On a student exchange in Germany way back in 1995, the boy I stayed with put on some music that changed my life. I returned to the UK with a homemade Wizo cassette in hand, but back then there weren’t any easy ways to get more music until Napster came along in 2000. To my amazement, Wizo were heading to the UK for a tour that year, and after a couple of shows I was hooked. I started travelling to Germany to see them and other bands, mostly on the Hulk Räckorz label. The more I listened and travelled, the more great Deutschpunk bands I discovered. I started going to the Ruhrpott Rodeo festival and met many great people there. I couldn’t go to Germany as often as I wanted though, and the UK punk scene was (and still is) going strong if you know where to look – Undercover and Rebellion festivals being highlights.
Fast-forward to 2024, and I wondered how I could give something back to the punk scene. Inspired by my friend Wolfram, who has put together many great projects in Germany, creating a sampler of some of the best German punk bands seemed an obvious step to spread the word in the UK. Brexit has made it even harder for German bands to come here, and vice versa, but I hope many will discover some great new music in this collection. Most of the tracks are sung in German, but I’ve provided translated lyrics so you can get an idea of what it’s all about. If you like what you hear, follow the bands and buy their merch to keep the scene alive!
Richard
Punk Rock Pigeon Records