There was a lot of excitement among fans of Die Ärzte. The reason for this was a song snippet including a mysterious message: "Sometimes it's just time to go." But now the punk band has given the all-clear. Apparently it was only about the new tour. Farin, Bela and Rod like to puzzle their fans and the world. We solve some of them here.
The Doctors are about more than just music. Farin Urlaub, Bela B and Rodrigo González have created their own universe, and ever since the self-proclaimed "best band in the world" was founded in 1982, it has sometimes been difficult for the uninitiated to keep track of things. You could write an extensive "Ärzteklopädie" about them. Here are a few facts & secrets.
1. sweet sweet Gwendoline
Gwendoline is now regarded as the band's mascot - the character originally comes from a comic called "The Adventures Of Sweet Gwendoline" by John Willie. She is now available in all kinds of versions; the most famous female icon of the doctors is also popular as a tattoo. Just like Elke, Claudia and Gabi, Gwendoline got her own anthem.
2. going astray in film - and with Tarantino
As we all know, lack of money is the mother of invention. With the movie "Richy Guitar" (1985), Die Ärzte didn't exactly cover themselves in glory as actors, although they practically only had to play themselves. It was the only time the band did something just for the money. Only Bela B still appears in films. Among other things, he has a small speaking role in "Inglourious Basterds" by Quentin Tarantino.
3. 3 is a magic number for Die Ärzte
The number runs through the Berliners' entire career. "Die Ärzte," says their drummer, "have survived at least three world wars." What Bela B means by this: the band was founded in 1982, so the collaboration between him and guitarist Farin Urlaub has lasted quite a long time. The break from 1989 to 1993 no longer carries any weight. Since then - reinforced by Rodrigo González, the band's third bassist - they have risen to become an institution on a par with Grönemeyer and Die Toten Hosen.
4 Nena and the young lady from the street
The darling of the late eighties, Nena, and the band feel a strong bond. There are not many artists with whom the band has worked. Die Ärzte enlisted female support for their song "Du willst mich küssen" in 1985 - Nena can be heard saying the line "... am besten heute Nacht" on the album "Im Schatten der Ärzte". In later versions, Farin Urlaub takes over the speaking part. For the female voice in the song "Sweet, Sweet Gwendoline", the boys simply put a young lady from the street in front of the studio at the microphone.
5. the doctors don't like beer
On the legendary semi-bootleg "5,6,7,8, BULLENSTAAT", the "best band in the world" dedicates a whole series of songs to beer. At the end, the three send a big sorry to the "electro beer", the "hatred of beer" and the "beer gourmet". "Hey beer, I insulted you in the worst possible way in a lyric", they say in "'Tschuldigung Bier". The background: the doctors don't appreciate beer that much. Farin Urlaub doesn't drink at all, but the two other Doctors love wine all the more. Funny punks!
6. award ceremonies? No, thank you!
Some artists live for the red carpet and award shows. Although Die Ärzte have won a few awards for their music, they haven't usually collected them themselves because they don't think much of such events. Only once were Rod and Bela present at the Comet Awards, when they presented Kiss with the Comet for Lifetime Achievement in 1996.
7. the big break
As their solo projects are very important to the band, they like to take longer breaks. The last break is obviously just coming to an end - in 2019, Die Ärzte will perform exclusively at the biggest festivals in German-speaking countries. But Die Ärzte wouldn't be Die Ärzte if they didn't return themselves: Bela, Farin and Rod went on a "Miles and More" tour in May 2019, once around Germany. The tickets for all the shows were completely sold out within a very short time.
The Doctors
29.06.2019, Openair St.Gallen
TICKETS
