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Böhse Onkelz

Background information
Origin Frankfurt, Germany Flag of Germany
Genre(s) Hard Rock
Heavy Metal
Punk rock
Years active 1980–2005
Label(s) Rock-O-Rama (1984-1986)
Metal Enterprises (1987-1990)
Bellaphon Records (1991-1994)
Virgin Schallplatten (1995-2000)
rule23 Recordings (2000-2005)
Website Official Website
Members
Kevin Russell (Vocals)
Stephan Weidner (Bass guitar)
Matthias Röhr (Guitar)
Peter Schorowsky (Drums)


The Böhse Onkelz ([ˌbøːzə ˈʔɔŋkəls], German böse Onkel, literally translated as "evil uncles" were a German rock group. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Hard rock (also referred to as heavy rock) is a variation of Rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and Psychedelic rock Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Rock-O-Rama Records was a German Punk rock Record label started in 1980 by Herbert Egoldt. Bellaphon Records is an independent German record label Their artists have included Geordie, Limahl, Johnny Cash, and Nektar. Virgin Schallplatten GmbH is the German subsidiary of Virgin Records. Kevin Richard Russell (Born 12 January 1964, Hamburg) is a German musician and belongs to the three founding members of the German rock band Böhse Stephan Weidner (* 29th May 1963 in Alsfeld near Kassel) often called " Der W " (The W, is a music producer Matthias "Gonzo" Röhr (born 16 April 1962 in Frankfurt) was the guitarist of the rock-band Böhse Onkelz from 1981 to 2005 Peter "Pe" Schorowsky (* 15th June 1964 in Hösbach) was a founding member of the Böhse Onkelz. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. A musical ensemble is a group of two or more Musicians who perform instrumental or vocal Music. According to Weidner on their DVD release "20 Jahre: Live in Frankfurt", the name was created when the three founding members (Stephan, Peter and Kevin) stole a sledge from some other teenagers, one of whom said "Hey, da sind die bösen Onkels schon wieder / Hey, there come the evil uncles again".

Contents

History

Founding in the punk scene

Böhse Onkelz started out in November 1980 in Hösbach as a punk rock band heavily inspired by bands such as Sex Pistols and the Ramones. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Hösbach is a municipality in the Aschaffenburg district in Bavaria, Germany. The Sex Pistols are an English Punk rock band that formed in London in 1975 The Ramones were an American rock band often regarded as the first Punk rock group The founding members, Stephan Weidner, Kevin Richard Russell and Peter Schorowsky, got the idea for the band name from local kids who, on November 25, 1980, accused the trio of stealing a toy carriage from one of the boys. The kids called them Böse Onkels which is a term generally used by children to refer to a mean grown-up, or an older child, who has done something bad.

The band kept its initial line-up until Matthias 'Gonzo' Röhr joined them in 1981. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 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. Initially, the band was active mainly in the region of Frankfurt am Main.

Entering 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 to the left, the Onkelz lost interest in this subculture. Soccer became more important in their lives and with it, fights surrounding games accumulated. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered

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. Oi! is a Working class street-level subgenre of Punk rock that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s 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 on the right-wing rock label Rock-O-Rama. Der nette Mann ( German for The nice man) is the debut album of German Hard rock band Böhse Onkelz. Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Rock-O-Rama Records was a German Punk rock Record label started in 1980 by Herbert Egoldt. This album was indexed in September 1986 because of its violence-glorifying and sexist content. The album also contained the patriotic songs Stolz (Proud) 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. Shortly after the release of the Mexico EP in late 1985 the band split with Rock-O-Rama. Mexico is a mini-LP and the 3rd album of the German Hard rock band Böhse Onkelz. Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar)

After the exit from the skinhead scene

Stephan Weidner: song writer, bassist and band leader of the Onkelz
Stephan Weidner: song writer, bassist and band leader of the Onkelz

After their split from the skinhead scene in 1986, the band proceeded without any distinguishable political motivation. The albums following 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.

On the 16th of 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. Sachsenhausen is a part of the city of Frankfurt, Germany. Composed of the two districts Sachsenhausen-Nord and Sachsenhausen-Süd. Only two days later Böse Onkelz supporters located the assailant, a "Bundeswehr" soldier whose father held a high military rank. The Bundeswehr ( German for "Federal Defence Force") is the name of the unified Armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany 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.

In 1992, without any marketing, the album Heilige Lieder rose to no. Heilige Lieder ( German for Holy songs) is the German Hard rock band Böhse Onkelz 9th album 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 didn't believe that the band had "seen the light" and instead considered their exit from the skinhead 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. Weiß & Schwarz ( German for White & Black) are in fact 2 albums by German Hard rock band Böhse Onkelz. Hier sind die Onkelz ( German for Here Are the Onkelz) is the 11th album for German Hard Rock band Böhse Onkelz.

Additionally, big department stores such as Media Markt, World of Music (WOM) and Saturn refused to sell Onkelz albums. Media Markt is a German chain of stores selling Consumer electronics with numerous branches throughout Europe. Saturn is a German chain of Electronics stores now found in several European countries 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. Adios is the last studio album of the German Hard rock band Böhse Onkelz. In the following years, the Onkelz repeatedly took positions against extremism of any kind and referred to themselves as outsiders with no political affiliation.

Onkelz on tour 2004, second concert in Dortmund
Onkelz on tour 2004, second concert in Dortmund

The band has a huge fan community and is one of the most successful German music groups. Dortmund (ˈdɔʁtmʊnt is a City in Germany, located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. In 1998 they sold about 300,000 copies of the album Viva los tioz within the first 48 hours after release. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Viva los tioz ( Spanish for Long Live the Unclez) is the 13th album by German Hard rock band Böhse Onkelz ( Evil

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. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The AWD-Arena is a football stadium located in Hanover, Germany. The Hanover fairground (in German: Messegelände Hannover) is an exhibition area in the Mittelfeld district of Hanover Germany

The end of their career

When the band's five year contract with Virgin ended in 2003, they found a new selling partner in the indie label SPV GmbH for their final album, Adios. SPV GmbH is an independent German Record label founded in 1984 as a German distributor of Roadrunner Records. On 24 May, 2004 the Onkelz officially announced their retreat from the active music business. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " 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 17th and 18th June 2005 at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz (in Lusatia, Brandenburg) under the name Vaya con tioz, to which approximately 120,000 fans came. Wacken Open Air (WOA is a popular German music festival focusing on various forms of Extreme metal and Heavy metal. Upper and Lower Lusatia Upper Lusatia ( Oberlausitz or Hornja Łužica) is today part of the German state of Saxony except for a small part east of

Musical style

The musical style of the Onkelz has changed several times. Originally they played punk, starting with the Demoalbum. Throughout their career, their music was stylistically similar to heavy metal. 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.

Topics of the songs

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, because the band feels that it is treated in an unfair way. Therefore many songs are directed against the media, especially journalists, who are considered with all kinds of loathing and criticism. Furthermore, in earlier years the Onkelz sang various drunkard hymns like Heute trinken wir richtig, Alkohol und 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 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 und 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 Türkähn rauhs (modified spelling of German "Türken raus", meaning "Turks out") 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 doesn't 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 see it") can be heard as „SS-Staat im Staate, wir wollen's mit erleben" ("SS-state in the state, we want to see it"). 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.

Discography

See Böhse Onkelz discography

Biography

External links

Sources and references

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