Brings

Emerging as a leading act in the Kölschrock scene, Brings specialized in a raw, aggressive hard-rock approach that echoed the style of AC/DC when the group assembled in 1991. Its original lineup featured Harry Alfter, Christian Blüm, Matthias Gottschalk—who would later be succeeded by Kai Engel—and brothers Paul and Stephan Brings. The outfit’s debut album, Zwei Zoote Minsche, also from 1991, climbed to number three on the German charts, after which the band sustained regular appearances on the German Top 40 for the ensuing fifteen years. Controversy followed in 2006 when the single “Hay! Hay! Hay!” drew criticism for its supposed pro-drug message, prompting Brings to be barred from that year’s Cologne Karneval. The album of the same name reached stores in 2007.