Die Goldenen Zitronen

Die Goldenen Zitronen
Die Goldenen Zitronen live in 2013
Background information
Origin	Hamburg, Germany
Genres	Punk rock, jazz, new wave, avant-garde, hip hop, techno, electro
Years active	1984–present
Website	www.die-goldenen-zitronen.de
Members	Schorsch Kamerun Ted Gaier Julius Block Mense Reents Enno Palucca Stephan Rath Hans Platzgumer
Past members	Aldo Moro Ale Sexfeind Psycho 1

Die Goldenen Zitronen (English: The Golden Lemons) are a punk rock band from Hamburg, Germany that are known for their entertaining and politically relevant style. Their original name was Die Deutschen Nazikartoffeln (The German Nazi-potatoes). When the band formed in 1984 at the beginning of the “Fun-Punk”-movement, punk was their main style. They are considered a forerunner to the "Hamburger Schule." Over the years the band added more experimental musical forms, with which different styles were combined. Their lyrics are political and take a critical view of society from a left to left-radical perspective.

Founded in the 1980s, they have in recent years branched out from punk and created a more experimental style that combines several different forms of music. The band is also especially known for its chaotic live performances.

The founding members were Schorsch Kamerun (vocals), Ale Sexfeind (drums), Ted Gaier (bass, guitar), and Aldo Moro (guitar, bass). Initially they combined hard rock with 1970s-era punk and lyrics that were both angry, yet comedic and pop-like. The band rejected the traditional music industry, seeing themselves as a symbol of artistic independence not wanting to "serve the structures of rock" (Ted Gaier.) Of the founding members, only Schorsch Kamerun and Ted Gaier remain. The new members are Thomas Wenzel (Die Sterne) under the pseudonym Julius Block, keyboarder and drummer Mense Reents (Egoexpress, Stella), and Enno Paluca.

In 1986 Die Goldenen Zitronen courted initial attention with their single "Am Tag als Thomas Anders starb" ("on the day Thomas Anders died"). Their subsequent release, "Für Immer Punk," was a cult hit in the German punk scene, inspiring comparisons with bands such as Abwärts, Die Toten Hosen and Die Ärzte.

The band developed their style further with 1990s "Fuck You," in which they mock popular rock groups and protest against the tedium of daily life.

1994's "Das Bisschen Totschlag" saw a major musical transition, in which Zitronen mixed their usual power-rock style with elements of garage-trash, electro-beat, hip-hop and noise-pop. This trend of experimentation continued with 1996's "Economy Class," which was influenced by improvisational jazz.