Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Wolfgang “Wölli” Rohde: With the spirit of “Toten Hosen” until the very end – SPIEGEL ONLINE

In the summer two years ago I Wolfgang Rohde, the only all Wölli called, visited a rehabilitation clinic on the North Sea. Shortly before, the left kidney was completely him and removed half the rights, both of which were cancerous. I wanted to interview pants whose drummer he was from 1986 to 2000 him for a book about the dead.

On the eve of our meeting he had written a text message: “Do pray not that you come across an old half-dead man I am able to bear weight, and if it takes 24 hours I am ready and am looking forward you’ll… fun get with me, I promise. ”

It has actually lasted almost 24 hours, Wölli talked about a few things rather than about his 14 years Andi, Breiti, Kuddel and Campino, his bandmates, it had been the best 14 years of his life. A guitar leaning against the wall in his room, he was going to write new songs for his second solo album. He was 64, but his head was always from the punk rock classic hairstyle, hydrogen-blond Gest scratch. Tears broke his stories sometimes.

A week earlier he had wanted to give up, he had durchgeweint a whole night, and was determined to leave the rehabilitation center after breakfast, Fuck. But in the breakfast room one about octogenarian lady had approached him. They only wanted to tell him, so the lady that he was a model for all others here in the clinic. In a wheelchair, he had come a week earlier, and now he run even without any help around alone. His confidence, his strength, his courage was an inspiration for all, where he hernehme that?

Wölli knew where he hernahm that. He had played in a band, he told the old people. This is the spirit of the Toten Hosen. Stand up when you’re on the ground.

In fact, he was too old for “Die Toten Hosen”

Since then anyway strode Wölli as the mayor through rehabilitation clinic, all saluted and was the center of the medical community. Sometimes he walked to the beach and wondered if he could there indulge Prosecco glass. But then it occurred to him that he only had half kidney, and he let it rather be.

For the Toten Hosen Wölli was actually too old. When he came in 1986 to the band, he was already 36, the rest of the band a bunch of early age of twenty. But Wölli knew the difference in age by his behavior always good to hide. He never was considered the voice of reason in the band.

One of the most legendary stage fiasco of the band, a concert in Zurich in 1990, is Wölli had with Campino two days with the aid may illicit substances on the concert prepared. In appearance he could no longer keep his Drumsticks – not not hold mutatis mutandis, but literally – until the band secured him the sticks with packing tape on the wrists. It should be seen as an expression of Wöllis attitude towards life that he did not give up anyway.

Wölli was actually electrician, or had begun the appropriate training, but these safety’s sake again interrupted when he really got a shock the first time. He passed with 18 a request for early retirement and moved from his hometown of Kiel to West Berlin, also as a precaution to avoid being drafted into military service.

Then he learned Beate know – Campinos big sister

In West Berlin, the mid-seventies Wölli Beate Frege met. She was hippie like him, but came from a suburb of Dusseldorf and from a good family. During visits with her family Wölli learned not only know Beates strict father who Wölli – supposedly he was electrician – let repair the toaster, but also Beates youngest brother Andrew, then about 13 years old, who would call later Campino. Wölli played drums in hippie bands and once when he was traveling in Rhineland, he built his drums also in the basement of Frege. Every time he came to the basement, the young Campino sat behind the drums. Wölli was he wanted Campinos model for his sake, be a drummer.

More than ten years later, in 1986, was from Andreas finally become Campino, and the Toten Hosen had made a name for a few years as Germany’s most chaotic and spectacular band since their first drummer Trini Trimpop decided that would give him the drums too much and he would rather Manager in the future. Die Toten Hosen needed a new drummer.

Campino was still friends with Wölli, who had become the hippie to punk. If the dead were pants in Berlin, she stayed in Wöllis Loft, where besides himself survived a talking Beo, of anyone who passed by shouted, “Help, I’m in a cage Get me out of here!”

Wölli had previously played the drums Suurbiers at the Berlin band, from which part the doctors recruited. As much as the doctors and the Toten Hosen was always said to have a competition – in Wölli both bands had early an interface.

The first sample Wölli with Die Toten Hosen graduated test, in early summer of 1986, derailed at a drinking party, which qualified the new drummer from the perspective of the band for the job.

Wöllis first real presence with the Toten Hosen took place right in front of 120 000 spectators, on the “anti-WAAhnsinns Festival” in Wackersdorf. Wölli, so remember the other band members, was terribly nervous as ever fright Wölli tormented all these years and even had physical effects. Nevertheless, now began the most beautiful years that the Hosen a Chaos troops were the largest German band, two marriages have Wölli these years because of the constant touring life (and his temptations) cost, and yet he wished that this time never cease.

Punk lives, but the disc does not want

However, from the mid-nineties began the herniated discs. Wölli held concerts by more and more difficult, sometimes did not manage to play the encores. He forfeited his confidence, and studio shooting him nerves failed. The band struggled a few years, they did not have the heart to dismiss Wölli, although a replacement was ready with the Englishman by Ritchie. As Campino was once again at Wölli outside the door, and an exit interview careful with “Hey, I’ve been thinking” began Wölli interrupted enthusiastically and shouted: “You, I Do not worry, I’ll try again to you! “

in the spring of 2000 ended a car accident Wöllis drums career with the Toten Hosen. He remained a close friend, joined from time to time to a surprise appearance with the band and played a solo record a, supported with texts and singing it in Campino. On his second album, which he had begun in the hospital on the North Sea, he wrote shortly before his death. It is from people who know a few pieces, whether moving testimony of a man who knew he was dying.

I’ve seen for the last time at the funeral of the dead Pants manager Jochen Hülder Wölli. That was 15 months ago at the Düsseldorf Südfriedhof where the dead have pants reserved a burial place for themselves and their closest companions. We hugged each other, and Wölli said: “When you next time is here, I’m down there in the coffin But that will take time.”

Wolfgang Rohde died on 25 April 2016, 66 years near Dusseldorf at the effects of cancer. His children were with him. He is buried at the Düsseldorf Südfriedhof.

Philipp Oehmke is author of the book “Die Toten Hosen. At first the noise was.”

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