Der W
| Stephan Weidner | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Der W |
| Born |
29 May 1963  Alsfeld, Hesse
|
| Genres | Hard rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, bassist, producer |
| Instruments | E-Bass, vocals |
| Years active | 1980- |
| Labels | Rule23 Recordings |
| Associated acts |
Böhse Onkelz Nordend Antistars |
| Website | der-w.de |
Stephan Weidner (born 29 May 1963 in Alsfeld, Hesse), also known as Der W, is a musician and music producer. From 25 November 1980 until 18 June 2005 he was the bassist, songwriter and leader of the German hard-rock band Böhse Onkelz. Weidner was also a singer with Nordend Antistars, a collaboration with Sub7even singer Daniel Wirtz. In April 2008 Weidner's first solo album Schneller, Höher, Weidner was released.
Weidner was raised by his father Tex Weidner with two half brothers and two sisters in an impoverished family. Conflicts with a school principal resulted in Weidner being banned from school. His father then moved the family to Hösbach near Aschaffenburg in Bavaria. There Weidner first met the musicians (Kevin Russell and Peter "Pe" Schorowsky) who would later become the first line-up for Weidner's band, Böhse Onkelz. Weidner failed to graduate and subsequently did not pursue a career, instead taking a variety of odd-jobs including working as a bartender in a tavern connected to a brothel owned by Weidner's father.
Weidner was married and has one child. He currently lives in Dublin and Ibiza.
In 1980 the 17-year-old Weidner founded the band Böhse Onkelz ("bahd unclez") with Kevin Russell and Peter "Pe" Schorowsky. Weidner initially played electric guitar in the band. After Matthias "Gonzo" Röhr joined the band, Weidner moved to the bass. The band modeled itself as a punk band in the tradition of Slime or Abwärts. Stephan particularly felt a connection to the Oi!-Punk movement, but also to the original, non-political Skinhead- and Hooligan-movements that had come to Germany from England early in the 80s. This inspiration expressed itself in Weidner's songs with lyrics that often glorified violence and the use of force. Conflicts with local Turkish residents and the increasing right-wing shift of the Skinhead movement were reflected in the band's music, leading to xenophobic lyrics and the band's subsequent popularity with those movements.
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