Rodrigo "Rod" Andrés González Espíndola (born 19 May 1968) is a Chilean-born German musician known as the bassist and one of the singers of German rock band
Die Ärzte.
Early life
González' parents were politically persecuted in Chile during the
Pinochet dictatorship, and so were granted
asylum in
Hamburg. His family initially lived there on social benefits until his father found work. He completed his ''
Abitur
''Abitur'' (), often shortened colloquially to ''Abi'', is a qualification granted at the end of secondary education in Germany. It is conferred on students who pass their final exams at the end of ISCED 3, usually after twelve or thirteen year ...
'' (school-leaving exams) at the
Gymnasium Langenhorn. He has an older sister, Claudia, who also works as a musician (Universal González).
As a teenager, González was a member of the band Die Erben. From 1986 to 1988, he played
banjo
The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...
in the Hamburg punk band
Die Goldenen Zitronen
Die Goldenen Zitronen ("The Golden Lemons") are a German punk rock band from Hamburg, formed in 1984. They are considered a forerunner to the "Hamburger Schule" and are noted for their anti-establishment stance. Formed by Schorsch Kamerun (vo ...
, and from 1988 to 1989 he was the guitarist in the
Rainbirds.
Career
Career with Depp Jones and Die Ärzte
González became friends with the Die Ärzte drummer,
Bela B., when they sang a
Kiss song together in a bar while drunk. González was also a member of the so-called '
KISS Army
The KISS Army is the official fan club for the American rock band Kiss (band), Kiss, as well as the unofficial name used to refer to Kiss fans in general. It was started unofficially in 1975 by Bill Starkey and Jay Evans.
The membership form di ...
'. Bela B. quickly began to value González' musical talent. They played together in the band S.U.M.P., which later changed its name to Depp Jones, following the (temporary) break-up of Die Ärzte in 1988.
After failing to achieve commercial success, Depp Jones split up in 1992.
When
Die Ärzte got back together in 1993, González became their new band member. Although he had been the guitarist in Depp Jones, he became the bassist in Die Ärzte. While the last Die Ärzte bassist prior to the break-up, Hagen Liebing, had only been a hired band member, González has been a full-fledged member of Die Ärzte since joining the band.
González has penned the Die Ärzte singles "
1/2 Lovesong
"1/2 Lovesong" is a song by German rock band Die Ärzte. It's the sixth track and the third single from their 1998 album '' 13''. The song was composed by Bela B.
The song is about missing a loved one during a hard time in a relationship. The mu ...
" and "
Dinge von denen
"Dinge von denen" (Things of which) is a song by German rock Die Ärzte. It is the fifth track on the first CD and the second single from their 2003 album ''Geräusch''. It is about the singers dislike for hearing about other peoples ailments su ...
", among others.
Alongside bass and guitar, he has also taught himself to play the drums, keyboard and piano. The other members of Die Ärzte therefore jokingly refer to him as "over-qualified". During the ''
MTV Unplugged'' concert ''
Rock'n'Roll Realschule'', which took place in 2002 in the Albert-Schweitzer-Gymnasium in Hamburg, González was the musical director and arranger for most of the songs performed.
Other musical projects
González works as a producer for various bands and other artists, such as Lucilectric,
Knorkator and Panda. He is also the co-owner of Rodrec, a record company, through which both of the Depp Jones albums were re-released and to which the artists Rantanplan, Church of Confidence, and
Abwärts are signed. González has also played guitar with Abwärts since 2004.
During the live concert Fußballfans gegen Rechts (''Football Fans Against Right-Wing Extremism'') on 30 January 1993 in the Zakk Club,
Düsseldorf, González played in the
punk band
Slime as a stand-in. He covered the
Kiss song "I'll Fight Hell to Hold You" in 2001, turning it into a disco track and singing in the
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees
were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in the disco music era in ...
style.
In 2005, González and Bela B. (as Zwei Fickende Hunde) recorded the song "Meister aller Fotzen" by
Die Kassierer for the CD Kunst to celebrate 20 years of the
Wattenscheid punk band.
References
External links
*
Rod Army(in German)
RodRec record label(in German)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonzalez, Rodrigo
1968 births
Living people
20th-century German male singers
Musicians from Valparaíso
Musicians from Hamburg
Chilean emigrants to Germany
Naturalized citizens of Germany