Every band claims to be something special – would be nice, if it were so. In case of Tanzwut, there is no doubt about it. The Berliners are a real anomaly. What kind of band can maintain to have the Devil {Teufel} in their line up? Here, he acts as a singer, fun-maker, charmer, and occasionally as a provoker. At the same time Teufel is a man like you and I. He has good and bad moods, likes funny jokes, hates show-offs and people who talk stupid stuff, and he loves wine, women, and above all singing. Concerning Satanism, he can only shake his head against it. He has better things to do. Finally, he is a member of Tanzwut.
The men from Prenzlauer Berg carefully chose their name, which originates from medieval times. Between 1348 and 1351, the plague raged through Europe. The touring minstrels carried the news of the threatening catastrophe from city to city. In view of the approaching Armageddon, they advised the people to plunge into the intoxication of dancing. Hundreds of people followed this invitation, sold their possessions and property and enjoyed themselves in the here and now. „70% of them were women, which must have been a heavenly situation„ supposes Castus, who is responsible for bagpipe playing for Tanzwut.
Back to the present, dancing masses are well known to the sworn in seven. >From their stage, they have experienced hyperventilating teenage girls, headbangers, who roll in the mud and heated masses of fans, which the bully security guards allow to fly threw the air. Not seldom delighted female followers throw up their underwear to stage. These assembled trophies remain for viewing, hanging over the door to their rehearsal room. „For us, as musicians, this kind of ecstasy is very important“, tells Bass player Wim.
Music
Three studioalbums have been released during the last years. In 2004 the first live-CD and the band’s first DVD was released. Now the band is working in thier new studio album wich should be in stores April 2006.
While the debut-album „Tanzwut“ (1999) and its follow-up „Labyrinth der Sinne“ (Labyrinth of Sense) (2000) combined the genres of electro, rock, and middle ages, the motto for the following CDs is: Everything goes.
That is how Songs like „Fatue“ developed. „Fatue“ combines Beethoven’s fifth, the „Vagantenbeichte“ from the „Carmina Burana“ and a text from Hildegard von Bingen with crashing trash metal.
Tanzwut has already shown classical influences before, when they married a bagpipe version of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” with Mephisto-quotes from Goethe’s “Faust”. Up till now, this song has been the climax of their show. Because of it, they have made friends at home and on the road in other European countries.
Their shows are full of energy concerning the music on the one hand and other show elements on the other. Lightshow, stage design and choreography are perfectly elaborated. The stage outfit which was designed and made by the musicians themselves is another interesting aspect of their performances. During the tour in 2003 the show was maintained by video projections, which a video artist specially made for the Tanzwut-show. The musicians are addicted to the streets. Along with Tanzwut, the seven members also perform as Corvus Corax, where bagpipes and percussion instruments dominate in their songs based on historical notation and old languages.
Line Up
Castus and Ardor vom Venushügel play the unique bagpipes, Wim plucks the bass, Patrick is a young expert is on the six-string, on drums there is Norri, also a top of the line drummer, who has already played with such bands as Depressive Age and Dance or Die, Hatz operates at drumpads and percussion and Teufel has the microphone tight in his hands.
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