Biography
Böhse Onkelz ranked among Germany’s most commercially dominant yet polarizing rock ensembles. Accusations of racism and extremist leanings shadowed the band for its entire existence even though multiple LPs posted robust sales, prompting many retailers to refuse stocking the recordings at all. The deliberately misspelled name Böhse Onkelz, German for “Evil Uncles,” originated in Hösbach late in 1980 when singer Kevin Russell, guitarist Stephan Weidner, and drummer Peter Schorowsky formed the group. Early influences came from the Sex Pistols and the Ramones, yielding the limited instrumental skill that such reference points typically produced. After guitarist Matthias “Gonzo” Röhr joined the lineup, Weidner switched to bass and Böhse Onkelz rapidly became one of the leading acts on the Frankfurt punk circuit. Their first recorded appearance arrived on the 1981 compilation Soundtrack zum Untergang 2; however, as German punk gravitated toward leftist politics the band moved in the opposite direction and began championing the emerging skinhead subculture. Widely viewed as the first German album to openly celebrate skinhead ideals, the 1984 debut Der Nette Mann appeared on the right-wing label Rock-O-Rama, where anthems such as “Stolz,” “Vereint,” and “Deutschland” contributed to the German government’s decision to ban the record in September 1986.
With the follow-up Böse Menschen — Böse Lieder, Böhse Onkelz turned toward themes of substance abuse and violence while still finding it impossible to escape its skinhead associations. Most damaging were bootlegged demo recordings that preserved early Weidner songs including “Türken Raus,” “Deutschland den Deutschen,” and “SS-Staat,” material the band would repeatedly disavow in subsequent years. Over the course of albums such as 1987’s Onkelz Wie Wir… and its 1988 successor Kneipenterroristen, the group abandoned its punk roots for a sound closer to heavy metal. The stylistic shift delivered the band’s strongest commercial results up to that point and placed Böhse Onkelz under intensified media attention after longtime associate Andreas “Trimmi” Trimborn was fatally stabbed in a Frankfurt bar on 16 June 1990 by a Bundeswehr soldier who was later acquitted. In his verdict the presiding judge noted a history of violence surrounding the band and its circle, ruling the incident an act of self-defense. The ensuing coverage nevertheless heightened public awareness of the music, allowing 1992’s Heilige Lieder to reach the German Top Ten despite scant promotion and radio support. Numerous broadcasters continued to exclude the group from airplay, and major retail chains such as Media Markt, World of Music, and Saturn declined to carry its releases.
Trimborn’s death and the resulting media storm prompted the ambitious double-album project Weiß and Schwarz, issued in October 1993 as two separate LPs. Signing with Virgin for 1995’s Hier Sind die Onkelz, the members also commissioned confidant Edmund Hartsch to produce an official biography aimed at countering persistent political rumors. Appearing in 1997 under the title Danke für Nichts, the book achieved strong sales and unexpected critical praise; in its foreword Hartsch observed that no other German band had been “used as a means for simple-minded political agitation” to the same degree. The spectacular retail performance of 1998’s Viva los Tioz, which moved more than 300,000 copies within its first twenty-four hours and debuted at number one on the German charts, compelled many stores to lift their embargo on the catalog. With mainstream popularity now so pronounced, the band established its own imprint rule23 to release the 2000 follow-up Ein Böses Märchen …aus Tausend Finsteren Nächten. After 2002’s Dopamin, Böhse Onkelz accepted an invitation to open for the Rolling Stones at the 3 August 2003 concert held at the Hanover Fairground. The 2004 album Adios, however, signaled the group’s impending dissolution; following a sold-out “La Ultima” tour, the final performances took place at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz on 17 and 18 June 2005.
Rumors of a reunion began circulating in 2013, and the band indeed re-formed the next year for a series of sold-out comeback concerts before 200,000 fans at the Hockenheimring racetrack. Kevin Russell, who had repeatedly approached death’s door because of long-standing substance abuse problems, appeared clean, sober, and in strong voice. Four additional shows followed at the Hockenheimring in 2015, succeeded by another sold-out run in Baden-Württemberg that drew twice as many spectators. Work also commenced on a new album slated for autumn 2016 release and an ensuing tour of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
With the follow-up Böse Menschen — Böse Lieder, Böhse Onkelz turned toward themes of substance abuse and violence while still finding it impossible to escape its skinhead associations. Most damaging were bootlegged demo recordings that preserved early Weidner songs including “Türken Raus,” “Deutschland den Deutschen,” and “SS-Staat,” material the band would repeatedly disavow in subsequent years. Over the course of albums such as 1987’s Onkelz Wie Wir… and its 1988 successor Kneipenterroristen, the group abandoned its punk roots for a sound closer to heavy metal. The stylistic shift delivered the band’s strongest commercial results up to that point and placed Böhse Onkelz under intensified media attention after longtime associate Andreas “Trimmi” Trimborn was fatally stabbed in a Frankfurt bar on 16 June 1990 by a Bundeswehr soldier who was later acquitted. In his verdict the presiding judge noted a history of violence surrounding the band and its circle, ruling the incident an act of self-defense. The ensuing coverage nevertheless heightened public awareness of the music, allowing 1992’s Heilige Lieder to reach the German Top Ten despite scant promotion and radio support. Numerous broadcasters continued to exclude the group from airplay, and major retail chains such as Media Markt, World of Music, and Saturn declined to carry its releases.
Trimborn’s death and the resulting media storm prompted the ambitious double-album project Weiß and Schwarz, issued in October 1993 as two separate LPs. Signing with Virgin for 1995’s Hier Sind die Onkelz, the members also commissioned confidant Edmund Hartsch to produce an official biography aimed at countering persistent political rumors. Appearing in 1997 under the title Danke für Nichts, the book achieved strong sales and unexpected critical praise; in its foreword Hartsch observed that no other German band had been “used as a means for simple-minded political agitation” to the same degree. The spectacular retail performance of 1998’s Viva los Tioz, which moved more than 300,000 copies within its first twenty-four hours and debuted at number one on the German charts, compelled many stores to lift their embargo on the catalog. With mainstream popularity now so pronounced, the band established its own imprint rule23 to release the 2000 follow-up Ein Böses Märchen …aus Tausend Finsteren Nächten. After 2002’s Dopamin, Böhse Onkelz accepted an invitation to open for the Rolling Stones at the 3 August 2003 concert held at the Hanover Fairground. The 2004 album Adios, however, signaled the group’s impending dissolution; following a sold-out “La Ultima” tour, the final performances took place at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz on 17 and 18 June 2005.
Rumors of a reunion began circulating in 2013, and the band indeed re-formed the next year for a series of sold-out comeback concerts before 200,000 fans at the Hockenheimring racetrack. Kevin Russell, who had repeatedly approached death’s door because of long-standing substance abuse problems, appeared clean, sober, and in strong voice. Four additional shows followed at the Hockenheimring in 2015, succeeded by another sold-out run in Baden-Württemberg that drew twice as many spectators. Work also commenced on a new album slated for autumn 2016 release and an ensuing tour of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Albums
