When I am booked with a band, I am accompanied by my old buddies „Die Hemden“. „Die Hemden“ consists of Markus Bender on bass and Andreas Tetzlaff on drums.
After completing his studies at the ArtEZ University of the Arts in Arnhem and the Cologne University of Music and Dance, Markus Bender’s tours and concert engagements took him to South Africa, Russia, the Caribbean, Iceland and the Middle East. He has worked with artists as diverse as Hildegard Knef and Marla Glen as well as Nils Landgren, the Krautrock legend „Birth Control“ and the Munich Symphony Orchestra. Markus and I have shared the stage for many years — whether with „AL’S BAD“, with the legendary Bonn-based band „Bonn Chauvi“ or with „Granufunk.“ Markus always plays exactly the right note at the right moment: bass playing simply doesn’t get any more tasteful.
Andreas Tetzlaff has been sharing the stage with me for many years — whether in joint concerts with „AL’S BAD“ or the legendary Bonn-based band „Bonn Chauvi“ or as a permanent member of „Die Hemden.“ „Tetzi“ simply has a great groove and is a genuinely nice guy, too. A combination not often found among drummers, believe me! 🙂
Over the years, alongside my solo activities, I have also played in numerous bands:
AL’S BAD (1990-2002)
AL’S BAD was a band from Neuwied/Germany that originated as a 1992 high school graduation band. After graduating from high school, the band started as a jazz fusion band, performing covers of Dave Grusin, Lee Ritenour and Billy Cobham before increasingly incorporating comedy elements into their music and beginning to write their own songs in various styles. The cover repertoire was gradually replaced by their own songs from a variety of genres (rock, metal, country, pop, soul, funk, a capella, hip hop) and enriched with comedy elements. This musical versatility helped the band take an important career step: in 1998, AL’S BAD became the late night band of the „Johannes B. Kerner Show“ (broadcasted on Germany’s second national television channel) where they performed live with nationally and internationally renowned artists on over 100 television programs. The „Johannes B. Kerner Show“ averaged one million viewers per show and was recorded at Studio Hamburg.
The band revised and modernized the title theme (originally written by Dieter Bohlen for the show) and performed it live on the show. Musical guests were accompanied by the band, and typical late-night show jingles were developed and interspersed during the show. The band’s growing popularity led to endorsement deals with renowned instrument manufacturers (including Marshall, Korg, Ernie Ball and Takamine) as well as performances at the Telemesse Düsseldorf, the Bundeskunsthalle Bonn and the legendary Funky Pussy Club on Hamburg’s Reeperbahn, among others.
After the show’s production changed its focus from a late night show to a cooking show, the band’s engagement in Hamburg ended. In total, the band played 133 concerts altogether.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_B._Kerner_(Fernsehsendung)
Impuls (1994-1995)
Impuls was a cover band that toured the Rhine-Main area in Germany for many years. The band mainly played Top 40 hits. In total, I played 70 concerts with the band.
Granufunk (2004-2018)
Granufunk is a funk cover band that is touring Germany and the Netherlands for many years now. The band mainly played funk and soul party hits. In total, I played 237 concerts with the band.
Freiraum (2017-2020)
Freiraum was an acoustic cover band that toured North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany for a while. The band mainly played acoustic hits. I played a total of 20 concerts with the band.
The Right Pill (2018-2020)
The Right Pill was a rock cover cover band that toured North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany for a while. The band mainly played rock and hard rock hits. I played a total of 11 concerts with the band.
Tank Of Danzig (2020-2024)
Tank Of Danzig is a legendary post-punk / no wave band from Koblenz, Germany with a cult following in Belgium and the Netherlands. Influenced by groups and artists like Gang Of Four, The Pop Group, Arto Lindsay or James White & The Contortions, the band did over 150 live gigs from 1980 to 1985, also sharing the stage with Shriekback, Blurt, Virgin Prunes, Tom Robinson Band, Siglo XX and many more. In 2020, I reactivated the band which hadn’t released any new music in over 35 years together with founding member Schengel and released the single „American Hostages“ as a political statement on the upcoming US presidential election campaign of Donald Trump, along with my own interpretation of the Joy Division song „Transmission“ as the B-side. I produced the single at my recording studio for the T.O.D. Records label.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tank_of_Danzig
Price & Franklin (2021-2025)
Price & Franklin was an acoustic duo founded by myself together with a female singer in Cologne, Germany. The duo toured throughout Germany as well as in the Benelux countries. The duo performed a total of 174 shows together and released two EPs (2023, 2025) which where produced entirely at my studio.
Die Enterbten (2025-2026)
Die Enterbten are no ordinary band: with an mix of rock, punk, and a dash of 80s nostalgia (called „Neon Punk“), they bring a breath of fresh air to the stage – uncompromising, honest, and with a big grin right in the face of reason! Their german lyrics, sometimes profound, sometimes tongue-in-cheek, reflect the joy they experience together on stage and in the rehearsal room. The five band members with their crazy, honest and critical attitude have a blast together – whether in the studio, on stage or in their interactions with the audience. I produced the band’s debut album at my studio, which was released in 2026 by NRT Records.
21 Guns (2025-)
Still under construction!