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Die Toten Hosen (literally "The Dead Trousers", figuratively "The Deadbeats") is a German punk rock band from
Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in th ...
.


History

The current members of Die Toten Hosen are
Campino A campino () is a cattle herder in the Portuguese region of Ribatejo. Campinos work on horse-back, using a long pole (a ''pampilho'' or lance) to manage and direct the herd. Campinos are also known for their distinctive attire, which consists o ...
(Andreas Frege), Kuddel (Andreas von Holst), Vom (Stephen Ritchie), Andi (Andreas Meurer) and Breiti (Michael Breitkopf). All members except one are German, though Campino's mother, Jenny, was English. The drummer Vom comes from
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. He joined in 1999, after previous drummer Wölli sustained injuries in a car crash. Wölli had played from 1985 to 1999 and was an honorary member of the band until his death in 2016. The drummer until 1985 was
Trini Trimpop Trinidadians and Tobagonians, colloquially known as Trinis or Trinbagonians, are the people who are identified with the country of Trinidad and Tobago. The country is home to people of many different national, ethnic and religious origins. As a ...
, who became the band's manager when Wölli joined. The band is reputed to have played for free at private birthday parties or similar events in their early years, so long as the host provided them with unlimited beer and covered all damage caused by the band.


1982–1987

Die Toten Hosen formed in 1982 at the Ratinger Hof, a
Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in th ...
bar frequented by punk musicians. Its founder members were Campino and Andreas von Holst, both from local punk band ZK, with Andreas Meurer, Michael Breitkopf, Trini Trimpop and Walter November. According to their friend and one time promoter Andrea Berzen, they chose the name ''Die toten Hosen'' – which literally translates as "the dead trousers" but connotes the
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
idiom "hier ist tote Hose" or "hier herrscht tote Hose" meaning "there is nothing going on here", "it’s boring here" – over ''Die Pariser''. According to Andrea Berzen, Campino preferred the former because it implied that their concerts might not be sold out, but there might be "tote Hose" on the nights. At their first concert at the Bremer Schlachthof over Easter 1982, the compère mistakenly introduced them as Die Toten Hasen (The Dead Hares). The debut single ''
Wir sind bereit Wir, WIR or WiR may also refer to: Organisations * WIR Bank, a complementary currency system in Switzerland * Washington and Idaho Railway * West India Regiments, a colonial regiment of the British Army * Wolność i Równość, a Polish politic ...
'' (We are ready) was released in
1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...
, and was followed by their first album, ''
Opel-Gang ''Opel-Gang'' is the debut album of the German punk band Die Toten Hosen. The title is a reference to an article in a Düsseldorf newspaper, where a gang of small-time thieves, who drove self-tuned Opels, were named Opel-Gang, even though the b ...
'', the next year. Guitarist Walter November left the
band Band or BAND may refer to: Places *Bánd, a village in Hungary *Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania *Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, I ...
in November 1983 due to his drug problems. One of the two A sides of the third single was the drinking song ''Eisgekühlter Bommerlunder'' (ice-cold Bommerlunder
schnapps Schnapps ( or ) or schnaps is a type of alcoholic beverage that may take several forms, including distilled fruit brandies, herbal liqueurs, infusions, and "flavored liqueurs" made by adding fruit syrups, spices, or artificial flavorings to neu ...
), which received considerable radio airplay and increased their fan base. The band released their first album titled ''
Opel Opel Automobile GmbH (), usually shortened to Opel, is a German automobile manufacturer which has been a subsidiary of Stellantis since 16 January 2021. It was owned by the American automaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017 and the PSA Grou ...
-Gang'' in early 1983 on their own label Totenkopf (skull). In July 1983, the band signed to
EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...
, who financed a video for ''
Eisgekühlter Bommerlunder "Eisgekühlter Bommerlunder" (''Bommerlunder On The Rocks'') is a German drinking song by the group Die Toten Hosen. The song is repeated over and over, each time the song is sung quicker and a pitch higher, until performers can not sing anymore. ...
'', directed by Wolfgang Büld. It depicts a chaotic wedding ceremony in a small Bavarian church, with
Kurt Raab Kurt Raab (20 July 1941 – 28 June 1988) was a West German stage and film actor, as well as a screenwriter and playwright. Raab is best remembered for his work with German film director Rainer Werner Fassbinder, with whom he collaborated on 31 ...
playing an
alcoholic Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomin ...
priest and
Marianne Sägebrecht Marianne Sägebrecht (; born 27 August 1945) is a German film actress. Her background included stints as a medical lab assistant and magazine assistant editor before she found her calling in show business. Claiming to be inspired by Bavaria's ma ...
playing the bride. After the filming the congregation called for the church to be reconsecrated. German public television refused to screen the video for several years for fear of offending churchgoers.Magazin zur Tour ''Menschen, Tiere, Sensationen'', Universa Medien Verlags GmbH, Dortmund 1992. At the end of 1983, they released ''Hip Hop Bommi Bop'', a hip-hop version of ''Eisgekühlter Bommerlunder'' featuring New York rapper
Fab Five Freddy Fred Brathwaite (born August 31, 1959), more popularly known as Fab 5 Freddy, is an American visual artist, filmmaker, and hip hop pioneer. He is considered one of the architects of the street art movement. Freddy emerged in New York's downtown ...
. In 1984 the band played a session on the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
’s
John Peel Show John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...
. EMI were displeased with the band’s high travel costs and by Norbert Hähnel publicly parodying their million-selling artist
Heino Heinz Georg Kramm (born 13 December 1938), known professionally as Heino, is a German singer of Schlager music, Schlager and traditional Volksmusik. Having sold a total of over 50 million records, he is one of the most successful German musici ...
at a Toten Hosen concert. Heino successfully obtained a court order to cease and desist. Die Toten Hosen left EMI and signed to
Virgin Records Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldwid ...
. Their second album ''Unter Falscher Flagge'' (''Under False Colours''), was released in 1984. The title explained the front cover of the LP, which carried a picture of the band members dressed as pirates aboard a ship. The original back cover featured the skeleton of a dog sitting in front of a gramophone, a caricature of the
His Master's Voice His Master's Voice (HMV) was the name of a major British record label created in 1901 by The Gramophone Co. Ltd. The phrase was coined in the late 1890s from the title of a painting by English artist Francis Barraud, which depicted a Jack Russ ...
artwork used by EMI. Legal action by EMI prompted the album cover to be changed to the skeleton of an eagle, which, along with the
Jolly Roger Jolly Roger is the traditional English name for the flags flown to identify a pirate ship preceding or during an attack, during the early 18th century (the later part of the Golden Age of Piracy). The flag most commonly identified as the Jolly ...
, became a band logo. In Spring 1985, the band toured France for the
Goethe Institute The Goethe-Institut (, GI, en, Goethe Institute) is a non-profit German cultural association operational worldwide with 159 institutes, promoting the study of the German language abroad and encouraging international cultural exchange and ...
and in Autumn they travelled to Hungary and Poland. In late 1985, Trini Trimpop moved from drumming for the band into their management, where he worked until 1992. Jakob Keusen briefly replaced him as the band's drummer before Wolfgang Rohde (Wölli) took over in January 1986. Rohde’s first concert was also the band’s first concert in front of a very large audience. Along with
Herbert Grönemeyer Herbert Arthur Wiglev Clamor Grönemeyer (born 12 April 1956) is a German singer, musician, producer, composer and actor, popular in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Grönemeyer starred as war correspondent Lieutenant Werner in Wolfgang Pete ...
,
Udo Lindenberg Udo Lindenberg (born 17 May 1946) is a German singer, drummer, and composer. Career Lindenberg started his musical career as a drummer. In 1969, he founded his first band Free Orbit, and also appeared as a studio and guest musician (with Micha ...
,
Marius Müller-Westernhagen Marius Müller-Westernhagen (born 6 December 1948) is a German musician and actor. He has been a feature in German rock music since the mid-1970s. Müller-Westernhagen is known for his energetic public concerts, and his fans know his anthem-like ...
,
BAP BAP or bap may refer to: Food * Bap (bread), a type of bread roll * Bap (rice dish), a Korean food Music * BAP (Basque band), a hardcore punk group (formed 1984) * BAP (German band), a Colognian rock group (formed 1976) * B.A.P (South Korean ban ...
, the Rodgau Monotones and many others, they performed at the Anti-WAAhnsinns-Festival in July 1986 to protest the construction of the nearby
Nuclear reprocessing plant Wackersdorf The Wackersdorf nuclear reprocessing plant (german: Wiederaufbereitungsanlage Wackersdorf, abbreviated WAA Wackersdorf) is a reprocessing plant in Wackersdorf in Bavaria, Germany. Because of protests the plant was never completed. Today it is an ...
. In 1986, they recorded their third album, '' Damenwahl'' (Ladies’ Choice). The Damenwahl tour was sponsored by the northern German condom manufacturer Fromms, who arranged for free samples to be scattered amongst the crowd. In 1987, the band celebrated its first chart success with the record ''
Never Mind the Hosen, Here's Die Roten Rosen ''Never Mind the Hosen, Here's Die Roten Rosen'', sometimes ''Never Mind the Hosen, Here's Die Roten Rosen (aus Düsseldorf)'' is the first cover album of the German punk band Die Toten Hosen, released under the pseudonym Die Roten Rosen (The R ...
'' (''Never mind the Trousers – Here’s the Red Roses'') using the pseudonym Die Roten Rosen (The Red Roses). The album contains rock versions of German 1960s pop songs. The name and cover art of the record are a parody of the LP Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols by the
Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...
from 1977. In late 1987, Die Toten Hosen released their first live album '' Bis zum bitteren Ende'' (Till the Bitter End). It charted in the German and Austrian Top 30.


1988 to 1995: Recognition and early success

In 1988, the band released their commercial breakthrough, the album '' Ein kleines bisschen Horrorschau'' (A little bit of horrorshow). The album referenced the
Anthony Burgess John Anthony Burgess Wilson, (; 25 February 1917 – 22 November 1993), who published under the name Anthony Burgess, was an English writer and composer. Although Burgess was primarily a comic writer, his Utopian and dystopian fiction, d ...
's novel ''
A Clockwork Orange ''A Clockwork Orange'' may refer to: * ''A Clockwork Orange'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess ** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (film), a 1971 film directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the novel *** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (soundtrack), the film ...
'' and
Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, his films, almost all of which are adaptations of nove ...
's film of the same name and was largely written for Bernd Schadewald’s theatre adaption of ''A Clockwork Orange''. For half a year the band played on stage at the Kammerspiele Bad Godesberg theatre in Bonn, alongside Ralf Richter, the play's lead actor. In September 1988, Die Toten Hosen performed at the Lituanika Festival in
Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
and
Kaunas Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Trakai ...
, Lithuania. They were chosen by the jury as the best band of the event. The album included '' Hier kommt Alex'' (Here comes Alex) was later re-recorded in an unplugged version in 2005 incorporating the opening piano phrase of
Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...
's
Moonlight Sonata The Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, marked ''Quasi una fantasia'', Op. 27, No. 2, is a piano sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven. It was completed in 1801 and dedicated in 1802 to his pupil Countess Giulietta Guicciardi. The popular name ''Mo ...
. Their spring tour in 1989 included a sell-out performance at the huge
Westfalenhallen Westfalenhallen (English: Halls of Westphalia) is a commercial complex composed of conference (Kongresszentrum Dortmund) and exhibition centers (Messe Dortmund) with an indoor arena (Westfalenhalle), located in Dortmund, Germany. It is surroun ...
in
Dortmund Dortmund (; Westphalian nds, Düörpm ; la, Tremonia) is the third-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne and Düsseldorf, and the eighth-largest city of Germany, with a population of 588,250 inhabitants as of 2021. It is the la ...
. The band released ''3 Akkorde für ein Halleluja'' (3 Chords for a Hallelujah), a video documentary of their lives. In 1990 the Toten Hosen were invited to attend the
New Music Seminar The New Music Seminar (NMS) is a Music Conference and Festival held annually each June in New York City. The New Music Seminar originally ran from 1980 to 1995 and was relaunched in 2009. NMS features over 150 CEOs and other executives, presiden ...
in New York and performed as support for
The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...
in Cologne. That summer the band travelled to Italy to report on the
FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
for various newspapers and radio stations. For this purpose they recorded a rock cover version of the classic ''
Azzurro "Azzurro" is an Italian pop song composed by Paolo Conte and Vito Pallavicini. Its most famous version was recorded by Adriano Celentano in 1968. Background Conte and Pallavicini wrote "Azzurro" especially for Celentano. The song describes a ...
'' by
Adriano Celentano Adriano Celentano (; born 6 January 1938) is an Italian musician, singer, composer, actor, and filmmaker. He is dubbed "''il Molleggiato''" (the springy one) because of his dancing. Celentano's many albums frequently enjoyed both commercial and ...
, accompanied by a video satirising the behaviour of German football fans when abroad. The double album ''Kreuzzug ins Glück'' (Crusade to happiness) was released in 1990 and sold over 150,000 copies in its first week. In 1991 the Toten Hosen released their album '' Learning English Lesson One'', a tribute to the band's musical influences, consisting mainly of cover versions of English punk rock classics. Each track featured at least one member of the original band that had recorded it. Several songs were recorded in Rio de Janeiro with Great Train Robber
Ronald Biggs Ronald Arthur Biggs (8 August 1929 – 18 December 2013) was an English criminal who helped plan and carry out the Great Train Robbery of 1963. He subsequently became notorious for his escape from prison in 1965, living as a fugitive for 36 y ...
. The album also marked the beginning of the band's collaboration with T.V. Smith, songwriter and lead singer of
The Adverts The Adverts were an English punk band who formed in 1976 and broke up in late 1979. They were one of the first punk bands to enjoy chart success in the United Kingdom, UK; their 1977 single "Gary Gilmore's Eyes" reached No. 18 in the UK Single ...
, which continues to the present day. The band's 1992 ''Menschen, Tiere, Sensationen'' (People, Animals, Sensations) tour included concerts in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Great Britain, Spain, France and a their first ever dates in Argentina. The single ''Sascha … ein aufrechter Deutscher'' (Sascha... an upstanding German) was released for Christmas 1992 as a vehement condemnation of right-wing radicalism. The proceeds of this song were donated to an anti-racist charity campaign in Düsseldorf. The right-wing Republikaner party failed in its attempt to have the song banned for defamation and thereby unintentionally contributed to the success of the single. The song grossed half a million Deutsche Mark. In 1993, the album ''Kauf MICH!'' (Buy ME!) was released and reached number one in the German charts. Its songs express opinions on consumerism, advertisement and right-wing extremism. In the summer of 1993 Die Toten Hosen performed as the supporting act for U2 on their Zoo TV tour in Germany, with audiences of over 50,000 people at each concert. The video to the song ''Kauf MICH!'' shows footage of these concerts. In the same year, the band released
Reich & Sexy ''Reich & sexy'' (''Rich & sexy'') (subtitled: ''Ihre 20!! grössten Erfolge'' 'Their 20!! biggest hits'' is the first greatest hits compilation by the German punk band Die Toten Hosen. The album is an apparent tribute to Johnny Thunders, as b ...
(Rich & Sexy), their first best-of album. On the cover the members of the band are naked, portraying pretentious millionaires from the music industry surrounded by nude women. An international version of the best-of album was released in 1994 called ''Love, Peace & Money''. For a period, Die Toten Hosen had three albums in the German charts at the same time. In 1994 the band was on the road for almost the entire year in Germany and neighbouring countries. In November they gave four concerts in the US and in Canada as support act for
Green Day Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a powe ...
. Starting in April 1995, the Toten Hosen got their own radio program on Fritz radio in Berlin, called ''Tausend Takte Tanzmusik'' ("a thousand beats of dance music"). The show aired every Sunday from 7 to 8 p.m. for a year. At the end of the year the band founded their own record label JKP.


1996 to 2020: JKP – the beginnings with their own label

The first album under their own label was ''Opium fürs Volk'' (opium for the people), released in 1996. Its songs deal with faith and religion. The album went platinum, their third record to do so, after ''Kauf MICH!'' and ''Reich und sexy''. The single "Zehn kleine Jägermeister" (ten little master huntsmen or rather: ten little
Jägermeister ( , ; stylized Jägermeiſter) is a German digestif made with 56 herbs and spices. Developed in 1934 by Wilhelm and Curt Mast, it has an alcohol by volume of 35% ( 61 degrees proof, or US 70 proof). The recipe has not changed since its creation ...
s) went to number one of the German-speaking singles charts. Die Toten Hosen and
Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of ...
were a supporting act at the
Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United ...
farewell concert in the River-Plate-Stadion of
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
in front of 75,000 people. An extended tour followed under the slogan "Ewig währt am längsten" (Eternity lasts longest) through Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Furthermore, they performed at the Gurtenfestival, the Forestglade Festival, the Berlin
Waldbühne The Waldbühne (''Woodland Stage'' or ''Forest Stage'') is a theatre at Olympiapark Berlin in Berlin, Germany. It was designed by German architect Werner March in emulation of a Greek theatre and built between 1934 and 1936 as the Dietrich-Eckar ...
and at the Bizarre Festival in Cologne. In May 1996 they headlined the
Rock am Ring The (German for "Rock at the Ring") and ("Rock in the Park") festivals are two simultaneous rock music festivals held annually. While ''Rock am Ring'' takes place at the Nürburgring race track, ''Rock im Park'' takes place at the Zeppelinfeld ...
festival. In the same year the band released their second live album ''Im Auftrag des Herrn'' (on the Lord's behalf). Their 1000th concert was on 28 June 1997 in the Düsseldorfer Rheinstadium, and was attended by over 60,000 fans. The death of Dutch girl Rieke Lax at the concert prompted the band to release the song "Alles ist eins" (Everything is one) in her memory. The 1998
Warped Tour The Warped Tour was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States plus three or four stops in Canada annually each summer from 1995 until 2019. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and the longest-running touring ...
took in
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
and
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
. Campino was twice hospitalised after concerts in
Byron Bay Byron Bay ( Minjungbal: ''Cavvanbah)'' is a beachside town located in the far-northeastern corner of the state of New South Wales, Australia on Bundjalung Country. It is located north of Sydney and south of Brisbane. Cape Byron, a hea ...
and
Geelong Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River, ...
in Australia. Die Toten Hosen have collaborated with numerous other musicians (like
Bad Religion Bad Religion is an American punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1980. The band's lyrics cover topics related to religion, politics, society, the media and science. Musically, they are noted for their melodic sensibilitie ...
,
AC/DC AC/DC (stylised as ACϟDC) are an Australian Rock music, rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm Young, Malcolm and Angus Young. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock, and Heavy metal ...
, U2,
Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...
); they are also one of the few German punk bands popular outside Germany, with a large following in
South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and
Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russ ...
. The band's members are passionate fans of their local football team,
Fortuna Düsseldorf Düsseldorfer Turn- und Sportverein Fortuna 1895 e.V., commonly known as Fortuna Düsseldorf (), is a German football club in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, which competes in the 2. Bundesliga. Founded in 1895, Fortuna entered the league ...
, which they sponsored from 2001 to 2003. When a goal is scored at the club's ground, the
Esprit Arena Merkur Spielarena (stylized as MERKUR SPIEL-ARENA), previously known as the Esprit Arena (until 2 August 2018), the LTU Arena (until June 2009), and as the Düsseldorf Arena (during the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest), is a multi-functional footba ...
, the chorus of the band's song "Strom" is played. The band released a football-themed song named "
Bayern Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
" in 2000 in which they proclaim that they would not join
Bayern Munich Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), also known as FC Bayern (), Bayern Munich, or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional men's football team, which pla ...
under any circumstances. Campino mentioned that the band lost significant CD sales in the southern Germany since the release of the song. In August 2006, Campino starred as
Mack the Knife "Mack the Knife" or "The Ballad of Mack the Knife" (german: "Die Moritat von Mackie Messer", italic=no, link=no) is a song composed by Kurt Weill with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht for their 1928 music drama ''The Threepenny Opera'' (german: Die Dreig ...
in Brecht's ''
The Threepenny Opera ''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a "play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, ''The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François Villon, with music ...
'' at Berlin's
Admiralspalast The Admiralspalast (German for ''admiral palace'') is a 1,756-seat theatre on Friedrichstraße in the Mitte district of Berlin, Germany. Opened in 1910, it is one of the few preserved variety venues of the pre-World War II era in the city. As a ...
, a short distance from the theatre where the play premiered in 1928. The director, famous actor
Klaus Maria Brandauer Klaus Maria Brandauer (; born Klaus Georg Steng; 22 June 1943) is an Austrian actor and director. He is also a professor at the Max Reinhardt Seminar. Brandauer is known internationally for his roles in ''The Russia House'' (1990), ''Mephisto'' ...
, was criticised for the play's unadventurous staging, but Campino was cheered by the audience. Artist
Andreas Gursky Andreas Gursky (born 15 January 1955) is a German photographer and professor at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, Germany. He is known for his large format architecture and landscape colour photographs, often using a high point of view. His works ...
produced ''Tote Hosen'', a blown up photograph of the crowd from a Die Toten Hosen concert, depicting youths excitedly cheering for the band, many wearing the red Hosen shirt. It is in the collection of the
Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...
.
Faith No More Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before settling on the current name in July 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/r ...
bassist
Billy Gould William David Gould (born April 24, 1963 in Los Angeles, California) is an American musician and producer. He is best known as the bassist of Faith No More. Biography Early years Billy said he is of Hungarian descent from his father's side. ...
wore a Toten Hosen tee shirt on the cover of their greatest hits album, '' Midlife Crisis: The Very Best of Faith No More''. Faith No More have covered the Toten Hosen song ''Hofgarten'' in live shows. German rock group
Samsas Traum Samsas Traum ("Samsa's Dream") is a German rock band fronted by Alexander Kaschte. Their music consists of elements of symphonic metal, Neue Deutsche Härte, black metal and cantastoria. The name is derived from the protagonist Gregor Samsa in ...
covered "Hier kommt Alex" with a more gothic sound. Lead singer Alexander Kaschte changes the final lyric to "Hey! Ich bin Alex!" (Hey! I am Alex!) as a wry joke. British punk band
UK Subs U.K. Subs are an English punk rock band, among the earliest in the first wave of British punk. Formed in 1976, the mainstay of the band has been vocalist Charlie Harper, originally a singer in Britain's R&B scene. They were also one of the f ...
recorded an English-language cover of the song on their 1993 album ''Normal Service Resumed''. '"Hier kommt Alex" is featured in video games '' Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock'' and ''
Rock Band A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two guita ...
'' (European version). The song was also released as a downloadable track on the American version of Rock Band on 27 May 2008. Die Toten Hosen also have a special edition of SingStar for PlayStation 2, devoted exclusively to the band, featuring 24 tracks and videos from over the decades, which was released in 2007.
MC Frontalot Damian Hess (born December 3, 1973), better known by his stage name MC Frontalot, is an American rapper and web designer. Hess began releasing music as MC Frontalot in 1999. His first successes came through Song Fight!, an online songwriting and ...
, in collaboration with faux-German electronic musician KOMPRESSOR on the track ''Rappers We Crush'', rhymes "What did I do to deserve this?/What was my crime?/Was it because I sampled Die Toten Hosen that one time?" In 2002 and 2005, the band played at
Przystanek Woodstock Pol'and'Rock Festival, formerly known as Woodstock Festival Poland, (Polish: ''Przystanek Woodstock''; "Woodstock Station"; English-language materials often referred to it simply to the ''Woodstock Festival Poland'') is an annual free rock music ...
, the biggest open air festival in Europe. In 2010, the band played several dates in
Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...
and became the first foreign rock band to perform in the former Soviet republic of
Tajikistan Tajikistan (, ; tg, Тоҷикистон, Tojikiston; russian: Таджикистан, Tadzhikistan), officially the Republic of Tajikistan ( tg, Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон, Jumhurii Tojikiston), is a landlocked country in Centr ...
since 1991. The band was criticised for accepting €68,000 of German government funding towards this tour. On 2 October 2010, the band played in Amman, Jordan, their first concert in the Middle East. In 2012, Die Toten Hosen released their album ''
Ballast der Republik ''Ballast der Republik'' (Burden Of The Republic) is a 2012 album by the German punk band Die Toten Hosen. It was their first studio album since 2008's '' In aller Stille''. To commemorate the 30-year-jubilee of the band, the album was also releas ...
''. A special edition includes a bonus CD with cover versions of songs that influenced the band. On 26 April 2016 it was announced that former drummer Wolfgang Rohde had died of cancer. In early 2018, Members of Die Toten Hosen recorded backing vocals on Australian band
The Living End The Living End are an Australian punk rockabilly band from Melbourne, formed in 1994. Since 2002, the line-up consists of Chris Cheney (vocals, guitar), Scott Owen (double bass, vocals), and Andy Strachan (drums). The band rose to fame in 199 ...
's eighth studio album Wunderbar, which was recorded in Germany. On November 27, 2020, the single "You're No Good" dropped online.


Musical style

All band members are self-taught musicians. At the beginning of their musical career most of them were still at school. Their first album was recorded in a studio rented by the hour. The band kept to simple guitar chords and lyrics, in garage style. ''Die Toten Hosen'' were mainly influenced by punk bands from the 1970s, to whom they frequently pay tribute in recorded work and live performances. On occasion they have played songs by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Some of the band's songs have been described as "Schunkelpunk", a fusion of German
schlager music Schlager music (, " hit(s)") is a style of European popular music that is generally a catchy instrumental accompaniment to vocal pieces of pop music with simple, happy-go-lucky, and often sentimental lyrics. Typical Schlager tracks are eith ...
and punk, exemplified by ''Eisgekühlter Bommerlunder'', numerous cover versions of German schlager songs and tracks like ''Azzurro''. They can be seen as pioneers of "Volxmusic", which combines elements of German folk music with jazz, hip-hop or rock. In some of their songs ''Die Toten Hosen'' experiment with strings or wind instruments. A few songs have elements that are lifted from
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
(e.g. ''Warum werde ich nicht satt''),
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
(''Zehn kleine Jägermeister'') or Yugoslavian gypsy music (''Das Mädchen aus Rottweil''). For the most part, The Toten Hosen have not departed substantially from their original style of music, choosing
power chords A power chord (also fifth chord) is a colloquial name for a chord in guitar music, especially electric guitar, that consists of the root note and the fifth, as well as possibly octaves of those notes. Power chords are commonly played on amp ...
, straightforward lyrics, simple melodies and anthem-like choruses over long instrumental solos. Other influences on the music of Die Toten Hosen include hardcore punk, punk blues, heavy metal, thrash metal, and hard rock. The focus of the band's music has gradually shifted from funny and nonsensical to serious. The songs from the band's first LP were mostly about having fun, but by the end of the 1980s they were focusing more on political and social issues such as
racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...
.


Members

*
Campino A campino () is a cattle herder in the Portuguese region of Ribatejo. Campinos work on horse-back, using a long pole (a ''pampilho'' or lance) to manage and direct the herd. Campinos are also known for their distinctive attire, which consists o ...
(Andreas Frege) - vocals (1982–present) * Andi (Andreas Meurer) - bass (1982–present) * Breiti (Michael Breitkopf) - guitars (1982–present) * Kuddel (Andreas von Holst) - guitars (1982–present) * Vom (Stephen George Ritchie) - drums (1999–present)


Former members

* Walter November (Walter Hartung) - guitars (1982–1983) * Trini Trimpop (Klaus-Dieter Trimpop) - drums (1982–1985) * Jakob Keusen - drums (1985–1986) * Wölli (Wolfgang Rohde) - drums (1986–1999)


Discography

* 1983: ''
Opel-Gang ''Opel-Gang'' is the debut album of the German punk band Die Toten Hosen. The title is a reference to an article in a Düsseldorf newspaper, where a gang of small-time thieves, who drove self-tuned Opels, were named Opel-Gang, even though the b ...
'' * 1984: '' Unter falscher Flagge'' * 1986: '' Damenwahl'' * 1987: ''
Never Mind the Hosen, Here's Die Roten Rosen ''Never Mind the Hosen, Here's Die Roten Rosen'', sometimes ''Never Mind the Hosen, Here's Die Roten Rosen (aus Düsseldorf)'' is the first cover album of the German punk band Die Toten Hosen, released under the pseudonym Die Roten Rosen (The R ...
'' * 1988: '' Ein kleines bisschen Horrorschau'' * 1990: '' Auf dem Kreuzzug ins Glück'' * 1991: '' Learning English Lesson 1'' * 1993: '' Kauf MICH!'' * 1996: '' Opium fürs Volk'' * 1998: '' Wir warten auf's Christkind...'' * 1999: '' Unsterblich'' * 2002: '' Auswärtsspiel'' * 2004: ''
Zurück zum Glück ''Zurück zum Glück'' (Pun: ''Back to happiness''/''Fortunately back'') is the tenth studio album by the German punk band Die Toten Hosen. The cover is designed by Dirk Rudolph. Track listing # "Kopf oder Zahl" (''Heads or tails''; lit. ''Head ...
'' * 2008: '' In aller Stille'' * 2012: ''
Ballast der Republik ''Ballast der Republik'' (Burden Of The Republic) is a 2012 album by the German punk band Die Toten Hosen. It was their first studio album since 2008's '' In aller Stille''. To commemorate the 30-year-jubilee of the band, the album was also releas ...
'' * 2017: '' Laune der Natur'' * 2017: ''Learning English Lesson 2''


Social involvement


Political activities

The band openly support political and social organizations in their music, interviews and by donations, but are not affiliated with any political party. They turned down a request from Germany's
SPD The Social Democratic Party of Germany (german: Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, ; SPD, ) is a centre-left social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany. Saskia Esken has been t ...
(Social Democratic Party) to write a song for their European election campaign in 1994. In 1991, their track ''Fünf vor Zwölf'' (it is high time) was published on the sampler ''Nazis raus'' (Nazis get out) and in 2006 they supported the band ZSK's ''Kein Bock auf Nazis'' (can't stand Nazis) campaign. In 1992, the band participated in a demonstration against
xenophobia Xenophobia () is the fear or dislike of anything which is perceived as being foreign or strange. It is an expression of perceived conflict between an in-group and out-group and may manifest in suspicion by the one of the other's activities, a ...
in Bonn. They performed together with
Herbert Grönemeyer Herbert Arthur Wiglev Clamor Grönemeyer (born 12 April 1956) is a German singer, musician, producer, composer and actor, popular in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Grönemeyer starred as war correspondent Lieutenant Werner in Wolfgang Pete ...
,
Nina Hagen Catharina "Nina" Hagen (; born 11 March 1955) is a German singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her theatrical vocals and rose to prominence during the Punk subculture, punk and New wave music, new wave movements in the late 1970s a ...
and others for nearly 200,000 demonstrators. In 1995 they supported
Greenpeace Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by Irving Stowe and Dorothy Stowe, immigrant environmental activists from the United States. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth t ...
,
IPPNW International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) is a non-partisan federation of national medical groups in 63 countries, representing doctors, medical students, other health workers, and concerned people who share the goal of ...
, ''Aktion Atomteststop'' (an initiative for a nuclear test ban), the BUND (German ''Friends of the Earth'' chapter) and they were featured on the track ''Tout Pour Sauver L’Amour'' (Everything to save love) on the ''Stop Chirac'' compilation album. In 2002, the band attracted publicity by posing undressed for posters of the animal rights group
PETA Peta or PETA may refer to: Acronym * Pembela Tanah Air, a militia established by the occupying Japanese in Indonesia in 1943 * People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an American animal rights organization * People Eating Tasty Animals, an ...
under the slogan ''Lieber nackt als im Pelz'' (Better naked than in fur). in 2005 they funded 'On the Run', a compilation album to raise funds for immigrants' rights organisation
Pro Asyl PRO ASYL is Germany's largest pro immigration advocacy organization. Founded in 1986 by protestant pastor , Catholic priest Herbert Leuninger and others, the organization has over 18.000 members and an annual budget of more than (as of 2014). It ...
, and contributed the song ''Meine Stadt'' (my town). From 1999 to 2004 their web site had a public discussion forum but this was terminated without explanation.


Ties to Düsseldorf

Over the course of the band's history, Die Toten Hosen have expressed their loyalty to their home town in various ways. In summer 1995, the band staged an ice hockey game called ''Powerplay des Wahnsinns'' (Power-play of insanity), playing in a team alongside professional players from Düsseldorfer EG against a team composed of Finnish rock band
Leningrad Cowboys The Leningrad Cowboys are a Finnish rock band who perform rock and roll covers of other songs. They have exaggerated pompadour hairstyles and wear long, pointy shoes. They often work with the Russian military band the Alexandrov Ensemble. Be ...
and Finnish national ice hockey players. The match took place in the stadium at the Brehmstrasse in Düsseldorf. Their team ''Knochenbrecher Düsseldorf'' (Düsseldorf Bonebreakers) lost 9:10. In 1996 they slipped into women's clothing, silk stockings and high heels and took part in the Düsseldorf Mardi Gras parade with their own float under the slogan "We bury good taste". Die Toten Hosen are supporters of the football club
Fortuna Düsseldorf Düsseldorfer Turn- und Sportverein Fortuna 1895 e.V., commonly known as Fortuna Düsseldorf (), is a German football club in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, which competes in the 2. Bundesliga. Founded in 1895, Fortuna entered the league ...
. At the end of the 1980s, they helped the club by donating 200,000 DM towards signing the player
Anthony Baffoe Anthony Baffoe (born 25 May 1965) is a football business manager and former player who is the Deputy General Secretary of the Confederation of African Football. He played as a defender. As the son of a Ghanaian diplomat, Baffoe was born and ...
. From 2001 to 2003, they sponsored the club after it had experienced major financial difficulties. In 2002, the band signed an advertising contract with the Diebels Brewery, and donated the proceeds to the club's "Nachwuchs" (youth side), who wear the band's skull emblem on their shirts. Die Toten Hosen have reserved space for 17 people at Düsseldorf's Südfriedhof cemetery, where they wish to be buried after death.


References


External links

*
Official Argentine Site

Unofficial Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Toten Hosen, Die German punk rock groups Deutschpunk Musical groups established in 1982 Musical groups from Düsseldorf Echo (music award) winners 1982 establishments in West Germany