhse Onkelz were chosen as supporting act to the Rolling Stones
for their concert in the Open Air Arena
in the Hanover fairground
. In the same year they played a Club tour in Germany under their alias "Los Tioz", which is Spanish for "Die Onkelz".
for their final album, Adios. On 24 May 2004 the Onkelz officially announced their retreat from the active music business. After the release of the album, a gig on the Wacken Open Air
in August 2004 and the sold-out tour La Ultima, the farewell show took place on 17 and 18 June 2005 at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz
(in Lusatia
, Brandenburg
) under the name Vaya Con Tioz
, in front of approximately 120,000. It was the biggest open air show by a German band ever. Supporting bands included Motörhead, Machine Head
, J.B.O.
, In Extremo
, Psychopunch, Children of Bodom
, Pro-Pain
, several other bands and Onkelz-coverbands like the Enkelz or the Kneipenterroristen.
which is Spanish for "go with the Onkelz" referring to "Vaya con dios" which means "Go with god". In 2008 it was certified with an Echo (music award) in the category „Musik-DVD-Produktion (national)“. In November 2007 the Onkelz released a re-recording of their album Onkelz wie wir...
because it was the only possibility to regain the musical rights for the songs, that still belonged to their former label "Metal Enterprises". Each Stephan Weidner und Matthias Röhr have since released two solo album
s and one Live album
.
On New Year's Eve
2009 Russells car collided with another car and, he committed hit and run under the influence of drugs. Two young men were seriously injured in the accident. On October 4. 2010 Kevin Russell was sentenced to two years and three months prison by the court of Frankfurt am Main.
and the Ramones
, when the Oi! movement started, bands like Sham 69
, Cock Sparrer
and Angelic Upstarts
became their musical idols. The nickname of the guitarist Gonzo is derived from the album title Double Live Gonzo from Ted Nugent
, whose music he listened to regularly. Gonzo and Stephan were also fans of the American blues rock musician Stevie Ray Vaughan
, whom they dedicated the instrumental song "Tribute to Stevie" on the album Weiß
from 1993. (Source: official band-biography "Danke für nichts")
The musical style of the Onkelz has changed several times. Originally they played punk rock
, starting with the demo album
. Throughout their career, their music was stylistically similar to Oi!
in the early and mid '80s and later to heavy metal
and hard rock
. Fans think they distinguish themselves by being excluded from society because of their rage, which directly expresses what they are thinking. Russell's brutal vocals have also been a very distinctive part of the band's style.
On later albums the band experimentaded with different musical means. The song "1000 Fragen" ("1000 questions") is a tribute to The Doors
with metaphysical lyrics, accompanied by organ play and an organ solo. On the album Viva los tioz
the Onkelz combined hard rock rhythms with electronic music
. An Indian sitar
was used in the song "Einmal" from the album Adios.
Only some songs were covered by the band. For example "Coz I Luv You
" from Slade
, Serge Gainsbourg
s "Je t'aime... moi non plus
", The Who
's "My Generation
" and "Ein guter Freund" from the film Die Drei von der Tankstelle (The three from the gas station) from 1930.
The band also frequently attacks its critics. Therefore many songs are directed against the media, especially journalists, who are considered with all kinds of loathing and criticism. For example "Danke für nichts", "Zeig mir den Weg", "Jaja", "Keine Amnestie für MTV". Furthermore, in earlier years the Onkelz sang various drunkard hymns like "Heute trinken wir richtig", "Alkohol" and "Freibier".
Beyond that, lyrics of later albums are occupied with the question of the meaning of life, as a passage in the text of "Finde die Wahrheit" shows: „Denn die Wege sind lang, und selbst der Tod ist nicht ihr Ende, wach endlich auf!" ("For the paths are long, and even death isn't their end, wake up already!"). Other songs with this topic are "Wieder mal 'nen Tag verschenkt", "Stand der Dinge", "Das Problem bist Du" and "Dunkler Ort". These questions probably arose during and through the trial of the murderer of Andreas "Trimmi" Trimborn, mentioned above. This event was mentioned in several songs ("Nur die Besten sterben jung", "So geht's Dir (Deine Hölle)", "Das Messer und die Wunde", "Ganz egal", and "Der Platz neben mir").
Other important topics addressed by the band's lyrics are individualism, self-finding and self-love. In the song "Wenn Du wirklich willst" are the lyrics „Sei du selbst, steh zu dir, die Wahrheit wird gelebt und nicht doziert. Du bist was du warst und du wirst sein was Du tust, beginne dich zu lieben, und du findest, was du suchst" ("Be yourself, stand for you, the truth is lived and is not taught. You are what you were and you will be what you do, begin to love yourself and you will find what you are searching for."). Songs like "Das Wunder der Persönlichkeit", "Mutier mit mir", "Ich mache was ich will" and "Ich bin wie ich bin" refer strongly to that topic.
In later albums, the past is addressed again and again, whereby it often concerns the wild experiences of the band members. One example is the song "Erinnerungen". In the text passage: „Ich erinner' mich gern an diese Zeit, eine Zeit die man nie vergißt. Doch ich muss mein Leben leben, meinen Weg alleine gehn, mach's gut, Du schöne Zeit, auf Wiederseh'n" ("I gladly remember that time, a time that you never forget. But I have to live my life, have to go my way alone. Farewell, beautiful time, good bye"), the topic is the band's exit from the skinhead scene. The songs "Ein langer Weg", "Scheiße passiert", "Nie wieder", "Flammen", "Deutschland im Herbst", "Buch der Erinnerungen" and "Ohne mich" also concern themselves occupied with this topic.
Another song from 1981, "SS-Staat" ("SS state"), on the single Kill the Hippies - Oi!, is, according to the band, to be understood as a deliberate provocation to the Nazis. Due to the bad recording quality the text passage „SS-Staat im Staate, wir wollen's nicht erleben" ("SS-state in the state, we don't want to experience it") can be heard as „SS-Staat im Staate, wir wollen's mit erleben" ("SS-state in the state, we want to experience"). The text itself leaves the assumption of a bad and brutally Nazi song, but the band says it was written "as a glaringly provocation and anti-Nazi-song."
Fans of the band refer to the fact that "Türken raus" and "Deutschland den Deutschen" were never released on an official release of the Böhse Onkelz. These songs were spread by copying and passing on the demotapes. Weidner spoke in an interview on the topic: "The text was a big stupidity and of course there was never a release of this song, and of course there will be never such a release."
Furthermore, the band have denied all right-wing tendencies since 1985 and wrote several songs against extremism, totalitarism and racism. Later political songs show an attitude towards an independent opinion and against hate.
Since 2001 the albums released under Bellaphon are distributed by the label SPV/regel23. The albums from the Metal Enterprises era: „Kneipenterroristen“, „Es ist soweit“ and the EP „Lügenmarsch“ are distributed with an altered cover by SPV/regel23 since March 2005. The album „Onkelz wie wir…“ was re-recorded and released on November 2, 2007. On December 4, 2009 a new mastered version of the original recordings of "Onkelz Wie Wir" was released as "Onkelz Wie Wir (Black Edition)" by Reflex Distribution & Media (Intergroove), which had bought the rights from Metal Enterprises.
The second stanca of the song "Nur die besten sterben jung" was, according to statements of the band, used several times as obituary in local newspapers: („…die Zeit heilt Wunden, doch vergessen kann ich nicht, die Zeit heilt Wunden, doch ich denke oft an dich…“), („…the time heals wounds, but i can not forget, the time heals wounds but I think about you often…“).
The album E.I.N.S which was released in 1996 was voted in multiple reader-polls of professional music journals (z. B. Rock Hard
or Metal Hammer
) into the top 10 of the category „Bestes Metal Album aller Zeiten“ („Best Metal album of all time“), although it was not the most sold album of the band.
The popularity of the band has not decreased since the disbanding, because multiple events around the topic "Böhse Onkelz" are organised in Germany. For example the „G.O.N.D.“ (Größte Onkelz Nacht Deutschlands) (Greatest Onkelz night of Germany) which is held since 2006. In 2009 around 18.000 people came
In 1985 the Onkelz played roles in the TV-movie Zagarbata from Tabea Blumenschein. The film was a co-production of the ZDF and was directed by Christoph Dreher. It was about the Skin- and Punkmovement in the early 1980s.
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
that existed from 1980 to 2005. Although being ignored by the mass media for their controversial past, since Viva los tioz
Viva los tioz
Viva los tioz is the 13th album by German hard rock band Böhse Onkelz . It was released in 1998 and within 48 hours reached number one in the Media Control Charts.-Track listing:...
in 1998 almost every album reached number one on the German album charts. According to record certifications and additional sources they have sold over 4.775.000 records and 425.000 videos/DVDs in their career. E.I.N.S.
E.I.N.S.
E.I.N.S. is the German Hard rock band Böhse Onkelz 12th album. It was released in 1996. The album title is not an abbreviation: the dots between the letters should be seen to strengthen and emphasise the word eins ....
is their most successful album with over 510.000 units sold.
1980–1981: Founding
Inspired by bands like the Sex PistolsSex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
or the Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
, Böhse Onkelz started out in November 1980 in Hösbach
Hösbach
Hösbach is a market community in the Aschaffenburg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.-Location:...
as a punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band. Founding members were Stephan "Der W" Weidner
Stephan Weidner
Stephan Weidner , often called "Der W," is a musician and music producer. From 25 November 1980 until 18 June 2005 he was the bassist, songwriter and leader of the German hard-rock band Böhse Onkelz. Weidner was also a singer with Nordend Antistars, a collaboration with Sub7even singer Daniel Wirtz...
, Kevin Russell
Kevin Russell
Kevin Richard Russell is one of the three founding members of the German rock band Böhse Onkelz...
and Peter "Pe" Schorowsky
Peter Schorowsky
Peter "Pe" Schorowsky was a founding member of the Böhse Onkelz. He played drums until the band's split in 2005.- Life :...
. According to the official band biography the bandname came from from some younger teenagers of their neighbourhood, when they warned their younger siblings about them with the words:„…Vorsicht, da sind die bösen Onkels!…“ because they would take away their sledges.
The name is an intentionally incorrect spelling of "evil uncles" (böse Onkel). Before that they called themselves Beulenpest for two weeks, as seen on the Tour 2000-film. Initially, the band was active mainly in the region of Frankfurt am Main
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
.
The band kept its initial line-up until Matthias Röhr
Matthias Röhr
Matthias "Gonzo" Röhr was the guitarist of the rock-band Böhse Onkelz from 1981 to 2005. His stage name Gonzo derives from Double live Gonzo, an album of Ted Nugent. Since the split of the Böhse Onkelz he is known as Matt Roehr.- Youth :Röhr grew up in the area of Frankfurt in a strictly Catholic...
(nicknamed Gonzo after the Ted Nugent
Ted Nugent
Theodore Anthony "Ted" Nugent is an American guitarist, musician, singer, author, reserve police officer, and activist. From Detroit, Michigan, he originally gained fame as the lead guitarist of The Amboy Dukes, before embarking on a lengthy solo career...
album of the same name) joined them in 1981. Musically he was by far the most experienced of the group; he had been playing guitar for six years, and had played in other bands such as Antikörper. Since Weidner played guitar, Matthias started out on bass, but they switched instruments before their first recordings for the punk sampler Soundtracks zum Untergang 2.
1981–1985: The years in the skinhead scene
Soundtracks zum Untergang 2 (Soundtracks to the Downfall Vol. 2) was a left-wing oriented punk sampler on which Böhse Onkelz featured in the band's first widely released recording. However, after the until then apolitical punk movement moved further into anarchism, the Onkelz lost interest in this subculture. FootballFootball (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
became more important in their lives and with it, fights surrounding games accumulated.
Initially, the band considered themselves part of the (originally unpolitical) Oi!
Oi!
Oi! is a working class subgenre of punk rock that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The music and its associated subculture had the goal of bringing together punks, skinheads and other working-class youths ....
movement, but they underwent their first drift to the political right in the early 1980s. The gigs and demos that had been released until then appealed to their fans, who ranged from unpolitical to the extreme right. The release of the album Der nette Mann
Der nette Mann
Der nette Mann is the debut album of German hard rock band Böhse Onkelz. It was released in 1984. "Der nette Mann" is considered the first album of the German skinhead subculture....
followed in 1984 under the label Rock-O-Rama, which left its punk roots behind and concentrated on records by neo-Nazi
Neo-Nazism
Neo-Nazism consists of post-World War II social or political movements seeking to revive Nazism or some variant thereof.The term neo-Nazism can also refer to the ideology of these movements....
and far right
Far right
Far-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
bands. This album was indexed
Bundesprüfstelle für jugendgefährdende Medien
The Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons is an upper-level German federal agency subordinate to the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. It is responsible for examining media works allegedly harmful to young people and entering these onto an...
in September 1986 because of its violence-glorifying and sexist content. The album also contained the patriotic songs "Stolz" ("Pride") and "Deutschland" ("Germany"), by which the Onkelz slowly gained cult status in the right-wing scene. Der nette Mann was copied numerous times to cassettes and thereby spread rapidly in the scene. The album was followed by Böse Menschen – Böse Lieder in 1985. Shortly after the release of the Mexico
Mexico (Album)
Mexico is a mini-LP and the 3rd album of the German Hard rock band Böhse Onkelz. It was released in 1985. After "Mexico" the band left Rock-O-Rama and the skinhead attitude.-Track listing:#Mexico#Das Tier in mir ...
EP in late 1985 the band split with Rock-O-Rama, because they were defrauded of royalties and the right-wing image of the label, which did not represent their point of view.
1986–1992: Indexing und first public perception
Apart from the indexing of Der nette MannDer nette Mann
Der nette Mann is the debut album of German hard rock band Böhse Onkelz. It was released in 1984. "Der nette Mann" is considered the first album of the German skinhead subculture....
in 1986, it became calm around the band after their departure from the skinhead scene. After a charity-concert there was no live performance until 1989. In 1987 they released the album Onkelz wie wir...
Onkelz wie wir...
Onkelz wie wir… is the German Hard rock band Böhse Onkelz's fourth album. It was released in 1987. A newly recorded version of the album was released on November 2, 2007.-Track listing:...
, which was followed by Kneipenterroristen
Kneipenterroristen
Kneipenterroristen is the 5th album of the German Hard rock band Böhse Onkelz. It was released in 1988.-Track listing:#Kneipenterroristen #Religion#Lack + Leder ...
in 1988. The albums also contained songs about drinking and violence, but were much richer musically and lyrically. Despite substantial problems caused by Russell's alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
and heroin addictions, the band continued to work together.
At this time the band was widely ignored by the media, which changed with rising album sales of Es ist soweit
Es ist soweit
Es ist soweit is the German Hard rock band Böhse Onkelz 7th album. It was released in 1990.-Track listing:#10 Jahre #Nekrophil #Wilde Jungs ...
, Wir ham’ noch lange nicht genug and Heilige Lieder
Heilige Lieder
Heilige Lieder is the German Hard rock band Böhse Onkelz 9th album. It was released in 1992.-Track listing:...
. The band gained public interest, when in it came to several racist attacks in Germany in the early 1990, for example in Rostock-Lichtenhagen covered in the song "Deutschland im Herbst", and the band was mentioned in the media.
On 16 June 1990, the band's best common friend, Andreas "Trimmi" Trimborn, was stabbed to death during an incident in a bar located in Frankfurt's Sachsenhausen
Sachsenhausen (Frankfurt am Main)
Sachsenhausen is a part of the city of Frankfurt, Germany. Composed of two districts: Sachsenhausen-Nord and Sachsenhausen-Süd, it is part of the Ortsbezirk Süd. It is located on the South bank of the Main river, right in the city center, opposite the Old Town.Sachsenhausen was founded as...
district. Only two days later Böhse Onkelz supporters located the assailant, a "Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
" soldier whose father held a high military rank. The murderer was tried in court but released without sentence. The judge stated that the Böhse Onkelz band and entourage were known to be violent and that the stabbing was committed in self-defense. Even today, all witnesses sharply reject this claim that Trimmi threatened the killer and his companion, both of whom allegedly snorted cocaine just minutes before the incident, with a beer mug. Russell fell into a severe depression over the loss of his friend and tried to compensate his grief with drugs and alcohol. His substance abuse habits became so destructive that he almost died as a result. The songs Nur die besten sterben jung (Only the best die young) and Der Platz neben mir (The place beside me) are dedicated to and written in memory of Trimmi.
1992–1997: Between criticism and success
In 1992, without any marketing, the album Heilige LiederHeilige Lieder
Heilige Lieder is the German Hard rock band Böhse Onkelz 9th album. It was released in 1992.-Track listing:...
rose to no. 5 on the German LP charts. Despite their increasing commercial success, the band was marked with the stigma of being a right-wing band till the end. During various xenophobia-related attacks, the media discovered the right-wing past of the band. Following some critical reports, the Onkelz were faced with substantial criticism, which among other things led to individual radio stations refusing to play Onkelz songs. Many outside observers simply did not believe that the band had "seen the light" and instead considered their exit from the white power scene as a maneuver to avoid bans and prosecution. The band's reputation also suffered from several poorly researched articles written about them. As a reaction to this, Weidner wrote songs like "Fahrt zur Hölle" ("Go To Hell") on Weiß
Weiß & Schwarz
Weiß & Schwarz are in fact two albums by German hard rock band Böhse Onkelz. Both were released at the same time in 1993...
or "Danke für Nichts" ("Thanks for Nothing") on Hier sind die Onkelz
Hier sind die Onkelz
Hier sind die Onkelz is the 11th album for German Hard rock band Böhse Onkelz. It was released in 1995 on Virgin Records and was the band's first release on a major label. The Onkelz also acted as the producer for the record...
(Here are the Onkelz).
Additionally, big department stores such as Media Markt
Media Markt
Media Markt is a German chain of stores selling consumer electronics with numerous branches throughout Europe. It is Europe's largest retailer of consumer electronics.-History:...
, World of Music (WOM) and Saturn
Saturn (store)
Saturn is a German chain of electronics stores, now found in several European countries. Saturn sells household appliances, home entertainment, and media such as CDs and DVDs. With Media Markt it constitutes MediaSaturn Holding, owned by the German retail trade company METRO...
refused to sell Onkelz albums. By the end of the 1990s, however, Media Markt and WOM took the albums back into their range of products. Only Saturn refused to sell them until the band's final album Adios in 2005 which, along with others of their later albums, was on top of the charts for several weeks. From the early 1990s onwards, the Onkelz repeatedly took positions against extremism of any kind and referred to themselves as outsiders with no political affiliation. In 1993 on the album Weiß
Weis
Weis is a privately owned Australian company producing frozen ice confectionery and frozen fruit desserts for domestic and international markets. The company is owned and operated by a second generation of the Weis family.The manufacturing plant is located in Toowoomba, Queensland with the sales...
, in reference to the Riot of Rostock-Lichtenhagen
Riot of Rostock-Lichtenhagen
From August 22–24, 1992 a violent anti-Vietnamese and anti-Roma riot took place in Rostock-Lichtenhagen; it was the worst mob attack against foreigners in postwar Germany. Although there were stones and petrol bombs thrown at an apartment block that housed asylum seekers, no one was killed...
, the band made their first song clearly disapproving of right-wing extremism: "Deutschland im Herbst" ("Germany in autumn"). Singing about of "braune Scheiße" ("brown scum"), referring to the colour of the NSDAP, "ich sehe blinden Hass, blinde Wut feige Morde, Kinderblut" ("I see blind hatred, blind anger cowardly murders, childrens blood") and "blinde Parolen von Idioten und Verlierern" ("blind slogans of idiots and losers"). The song "Ohne mich" ("without me") from the 1998 album Viva los Tioz speaks out against right and left wing extremism. In the first verse singing eloquently that the Antifa were, in fighting the band, not seeing their real enemy and were no better than fascists at whom the second verse, which consists mostly of swearing, is directed. In which the band also acknowledges its past in the skin head scene singing: "Ihr seit dumm geboren, genau wie ich. Doch was ich lernte, lernt ihr nicht." ("You were born dumb just like me. But what I learned, you are not learning")
In 1994 the Onkelz moved to the record label Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
and were signed for the first time to a major label, under which they released the album Hier sind die Onkelz
Hier sind die Onkelz
Hier sind die Onkelz is the 11th album for German Hard rock band Böhse Onkelz. It was released in 1995 on Virgin Records and was the band's first release on a major label. The Onkelz also acted as the producer for the record...
one year later. It reached number six on the album charts. 1996 the album E.I.N.S.
E.I.N.S.
E.I.N.S. is the German Hard rock band Böhse Onkelz 12th album. It was released in 1996. The album title is not an abbreviation: the dots between the letters should be seen to strengthen and emphasise the word eins ....
followed (number four on the charts), whose title was interpreted for Eigentlich immer noch Skins (In fact still Skins) by some media. On the album itself there was a song called "Enie Tfahcstob rüf Ediona-RAP" that criticized those interpretations and made them look ridiculous. In addition to that the band reacted with the song "Ihr sollt den Tag nicht vor dem Abend loben" (You should never praise the day before the evening) on several negative statements made of both bands Die Ärzte
Die Ärzte
Die Ärzte is a punk band from Berlin. Die Ärzte are one of the best-known German punk rock bands and have released over 20 albums. The band consists of guitarist Farin Urlaub, drummer Bela B. and bass player Rodrigo González...
and Die Toten Hosen
Die Toten Hosen
Die Toten Hosen is a German punk band from Düsseldorf. They have enjoyed decades-long mass appeal in Germany.The band's name literally means "The Dead Pants" in English, although the phrase "tote Hose" is a German expression meaning "nothing going on" or "boring"...
about their change from the past, for example in the song "Schrei nach Liebe
Schrei nach Liebe
"Schrei nach Liebe" is a punk song by Die Ärzte. It is the second track and the first single from their 1993 album Die Bestie in Menschengestalt. It is one of the best known political anthems and anti-fascist songs in Germany....
" from Die Ärzte.
1997–2004: Number 1 in the charts
The band has a huge fan community and is one of the most successful German music groups. In 1998, they sold about 300,000 copies of the album Viva los tiozViva los tioz
Viva los tioz is the 13th album by German hard rock band Böhse Onkelz . It was released in 1998 and within 48 hours reached number one in the Media Control Charts.-Track listing:...
within the first 48 hours after release. In 2000 they released Ein böses Märchen
Ein böses Märchen
Ein böses Märchen ...aus tausend finsteren Nächten is the German Hard rock band Böhse Onkelz 14th album...
the first album under their new record label rule23 Recordings and produced their first music video for the single Dunkler Ort, which was broadcastet on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. Later an MTV Masters special about the Onkelz was made. When the Onkelz saw the final version, they felt mistreated and presented in a wrong way, which lead to a small feud. In 2002 the Onkelz released the diss track
Diss track
A diss track or diss song is a song primarily intended to disparage or insult another person or group. While musical parodies and attacks have always existed, the trend became increasingly common in the hip hop genre as part of the hip hop rivalry phenomenon...
"Keine Amnestie für MTV" ("No Amnesty for MTV"), indicating that they will never work together in the future again. In 2002 the Onkelz released the album Dopamin
Dopamin
Dopamin is the German Hard rock band Böhse Onkelz 15th album. It was released in 2002. The album was entirely recorded on the spanish island Ibiza and mastered in the Abbey Road Studios in London.-Track listing:#Die Firma ...
, which was entirely recorded on the Spanish island Ibiza
Ibiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
and mastered in the legendary Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
in London.
On 8 August 2003, despite negative headlines, the Böhse Onkelz were chosen as supporting act to the Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
for their concert in the Open Air Arena
AWD-Arena
The AWD-Arena is a football stadium in the district Calenberger Neustadt in Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany, and competition venue of the German Bundesliga football club Hannover 96....
in the Hanover fairground
Hanover fairground
The Hanover fairground is an exhibition area in the Mittelfeld district of Hanover, Germany. Featuring 496,000 m² of covered indoor space, 58,000 m² of open-air space, 27 halls and pavilions and a convention centre with 35 function rooms, it is the largest exhibition ground in the world.-...
. In the same year they played a Club tour in Germany under their alias "Los Tioz", which is Spanish for "Die Onkelz".
2004–2005: Career ending
When the band's five year contract with Virgin ended in 2003, they found a new distributor in SPV GmbHSPV GmbH
SPV GmbH is an independent German record label.Founded on January 1, 1984, it has slowly grown to be one of the largest independent distributors and record labels worldwide....
for their final album, Adios. On 24 May 2004 the Onkelz officially announced their retreat from the active music business. After the release of the album, a gig on the Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air is a summer open air heavy metal music festival. It takes place annually in the small town of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany...
in August 2004 and the sold-out tour La Ultima, the farewell show took place on 17 and 18 June 2005 at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz
EuroSpeedway Lausitz
The EuroSpeedway Lausitz is a race track located near Klettwitz in the state of Brandenburg in Eastern Germany, near the borders of Poland and the Czech Republic...
(in Lusatia
Lusatia
Lusatia is a historical region in Central Europe. It stretches from the Bóbr and Kwisa rivers in the east to the Elbe valley in the west, today located within the German states of Saxony and Brandenburg as well as in the Lower Silesian and Lubusz voivodeships of western Poland...
, Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
) under the name Vaya Con Tioz
Vaya Con Tioz
Vaya Con Tioz is the seventh live album and the sixth concert movie of the German rock band Böhse Onkelz. The festival movie was recorded during their farewell show "Vaya Con Tioz" from 17 to 18 June 2005 at the Eurospeedway Lausitz, Germany. According to the band it was the biggest solo rock event...
, in front of approximately 120,000. It was the biggest open air show by a German band ever. Supporting bands included Motörhead, Machine Head
Machine Head (band)
Machine Head is an American heavy metal band from Oakland, California. Formed on October 12, 1991, the group was founded by Robb Flynn and Adam Duce. There have been 4 member changes since their inception. The current lineup of the band comprises Flynn , Duce , ex-Vio-Lence guitarist Phil Demmel ,...
, J.B.O.
J.B.O.
J.B.O. is a heavy metal band from Erlangen, Germany. J.B.O. was founded in 1989 by Vito C. and Hannes "G.Laber" Holzmann and is known for parodies of rock and pop songs...
, In Extremo
In Extremo
In Extremo is a German medieval metal band originating from Berlin. The band's musical style combines metal with medieval traditional songs, blending the sound of the standard rock/metal instruments with historical instruments...
, Psychopunch, Children of Bodom
Children of Bodom
Children of Bodom is a Finnish heavy metal band from Espoo. Formed in 1993, the group currently consists of Alexi Laiho , Roope Latvala , Janne Wirman , Henkka Seppälä , and Jaska Raatikainen...
, Pro-Pain
Pro-Pain
Pro-Pain is a New York-based hardcore band formed in 1991 by vocalist and bass guitarist Gary Meskil and drummer Dan Richardson, both former members of Crumbsuckers. Debut album Foul Taste of Freedom was released in 1992, displaying hardcore punk and rap metal influences, after which the band...
, several other bands and Onkelz-coverbands like the Enkelz or the Kneipenterroristen.
2005-today: After the disbanding
On February 16. 2007 the last concert was released on four DVDs under the name Vaya Con TiozVaya Con Tioz
Vaya Con Tioz is the seventh live album and the sixth concert movie of the German rock band Böhse Onkelz. The festival movie was recorded during their farewell show "Vaya Con Tioz" from 17 to 18 June 2005 at the Eurospeedway Lausitz, Germany. According to the band it was the biggest solo rock event...
which is Spanish for "go with the Onkelz" referring to "Vaya con dios" which means "Go with god". In 2008 it was certified with an Echo (music award) in the category „Musik-DVD-Produktion (national)“. In November 2007 the Onkelz released a re-recording of their album Onkelz wie wir...
Onkelz wie wir...
Onkelz wie wir… is the German Hard rock band Böhse Onkelz's fourth album. It was released in 1987. A newly recorded version of the album was released on November 2, 2007.-Track listing:...
because it was the only possibility to regain the musical rights for the songs, that still belonged to their former label "Metal Enterprises". Each Stephan Weidner und Matthias Röhr have since released two solo album
Solo album
A solo album, in popular music, is an album headlined by a current or former member of a band. A solo album may feature simply one person performing all instruments, but typically features the work of other collaborators; rather, it may be made with different collaborators than the artist is...
s and one Live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
.
On New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
2009 Russells car collided with another car and, he committed hit and run under the influence of drugs. Two young men were seriously injured in the accident. On October 4. 2010 Kevin Russell was sentenced to two years and three months prison by the court of Frankfurt am Main.
Musical style
In beginning the Onkelz were heavily inspired by Punk bands such as Sex PistolsSex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
and the Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
, when the Oi! movement started, bands like Sham 69
Sham 69
Sham 69 is an English punk band that formed in Hersham in 1976.Although not as commercially successful as many of their contemporaries, albeit with a greater number of chart entries, Sham 69 has been a huge musical and lyrical influence on the Oi! and streetpunk genres. The band allegedly derived...
, Cock Sparrer
Cock Sparrer
Cock Sparrer are a punk rock band formed in 1972 in the East End of London, England. Although they never enjoyed much commercial success, they are considered one of the most influential streetpunk bands, helping pave the way for the late-1970s punk scene and the Oi! subgenre...
and Angelic Upstarts
Angelic Upstarts
Angelic Upstarts are an English punk rock/Oi! band formed in South Shields in 1977. The band espoused an anti-fascist and socialist working class philosophy, and have been associated with the skinhead subculture...
became their musical idols. The nickname of the guitarist Gonzo is derived from the album title Double Live Gonzo from Ted Nugent
Ted Nugent
Theodore Anthony "Ted" Nugent is an American guitarist, musician, singer, author, reserve police officer, and activist. From Detroit, Michigan, he originally gained fame as the lead guitarist of The Amboy Dukes, before embarking on a lengthy solo career...
, whose music he listened to regularly. Gonzo and Stephan were also fans of the American blues rock musician Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stephen Ray "Stevie Ray" Vaughan was an American electric blues guitarist and singer. He was the younger brother of Jimmie Vaughan and frontman for Double Trouble, a band that included bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton. Born in Dallas, Vaughan moved to Austin at the age of 17 and...
, whom they dedicated the instrumental song "Tribute to Stevie" on the album Weiß
Weis
Weis is a privately owned Australian company producing frozen ice confectionery and frozen fruit desserts for domestic and international markets. The company is owned and operated by a second generation of the Weis family.The manufacturing plant is located in Toowoomba, Queensland with the sales...
from 1993. (Source: official band-biography "Danke für nichts")
The musical style of the Onkelz has changed several times. Originally they played punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, starting with the demo album
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
. Throughout their career, their music was stylistically similar to Oi!
Oi!
Oi! is a working class subgenre of punk rock that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The music and its associated subculture had the goal of bringing together punks, skinheads and other working-class youths ....
in the early and mid '80s and later to heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
and hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
. Fans think they distinguish themselves by being excluded from society because of their rage, which directly expresses what they are thinking. Russell's brutal vocals have also been a very distinctive part of the band's style.
On later albums the band experimentaded with different musical means. The song "1000 Fragen" ("1000 questions") is a tribute to The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
with metaphysical lyrics, accompanied by organ play and an organ solo. On the album Viva los tioz
Viva los tioz
Viva los tioz is the 13th album by German hard rock band Böhse Onkelz . It was released in 1998 and within 48 hours reached number one in the Media Control Charts.-Track listing:...
the Onkelz combined hard rock rhythms with electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
. An Indian sitar
Sitar
The 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages...
was used in the song "Einmal" from the album Adios.
Only some songs were covered by the band. For example "Coz I Luv You
Coz I Luv You
"Coz I Luv You" is a song by Slade, written by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea and produced by Chas Chandler. It was the band's second hit single in the UK and the first of six number one singles. It was released on 30/10/1971 and was last seen on the charts on 05/02/1972 at #44...
" from Slade
Slade
Slade are an English rock band from Wolverhampton, who rose to prominence during the glam rock era of the early 1970s. With 17 consecutive Top 20 hits and six number ones, the British Hit Singles & Albums names them as the most successful British group of the 1970s based on sales of singles...
, Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's extremely varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorize...
s "Je t'aime... moi non plus
Je t'aime... moi non plus
"Je t'aime… moi non plus" is a French duet written by Serge Gainsbourg. It was written for and sung with Brigitte Bardot in 1967, but that version was not released until 1986. In 1969, Gainsbourg recorded a version with his lover, Jane Birkin. It reached number one in the UK, but was banned in...
", The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
's "My Generation
My Generation
My Generation is the debut album by the English rock band The Who, released by Brunswick Records in the United Kingdom in December 1965. In the United States it was released by Decca Records as The Who Sings My Generation in April 1966, with a different cover and a slightly altered track...
" and "Ein guter Freund" from the film Die Drei von der Tankstelle (The three from the gas station) from 1930.
Lyrical content
At the beginning of most albums, the first song is some kind of a welcome, in which the Onkelz present themselves as the greatest in an ironic way. Often the band played with its reputation in the songs: they refer to a community feeling shared with the public from which the band and their fans experienced such a dissociation.The band also frequently attacks its critics. Therefore many songs are directed against the media, especially journalists, who are considered with all kinds of loathing and criticism. For example "Danke für nichts", "Zeig mir den Weg", "Jaja", "Keine Amnestie für MTV". Furthermore, in earlier years the Onkelz sang various drunkard hymns like "Heute trinken wir richtig", "Alkohol" and "Freibier".
Beyond that, lyrics of later albums are occupied with the question of the meaning of life, as a passage in the text of "Finde die Wahrheit" shows: „Denn die Wege sind lang, und selbst der Tod ist nicht ihr Ende, wach endlich auf!" ("For the paths are long, and even death isn't their end, wake up already!"). Other songs with this topic are "Wieder mal 'nen Tag verschenkt", "Stand der Dinge", "Das Problem bist Du" and "Dunkler Ort". These questions probably arose during and through the trial of the murderer of Andreas "Trimmi" Trimborn, mentioned above. This event was mentioned in several songs ("Nur die Besten sterben jung", "So geht's Dir (Deine Hölle)", "Das Messer und die Wunde", "Ganz egal", and "Der Platz neben mir").
Other important topics addressed by the band's lyrics are individualism, self-finding and self-love. In the song "Wenn Du wirklich willst" are the lyrics „Sei du selbst, steh zu dir, die Wahrheit wird gelebt und nicht doziert. Du bist was du warst und du wirst sein was Du tust, beginne dich zu lieben, und du findest, was du suchst" ("Be yourself, stand for you, the truth is lived and is not taught. You are what you were and you will be what you do, begin to love yourself and you will find what you are searching for."). Songs like "Das Wunder der Persönlichkeit", "Mutier mit mir", "Ich mache was ich will" and "Ich bin wie ich bin" refer strongly to that topic.
In later albums, the past is addressed again and again, whereby it often concerns the wild experiences of the band members. One example is the song "Erinnerungen". In the text passage: „Ich erinner' mich gern an diese Zeit, eine Zeit die man nie vergißt. Doch ich muss mein Leben leben, meinen Weg alleine gehn, mach's gut, Du schöne Zeit, auf Wiederseh'n" ("I gladly remember that time, a time that you never forget. But I have to live my life, have to go my way alone. Farewell, beautiful time, good bye"), the topic is the band's exit from the skinhead scene. The songs "Ein langer Weg", "Scheiße passiert", "Nie wieder", "Flammen", "Deutschland im Herbst", "Buch der Erinnerungen" and "Ohne mich" also concern themselves occupied with this topic.
Accusations of right-wing extremism
Even today the band is accused despite many attempts at dissociation of having right-wing-extremist tendencies, whereby frequently the band's 1981 song Türken raus is named. This song was written during their punk phase. The Onkelz say that the song was developed as a reaction to a specific gang of Turks which often involved the Onkelz in fights. Critics claim that the song does not refer to a specific group, but demands that "all Turks have to go". This generalization must, according to the band, be taken in the context of their primitive way of thinking at that time. Also the song Deutschland den Deutschen (Germany to the Germans), which is a rewritten version of "Oi, Oi, Oi", is often named. This song, too, was developed as a reaction to their experiences on the street.Another song from 1981, "SS-Staat" ("SS state"), on the single Kill the Hippies - Oi!, is, according to the band, to be understood as a deliberate provocation to the Nazis. Due to the bad recording quality the text passage „SS-Staat im Staate, wir wollen's nicht erleben" ("SS-state in the state, we don't want to experience it") can be heard as „SS-Staat im Staate, wir wollen's mit erleben" ("SS-state in the state, we want to experience"). The text itself leaves the assumption of a bad and brutally Nazi song, but the band says it was written "as a glaringly provocation and anti-Nazi-song."
Fans of the band refer to the fact that "Türken raus" and "Deutschland den Deutschen" were never released on an official release of the Böhse Onkelz. These songs were spread by copying and passing on the demotapes. Weidner spoke in an interview on the topic: "The text was a big stupidity and of course there was never a release of this song, and of course there will be never such a release."
Furthermore, the band have denied all right-wing tendencies since 1985 and wrote several songs against extremism, totalitarism and racism. Later political songs show an attitude towards an independent opinion and against hate.
Studio albums
|
Weiß & Schwarz Weiß & Schwarz are in fact two albums by German hard rock band Böhse Onkelz. Both were released at the same time in 1993... (Bellaphon Records) Weiß & Schwarz Weiß & Schwarz are in fact two albums by German hard rock band Böhse Onkelz. Both were released at the same time in 1993... (Bellaphon Records) Hier sind die Onkelz Hier sind die Onkelz is the 11th album for German Hard rock band Böhse Onkelz. It was released in 1995 on Virgin Records and was the band's first release on a major label. The Onkelz also acted as the producer for the record... (Virgin Records) E.I.N.S. E.I.N.S. is the German Hard rock band Böhse Onkelz 12th album. It was released in 1996. The album title is not an abbreviation: the dots between the letters should be seen to strengthen and emphasise the word eins .... (Virgin Records) Viva los tioz Viva los tioz is the 13th album by German hard rock band Böhse Onkelz . It was released in 1998 and within 48 hours reached number one in the Media Control Charts.-Track listing:... (Virgin Records) Ein böses Märchen Ein böses Märchen ...aus tausend finsteren Nächten is the German Hard rock band Böhse Onkelz 14th album... (Rule 23) Dopamin Dopamin is the German Hard rock band Böhse Onkelz 15th album. It was released in 2002. The album was entirely recorded on the spanish island Ibiza and mastered in the Abbey Road Studios in London.-Track listing:#Die Firma ... (Rule 23) |
Since 2001 the albums released under Bellaphon are distributed by the label SPV/regel23. The albums from the Metal Enterprises era: „Kneipenterroristen“, „Es ist soweit“ and the EP „Lügenmarsch“ are distributed with an altered cover by SPV/regel23 since March 2005. The album „Onkelz wie wir…“ was re-recorded and released on November 2, 2007. On December 4, 2009 a new mastered version of the original recordings of "Onkelz Wie Wir" was released as "Onkelz Wie Wir (Black Edition)" by Reflex Distribution & Media (Intergroove), which had bought the rights from Metal Enterprises.
Singles
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Additional information
Since the mid-nineties the band refers to their fans as "nephews" and "nieces" to strengthen the communal spirit with them. This is expressed in the song "Danke" from the album „Ein böses Märchen… …aus tausend finsteren Nächten“.The second stanca of the song "Nur die besten sterben jung" was, according to statements of the band, used several times as obituary in local newspapers: („…die Zeit heilt Wunden, doch vergessen kann ich nicht, die Zeit heilt Wunden, doch ich denke oft an dich…“), („…the time heals wounds, but i can not forget, the time heals wounds but I think about you often…“).
The album E.I.N.S which was released in 1996 was voted in multiple reader-polls of professional music journals (z. B. Rock Hard
Rock Hard (magazine)
Rock Hard is a heavy metal magazine originally released in Germany. It was founded in 1983 by Holger Stratmann and is dedicated to all styles of rock and heavy metal. The magazine has independent offspring with the same name in France, Greece, Italy and Spain....
or Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer is a monthly heavy metal music magazine published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing, and in several other countries by different publishers. Metal Hammer articles feature both mainstream bands and more unusual acts from the whole spectrum of heavy metal music...
) into the top 10 of the category „Bestes Metal Album aller Zeiten“ („Best Metal album of all time“), although it was not the most sold album of the band.
The popularity of the band has not decreased since the disbanding, because multiple events around the topic "Böhse Onkelz" are organised in Germany. For example the „G.O.N.D.“ (Größte Onkelz Nacht Deutschlands) (Greatest Onkelz night of Germany) which is held since 2006. In 2009 around 18.000 people came
In 1985 the Onkelz played roles in the TV-movie Zagarbata from Tabea Blumenschein. The film was a co-production of the ZDF and was directed by Christoph Dreher. It was about the Skin- and Punkmovement in the early 1980s.
Awards
| Year | Presenter | Awards | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Echo | Rock/Pop: group of the year national | |
| 2001 | Echo | Rock/Pop: group of the year national | |
| 2003 | Echo | Rock/Pop: group of the year national | |
| 2005 | Echo | Rock/Pop: group of the year national | |
| 2006 | Echo | Music-DVD-Production national: La Ultima / Live in Berlin La Ultima / Live in Berlin La Ultima / Live in Berlin is the sixth live album and the fifth concert movie of the German rock band Böhse Onkelz. The tournament movie was recorded during their last tournament "La Ultima" from August to October 2004, the concert was recorded on September 18, 2004 at the Velodrom in... |
|
| 2008 | Echo | Music-DVD-Production national: Vaya Con Tioz Vaya Con Tioz Vaya Con Tioz is the seventh live album and the sixth concert movie of the German rock band Böhse Onkelz. The festival movie was recorded during their farewell show "Vaya Con Tioz" from 17 to 18 June 2005 at the Eurospeedway Lausitz, Germany. According to the band it was the biggest solo rock event... |
Record certifications
Gold Certification
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Platinum Certification
3x Gold Certification
2x Platinum Certification
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Further reading
- Edmund Hartsch, Böhse Onkelz, Danke für nichts, ISBN 3-00-001743-7.
- Klaus Farin, Buch der Erinnerungen, ISBN 3-933773-13-X.
- Cornelius Peltz, Hesse trifft Hesse – Eine Reise ins Universum der Persönlichkeit mit Hermann Hesse und Stephan Weidner, buy at Archiv der Jugendkulturen.
- Matthias Gonzo Röhr, Ralph Larmann: Meine letzten 48 Stunden mit den Böhsen Onkelz I.P. Verlag Jeske/Mader „2006“, ISBN 3-931624-36-6.
External links
- http://www.onkelz.com - The Official Website (English)
- http://www.onkelz.de - The Official Website (German)
- http://www.sinfin-rox.de - Peter „Pe“ Schorowsky
- http://www.gonzomusic.com - Matthias „Gonzo“ Röhr
- http://www.der-w.de - Stephan Weidner
- http://www.3Tioz.de - Supporters Fanzine (German)
- http://web.archive.org/web/20080518061106/http://www.dunklerort.net/index.php - Band archive