FREYGANG was formed in 1977, by ANDRE GREINER-POHL in EAST BERLIN, just as the Blues euphoria in East Germany was reaching its peak. He realized early on that the group’s provocative lyrics, their charismatic appearance and energy created an explosive blend which fascinated audiences. He and the band learned how to manipulate and interact with their fans. They loved Freygang for its courage to freely express themselves.

The band developed into one of the most important bands of the underground movement. Freygang has remained on the fringes of society and views itself currently similarly as during the height of East Germany’s oppressive political regime as part of the political underground. This sentiment is clearly expressed in their lyrics.

The band swiftly moved to the top of the Blues scene and maintained its amateur status until 1989. During the early 80’s, inspired by RIO REISER, the band started performing lyrics that were critical of the oppressive political system at the time. As a consequence, the band was banned for a year. The band played on regardless, after their ban had been lifted and became highly feted by their growing public following. Their musical style resonated more and more with West German bands such as TON STEINE SCHERBEN. Cover versions and lyrical interpretations of poetry by humanistic German poets are part of their musical repertoire.

Following another public performance ban, about 3000 fans attended one of their first concerts during 1985 at the Leipzig Congress hall. A year later however the band’s short-lived freedom came to an abrupt end, when band members were arrested on stage during an open air concert. Consequently Freygang were handed a life long performance ban. From 1986-1989 individual band members performed under pseudonyms with various diverse bands. During 1988 Freygang performed under the pseudonym OK at the Erdgasstreet in the Soviet Union.

Since 1989 Freygang are an active band again. In early 1990 Freygang collaborated with other bands via projects to preserve alternative venues such as Tacheles in Berlin.

In 1990, FREYGANG were invited to meet the THE ROLLING STONES backstage at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.

To promote the album release tour ‘Wenn der wind sich dreht’ [When the wind changes] the band successfully performed in Italy and subsequently recorded a live album during 1993 in the Berliner Knaack-Klub. During the summer of 1994 the band initiated a music festival in Hohenlobbese which still runs annually and has become a highly regarded open air festival in East Germany. Another similar festival has been held successfully since 2002 in Torgau.

With the incorporation of the legendary punk singer, Tatjana Besson together with younger musicians who used to be fans of Freygang, their music became much more multifaceted and rocking with a touch of punk.

Freygang inspired and promoted numerous like-minded musicians. They collaborated with bands like FEELING B, DIE FIRMA and NOAH. Band members from these bands would later, after the fall of the Berlin wall, form RAMMSTEIN and IN EXTREMO.

Today, after 35 years of performing against the odds Freygang’s music, having reached cult status, appealling to free spirited followers. The concerts are one giant party with audiences and band exchanging their affection for each other.

During 2000-2012 Freygang’s line-up remained unchanged.. In 2000 the Freygang biography was released by the publishers Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf. Freygang’s co-performance with TON STEINE SCHERBEN on the 14th January 2005 at the Berlin Ufa-fabrik was another highlight during their career. A year later the band performed in 8 concerts throughout Scotland and England. They made more headlines in 2007 when they staged a protest concert at the US embassy in Berlin for the condemned-to-death Mumia Abu-Jamal.

During the summer of 2008 Freygang embarked on a tour titled ‘30 years Freygang – 30 years movement’ to commemorate their 30th anniversary.

Their founder of the band, André Greiner-Pohl succumbed to a heart attack on 15 December 2008 and a commemorative concert was held for him on the 16th of January 2009. The publically-owned TV channel MDR produced a program in ARTOUR about that occasion and the life of Andre.

In 2011 Freygang organized a successful benefit concert in Saalfeld for children in West Sahara refugee camps.

ARMADA FILM is currently working on a Freygang DVD which will be released in April 2013.

Thanks to the collaboration with the South African Blues Legend PIET BOTHA, the band is now looking forward to rock 2013 in Mocambique at the STRAB Festival and afterwards in South Africa, collaborating and performing with a host of progressive South African bands.

Since Andre’s death Freygang performs as FREYGANG BAND and their current line-up is:


Tatjana Besson    (Vocals, Bass, Flute, Accordion)
Egon Kenner    (Guitar, Vocals, Mandolin)
Brian Bosse    (Guitar, Vocals)
Maik Smolarczyk    (Percussion)
Andre Kick    (Bass, Keyboards)

Delia Müller (Managment)
Tomas Schulz (Roadie)



Der Bewaffnete Blues

Schneller, Höher, Weiter

Salem Aleikum Berlin

RGM (Weg Von Der Mitte)

Tanzlied Des Totenschiffes

Heimatfront

Mein Preis

Das Kartenhaus

Europa

Paradies

Piet Botha, was born in 1955 and shares his birth date of 18th July with Nelson Mandela. He began writing songs and forming bands while still at school and his first professional gig was as an acoustic duo in 1974 at a local drinking hole in Pretoria.

Piet Botha is the son of the former South African Minister of Foreign Affairs Pik Botha (not to be confused with P.W. Botha). Pik Botha who served during the last years of the apartheid era was considered to be a liberal, at least in comparison to others in the ruling National Party and among the Afrikaner community at the time.

From 1981 to 1983 Piet Botha was involved with Wildebeest which was one of the first bands to mix rock music with Afrikaans lyrics and recorded ‘Bossies’, a song about the South African / Angolan Border War, which was very much a no-no during those Apartheid times.

In 1984 he co-founded the Blues Rock group Jack Hammer which is more than just a band, it is a collective of musicians that has somehow survived the strange machinery that is the South African music industry and produced some sterling original albums over the years. Since their first performance the one constant factor in the band has been the man affectionately known as “Hammer”, Piet Botha.

During 1985, Piet Botha lived in Los Angeles, working construction, and other immigrant jobs by day, and writing and recording by night.

During the 1990’s Jack Hammer opened for Deep Purple and Uriah Heep on their “Masters of Rock” tour and were also privileged to be the supporting act for ZZ Top (one of Botha’s prime influences) on their South African tour.

During 1997 Botha was asked to write and record an Afrikaans album. The result was the all-Afrikaans ‘Suitcase Vol Winter’ album, which is considered a classic by many and a superb example of the groundbreaking Alternative Afrikaans genre.

In August 2003, another Afrikaans album, ‘Die Mamba’, was released and received much critical acclaim, including being voted the best album of 2003 by the influential SA Rock Digest e-mag.

Botha was one of the first musicians inducted into the SA Rock Hall Of Fame in January 2002.

In February 2005 a “Tribute To Piet Botha” gig was held in Pretoria to celebrate the music and life of Piet Botha. This whole day event included performances by many South African artists, all paying tribute to the influence, friendship and mentorship of this humble musician.

On the 6th May 2006 Piet Botha was awarded a South African Music Awards Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to South African music. He was also awarded a Prestige Award by the FAK in September 2006 for his contribution to the Afrikaans language.

In 2011 Botha appeared in the television series “Wie Lê Waar” (Who Lies Where) on the Afrikaans TV channel kykNET. In the programme he visits the graves of famous Afrikaner icons and tells about their lives. The series led indirectly to the recording and release of the very popular “Spookpsalms”, Botha’s first solo album in 8 years.

In 2012 Piet cemented his over two decades of friendship and brotherhood with the Akkedis band, by releasing a collaborative album under the name “The Lyzyrd Kyngs”. The name comes from a Jim Morrison poem, “The celebration of the Lizard King”. The weird spelling is a combination of ancient English and a serious reference to Lynyrd Skynyrd, a band that has been a source of inspiration for more than thirty years.

Piet Botha still tours and plays often. Sometimes solo or as duo, sometimes with Jack Hammer or The Lyzyrd Kyngs. He plays not only because his fans love to see him, but as John Lee Hooker sang  ”it’s in him and it got to come out”.

by Brian Currin, October 2012

Sarajevo (Jack Hammer)

Die Mamba (Piet Botha)

Mozambique (Jack Hammer)

Die Heks Is Dood (Piet Botha)

Children Of Africa (Lyzyrd Kyngs)

Unique multiligual song, recorded with the South African Blues-Rock legends Piet Botha, Akkedis and the German Freygang Band during their Black Sheep Rockonspiracy tour from Mozambique to Cape Town in June 2013 at the Peace of Eden studio in South Africa.

Das Lied von der Käuflichkeit des Menschen - The Song of Human Venality

The Black Sheep Rockonspiracy is the brainchild of East German-born Kilian Nestler, who made South Africa his home in 1994. He was previously involved in the semi-legal blues-rock East German underground as a fan, photographer, manager and creator of illegal anti-establishment merchandising. This lifestyle choice led to a 14 month prison term.

The band known currently as Freygang Band was formed in East Berlin in 1977 under the then oppressive socialist regime, as Freygang. The Blues euphoria in East Germany was reaching its peak at that time and the fans loved Freygang for their courage to freely express themselves. Progressive musicians and their fans had  to survive troublesome times, including arrests and performance bans. Freygang have kept their appeal to younger audiences, by becoming harder, even with a touch of punk, through the inclusion of musicians who used to be fans and by always being authentic.

Nestler found out that in apartheid South Africa, under somehow similar, but political opposite circumstances, musicians like Piet Botha, had to endure the same troubles as Freygang. Piet Botha, who celebrated a 30 year recording career in 2009, is regarded by many as a true soldier of the Rock ‘n’ Roll lifestyle and an inspiration to fans and fellow musicians alike. These two forces, against all odds, still live the true spirit of rock ‘n’ roll, and Nestler had the vision to make them known to each other.

A desire for freedom and a dislike of politics, is the common background from where Freygang and Piet Botha emerged, as Piet Botha once said ”…that’s why we got into rock ‘n’ roll … we wanted to change the system”.

Kilian Nestler met Piet Botha at a few gigs and the idea of the Black Sheep Rockonspiracy was born.

The STRAB Festival, which was started in 2003 and is held every year in previously war-torn Mozambique, became the anchor point for creating a cultural exchange. After STRAB Mozambique 2013, Freygang will tour South Africa, collaborating and performing with a host of progressive South African bands.

This unique exchange will be documented by ARMADA FILM from Germany, and there is also a joint recording session at the HOME GROWN MUSIC STUDIO planned. The final highlight of this collaboration will be at the MERCURY in Cape Town.

Besides playing together, there will be discussions regarding the way artists can contribute to a better understanding of different cultures, how to use art and music as a weapon against ignorance ( i.e. xenophobia, religious intolerance, etc.) and many more important issues of the day.

Piet Botha and Akkedis will travel to Germany in August 2013 to perform at Freygang’s own underground festival and a number of other gigs.

Thanks to the unselfish contribution of many good-meaning people, the project has started to take shape, and who knows what the future holds, but one thing is for sure, the spirit of Rock ‘n Roll is alive and well.

www.blacksheeprockonspiracy.com

Kilian: 083 434 6298, 044 343 2702, kikane@gmx.net

Black Sheep Rockonspiracy

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