The skeptics

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The skeptics
The Skeptics 2012
The Skeptics 2012
General information
Genre (s) punk
founding 1986, 2006
resolution 2000
Website www.dieskeptiker.com
Founding members
Eugene Balanskat
Christoph Buntrock
guitar
 Andreas Kupsch
Andreas Welfle
Marcel Hofer
Current occupation
singing
 Eugen Balanskat (since 1986)
guitar
 Dominik Glöckner (since 2017)
guitar
 Tom Schwoll (since 1998)
bass
 Jacob Thauer (since 2018)
Drums
 Wieland Wehr (since 2011)
former members
guitar
 Christoph Buntrock (1986–1990)
guitar
 Andreas Kupsch (1986–1990)
guitar
 Jan Fretwurst (1991–1995)
bass
 Andreas Welfle (1986–1990)
bass
 Mathias Kahle (1991–1993, 2009–2010)
bass
 Christoph Zimmermann (1994–1997)
bass
 Henning Menke (1998-2000)
Drums
 Marcel Hofer (1986–1990)
Drums
 Günther Spalda (1991)
Drums
 Ulli Kusch (1992–1993)
Drums
 Nicolaj Gogow (1998, 2009-2010)
Drums
 Lars Thomas (1999-2000)
Drums
 Andy Laaf (1994–1997, 2006–2008)
guitar
 Lars Rudel (1991-2016)
bass
 Kiki Kabel (2008-2009, 2010-2017)

Die Skeptiker is a punk band founded in East Berlin in 1986 . It was one of the most important punk rock groups in the GDR and was able to establish itself in the German music scene even after the fall of the Wall.

Band history

The Skeptics 2012 in Dresden

The Skeptics were founded in 1986 by the drummer Marcel Hofer, the guitarists Christoph BuntRock and Andreas Kupsch, the bassist Andreas Welfle and the singer Eugen Balanskat. With formations such as Sandow , Die Art , Feeling B , Tausendtons Obst and Die Firma, the group was one of the more important groups in the musical GDR underground, soon to be known as the other bands . The band's punk rock (as well as other groups) was difficult to reconcile with socialist realism, so that official record productions for the state label Amiga were impossible for all GDR underground bands for a long time. The first two publications of Skeptiker OT (Untitled) in 1988 and Schreie 1989, still self-published on tape. Due to the increasing popularity of the band, Amiga was forced to produce the EP The Other Bands in 1989 and the LP Harte Zeiten in 1990 .

On April 4th, 1990 BuntRock (later active with Iron Henning and Mamacry.L) left the band. On April 5, 1990 he was followed by Andreas Kupsch (later with Pink Parsons, Rebentisch, Incredible Incident and Die Zusamm-Rottung), Marcel Hofer (later with Pink Parsons, Halmakenreuther and Sub Dub Micromachine ) and bassist Andreas Welfle. Balanskat looked for new colleagues and continued to work under the same name.

In 1991 Rough Trade / Our Choice released the LP Sauerei with the line-up Balanskat, Mathias Kahle, Lars Rudel ( Cultus Ferox , Blind Passengers ), Jan Fretwurst and Günther Spalda (Rosa Extra, Hard Pop , BRONX). The album Schwarze Boten followed in 1993 , on which Uli Kusch (known from bands such as Ride the Sky , Shockmachine, Ax la Chapelle, Holy Moses , Roland Grapow , Gamma Ray , Beautiful Sin, Mekong Delta , Sinner , Masterplan and Helloween ) sent Spalda to Drums replaced. A year later a live album was released, in 1995 with Stahlvogelkrieger again a regular long player. Andy Laaf ( The Cassandra Complex , Blind Passengers, Mad Sin ) played the drums and Christoph Zimmermann (Blind Passengers, Hard Pop, Feeling B , Fat Sheik) played the bass on both releases . In 1998 Wehr dich! , on which in addition to the long-term members Balanskat and Rudel with Tom Schwoll (Kumpelbasis, Sin City Circus Ladies, Jingo de Lunch , Extrabreit ), Henning Menke ( Skew Siskin , Jingo de Lunch) and Nicki Gogow ( Knorkator , Deadly Toys, Aschenbach, BOON , Schwarz) three new band members were active.

In 2000 the band broke up temporarily. Balanskat founded the band Roter Mohn , later renamed Rotorfon , which played punk rock versions of hits from the 20s, 30s and 40s. In 2006, for the 20th anniversary of the band, the skeptics were reunited with performances a. a. in Dresden, Cottbus and Rostock. In the summer of 2007 there were other appearances at festivals such as the Force Attack . In addition, work was carried out on the re-recording of old songs by the band, which were then released in November 2007 under the title Dada in Berlin . This was accompanied by another tour in November and December 2007.

In October 2009 a new studio album titled Fressen und Moral was released. In addition, the skeptics went on tour again in autumn 2008 and autumn 2009. At the end of 2012 the band gave two exclusive club concerts in Berlin and Dresden with the line-up Balanskat, Rudel, Schwoll, Kiki Kabel (actually Christopher Zabel, formerly with Strom) and Wieland Wehr (formerly with Skinny and Rockass), where the first title of the in September 2013 published album Aufsteh'n were presented. The album release was accompanied by a tour in autumn 2013. On January 6th, 2018 the new album Kein Weg zu weit was released on Destiny Records. For the album release, the band went on the first part of the tour of the same name in March and April 2018, followed by part two in autumn 2018. At the end of 2019, further live activities took place on the occasion of the 60th birthday of Balanskat, born on February 15, 1959. In the same year Balanskat released the song Behind the Walls of the City together with Rome on 7 "vinyl.

Discography

  • OT (MC, 1988)
  • Screams (MC, 1989)
  • The other bands ( Amiga Quartet, i.e. 7 ″ with four songs, 1989)
  • Hard Times (1990)
  • Mess (1991)
  • Black Messengers (1993)
  • Live (1994)
  • Steel Bird Warrior (1995)
  • Early Works (compilation with recordings from the 80s, 1996)
  • Stand Up (1998)
  • DaDa in Berlin (new scoring of 13 old songs plus two new recordings, 2007)
  • Eating and Morals (2009)
  • Get Up (2013)
  • No way too far (2018)

Web links