History of the band ENDSTUFE
One day about 1981 decided 3 Teenagers from Bremen-Findorff to start a band.
On the record player they were listening to bands like UK Subs , Exploited , Sex Pistols , Sham 69, 4Skins, Skrewdriver etc and were regular guests at the punk concerts in Schlachthof (concert location).
It was no surprise when 3 of them LUTZ-Guitar , BRANDY-vocals & Bass, RALF- drums, also wanted to play this type of music. At first they rehearsed in the cellar of the block of flats ,where LUTZ lived, under the name H20. After the residents had enough of the noise, the band got the possibility to rehearse in the school classroom.
The band name changed regularly Zyklon, CTBF etc. When RALF two months later left the band JENS took over as drummer and he had an idea to call the band Endstufe.
ENDSTUFE was born!!!
The first concert soon followed. 1982 Endstufe played first time live in assembly hall of the school (Bremen-Findorff). Though the concert was stopped after 3 songs by the teachers.
At some point JENS left the band and FRANK joined. At first on bass and then on drums. During the year 1983 LUTZ left the band, BRANDY took over on guitar, HOLGI joined as singer, later on bass, after many bassists never worked out.
The first official cassette appeared in 1984 and was called GRUSS AN DEUTSCHLAND. This record was a big success and inspired the boys to continue.
Now they definitely wanted to play live! In 1985 came the chance: the fan project from Werder Bremen asked if Endstufe would like to play at the end of season party. They didn't have to ask twice. The concert was in a beer tent in Bremen - Neustadt. When Endstufe hit the stage the German skinheads (from Bremen and Ruhrpott) and the other visitors went crazy.
Endstufe ,encouraged through the big success of the cassette, now needed a record contract. At this time there was only one choice. It had to be Rock-o-Rama, who had also released the first Böhse Onkelz record. Although it was to take 2 years until the first Endstufe album saw the light of day in 1987 and it was called DER CLO...
The record exploded like a bomb, in many record shops it was sold out very fast. The success of Endstufe could not be stopped. Or? Then came 2 steps backwards: HOLGI and FRANK left the band, both had other responsibilities. Next came HERGEN (Drums) and LARS (Bass) to the band (in between FRANK rejoined the band for two konzerts in Nieheim and Mindelheim).
In 1990 the second Endstufe album appeared and was called SKINHEAD ROCK 'N'.......
Not long after LARS left the band and JENS came back again, but now on bass. In 1991 Endstufe released a split album with their friends VOLKSGEMURMEL (Endstufe / Volksgemurmel - ALLZEIT ...)
Then followed two gigs in Bremen, Rostock and everything was going well until HERGEN for personal reasons left the band. JÜRGEN took HERGEN's place for short while in 1993 and played on the album GLATZENPARTY.
After JÜRGEN came ARMIN. With him was recorded 3 albums SCHÜTZE DEINE KINDER (1994), DIE WELT GEHÖRTE UNS,(1995) and in 1996 DER TOD IST ÜBERALL .
When ARMIN left , FRANK returned. And the line up was: BRANDY- Vocal and Guitar , FRANK – Drums, JENS – Bass. Then followed a couple of songs on sample CDs and the albums LIVE MALLORCA 98 (the legendary concert after which the press started a hate campaign against Endstufe) and in 2000 MIT DEN JUNGS AUF TOUR.
2001 BRANDY and FRANK together with the band Kategorie C (in which Frank was also the drummer) made the CD ADRENALIN – BOOTBOYS BREMEN. Afterwards followed a big shock for the band - JENS left Endstufe. Not after any troubles, he just didn't' enjoyed anymore. In between he had completely left the Skinhead scene.
In 2002 the band welcomed MATZE on bass. At this point the band was very quiet because they had lost the rehearsal room and found it very hard to find a new one.
2003 Brandy played a Concert in Austria, supported by guest musicians, because MATZE and FRANK had no free time.
After 2 years rest the band found a new rehearsal room and started working again! On 21.5.2005 Endstufe played a concert in Brugge (Belgium). The gig was awesome.
During 2005 second guitarist KUCHEN joined the band. But it wasn't the last change in this year, Because FRANK had no more time for rehearsal and decided to put his whole energy in his other band. His place was taken by new drummer LÖH.
In 2006 to celebrate the 25 year Jubilee the new CD/LP FEUER FREI was released. As a concert in Belgium couldn't go ahead the band decided after 9 years to play again in Bremen. BRANDY and a Endstufe crew member decided as their birthday celebration the band would play on the 12.8.2006 . The concert went so well you can only dream about!!!
Exactly one month later KUCHEN left the band. Private problems forced him to throw in the towel. It was the big loss for the band but the show must go on.
Short time later CHRISTIAN appeared as the new guitarist.
With their friends LAST RIOT they decided to do something together. And the split CD/LP WIR SIND KEINE ENGEL with 6 new songs from each band came to the market in 2007.
The Band played gigs in Germany, Italy, Belgium, Brazil and Czech Republic.
In 2009 Endstufe realesed the CD LIVE (Wo wir sind brennt die Luft).
After 4 years break the wait was over. At last! The new studio CD/LP STEHT AUF was recorded in 2013.
In the following years some concerts followed and there were EP and single releases.
For example: 2017 HARTE REGELN Single
End of 2017 then came another highlight in the band's history:
2017: 35 JAHRE LIVE & LAUT CD / DOUBLE LP !!!!
Unfortunately, at the end of 2017, MATZE was leaving ENDSTUFE after 15 years.
We wish him all the best on his further musical journey !!
From the beginning of 2018 until the end of 2019, TOM joined the band as the new bassist.
Now SCHULZE is the new man on the bass since the end of 2019!
The line up is as follows:
JENS BRANDY - Vocals & Guitar
SCHULZE - Bass
CHRISTIAN - Guitar
LÖH - Drums
The loyalty of Endstufe to the Skinhead scene, Skinhead beliefs and Skinhead music is the reason of their continued success . The band story is now over 30 years old and shows no signs of ending.
So I will end here with the words
TO BE CONTINUED...