Can someone tell me how long we waited for the DVD of TERRORGRUPPE?
I lost count of the times it was announced and then postponed.
I had stopped thinking about this release.
And suddenly it arrived in the mail and now lies before me like a small sanctuary.
It's a strange feeling to know that this is actually the last release of the band from Berlin-Kreuzberg, which has sweetened the youth of so many punks and is still referred to as the number one influence for many bands. Alongside joy, there is also great nostalgia. Nostalgia for a damn great time with the band, on stage, off stage, and definitely at the bar.
However, why the name reminds me of the rare single “Fickparty 2000 - condemned to pleasure” is still not entirely clear to me. Lack of creativity? A nod to their favorite single? Recognition value for the old fans (keyword: Alzheimer)? I will ask the band or what’s left of the gang, as an interview with TERRORGRUPPE will soon be published on ramtatta.de. Mark your calendars, folks!
So, let’s turn on the TV, get the cold beer ready, and crank up the volume!
Let’s start at the beginning. In the beginning, God created heaven and earth… and when He got tired of a world full of boring people, He created TERRORGRUPPE. He didn’t know exactly who the best were when founding the band, so He took “Tower High Torsten” and “Ice Tüte” as well as “Fritz Spritze” and tried it with them, along with “MC Motherfucker,” “Johnny Bottrop,” and “Hermann von Hinten.” The last three fit perfectly, the first three not so much, but with “Zip Schlitzer,” the band was soon on stable ground. This band was meant to shake things up, so they got to work and created the first three singles and played the first concerts. As experienced musicians, especially Johnny Bottrop and MC Motherfucker, who had already gathered several years of stage experience (including Inferno, Hostages of Ayatollah), it was not surprising that they quickly became well-known and chaos ensued.
The DVD starts with a brief, bullet-point overview of the band, which comes across as interesting and very funny. After that, the story of the band is told in an entertaining and engaging way. The film highlights many connections that particularly catch the attention of Berliners.
All the big and small scandals are shown again, allowing one to reminisce, and often you hear yourself saying, “Oh right, that was also a thing.” It is, alongside the portrayal of the band’s history, also a journey into the past. A past that I actively experienced and can still remember a lot about. Be it the collaboration with the KPD/RZ (does it even exist anymore?), borrowed children, closed airports (the name TERRORGRUPPE doesn’t always go down well at airports), appearances on Arabella Kiesbauer and other various talk shows. Joint performances with Die Ärzte and the close business ties to the three crazies from Berlin are also highlighted. Oh, actually everything is shown (including many video clips).
It is the story of a band that has written punk rock history.
It is not just a visual document; it is a historical document!
It is fantastic!
After 182 minutes of visual documents from TERRORGRUPPE, there is still a second helping, and this time it’s exclusively for the ears. So, for those whose eyes are bleeding after the infernal visual orgy, you can close your eyes and ensure that your ears are also supplied with blood. The second helping with 25 (!) songs is packed with content. It’s like a mixed dessert platter with everything the heart desires.
It starts with the very first song of TERRORGRUPPE, which, fitting for the generation of current fans and representative of the age of the band members back then, is not only called “Die Krise” but also revolves around it. Midlife crisis is what it’s called in English, and if you don’t relate to that, you’re not yet 30.
Next up are songs from three EPs that have long been out of print and are traded at high prices among collectors and hardcore fans, namely the “Tresenlied EP,” the “10 Jahre Bonus-EP” (which was a bonus with the ticket for the 10th anniversary of the band celebrated in the Berlin Columbiahalle, with bands like The Movement or Bambix), and the “Fischertechnik EP.”
Then there are various treats from compilations. These are also mostly highly sought-after rarities. And if that hasn’t sweetened your life enough, you’ll also get to hear some original and demo versions.
Especially the original versions are interesting for fans and musicians, as they show how a song can develop, and sometimes you don’t even know if the released version is actually the better one, as the original versions often had different lyrics.
TERRORGRUPPE has truly rummaged through their archives and attics down to the last speck of dust for this CD.
This CD is much more than a cheap bonus to enhance the DVD. It justifies its own release and compellingly represents what TERRORGRUPPE was, a band that perfectly combined fun, politics, and provocation. It makes one nostalgic for the concerts spent with the band. Personally, I recall highlight concerts like in AJZ in Bielefeld, Conne Island in Leipzig, Hameln (I think) in who knows where, as well as various concerts in Berlin (especially the gigs at Wild at Heart and the crazy concert at Schokoladen).
Sometimes you wonder if you were born too late, but I was born just in time to sweeten my life for a few years with TERRORGRUPPE.
Some had the Sex Pistols. I had TERRORGRUPPE!
With the certainty that TERRORGRUPPE will always hold a prominent place in German punk history and that a reunion is desired and dreamed of by an incredible number of people, I will end here and indulge in a few more memories.
Thank you for the time, TERRORGRUPPE!
SINFUL INFANTS BEHIND MONASTERY WALLS, CONDEMNED TO PLEASURE is a legacy of the greatest German-speaking punk rock band of the last 20 years.
