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Down The Years // |
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The Year 2002
Auswärtsspiel-Cover
In January, "Auswärtsspiel" (away match) was released, the 16th album in the band's 20-year history, and immediately entered the German charts at # 1. This record helped the band define their position. The lyrics contained looks "into the rear-view mirror" ("Mein Leben war 'ne Schlampe" - my life was a bitch) as well as glimpses into the future ("Was zählt" - what counts). In February, the Hosen released their second single, "Kein Alkohol (ist auch keine Lösung)!" (No alcohol is no solution, either). The German music magazine Rolling Stone devoted a cover story to the band and their label JKP, entitled "Im Headquarter der Toten Hosen" (In the Toten Hosen headquarters). In the article, the author stated that "some of the songs are among the best - and roughest - tracks ever recorded by the band".
Rolling Stone-Cover
The "Auswärtsspiel-Tour" began with two sold-out home games in Düsseldorf, held in the midst of Carnival. Spring ("die erste Halbzeit" - the first half) was spent in full venues in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Says Breiti: "Everyone was really looking forward to playing live again. After all, that is still the main reason why one should want to be in a band." In the meantime, two more singles were released: in April, "Steh auf, wenn du am Boden bist" (get up when you are down), followed in July by "Nur zu Besuch" (only visiting).
Live at the "Heimspiel"
During the summer, the band played festivals in Finland, Hungary and Poland as well as fitting in the so-called "Last Minute"-Tour, which brought the band to the tourists' hot spots of the German republic: they were set for the Zugspitze in the Alps (the highest show of the year), Rottweil (women only!), Sylt and Helgoland. Breiti: "I fondly remember the beach party in Sylt which we organised for those people who couldn't get away from the island anymore after the show." In September, the Hosen invited fans and friends to a barbecue party weekend on the Loreley rock - and of course all those bands joined who had played with them on that year's tour. Campino: "Andi and I just set off one night and strolled along the camp site, heading for wherever a fire was still burning. It even happened that we went for a pee and couldn't find our way back again..."
Barbeque-Party Poster
The band's 20-year jubilee festivity was rounded off with three further releases: ten years after "Reich & Sexy" (rich & sexy), the band's legendary first best-of-album, "Reich & Sexy II - Die fetten Jahre" (the fat years) appeared in November. The cover photo was taken by Düsseldorf's artist photographer Andreas Gursky and his wife Nina Pohl, showing the band in nude together with 80 equally nude models. October had already seen the first single release, ("Frauen dieser Welt" - women of this world), once more written in co-operation with the band's old mate Funny van Dannen.
Reich & Sexy II
Simultaneously with the best-of album, the Toten Hosen also released the DVD "Reich & Sexy II - Die fetten Jahre," featuring 28 video clips covering the years 1982 to 2002. The illustrated book "Ewig währt am längsten - DTH in Farbe und Schwarz-Weiß" (eternal lasts longest - DTH in colour and black & white) was a dip into the photo box of the band's history, a king of art catalogue complementing the jubilee exhibition that never was, "20 Jahre Die Toten Hosen". Because if you wanted to take a good look at the Toten Hosen, there was still no reason to flock into any museums: all it needed was to go to one of their shows and get in front of the stage. In November, the band played two concerts in Buenos Aires, proving that in spite of or even because of the reigning economical crisis, they wanted to play in their second home.
"Ewig währt am längsten"
Until the end of the year, the tour was continued in Germany and Switzerland ("die zweite Halbzeit" - the second half). All in all, an audience of over half a million people will have seen the Toten Hosen live during the year 2002. It looked as if "Auswärtsspiel" was going to be the most successful tour ever for the band. |
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