Interview with Eisenpimmel

EISENPIMMEL (in English: IRON DICK) is a German Punk Rock band coming from the cultural heart of Germany and the magnificent town of Duisburg (the home town of DIE TOTEN HOSEN). The diversified band is composed by five charming gentleman and one gentlewoman and is right now working on an ambitious Rock Opera project that may make you forget about bands such as AYREON, QUEEN and TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA – or maybe not. I’ve contacted singer and band leader Siggi Katlewski who told me more about the first thir(s)ty years of EISENPIMMEL and what is yet to come.

 

 

EISENPIMMEL are very thirsty from time to time

 

Sebastian Kluth: “Hello there and greetings to the Ruhrpott! Please introduce yourselves to our readers from all around the world.”

Siggi Katlewski: “I am Siggi. I’m introducing myself. The other five members aren’t here right now. They won’t introduce themselves. And I wouldn’t like them to be here anyway. You know, private sphere is very important to me: having a wank alone at home, reading a book with pictures and other stuff in it, eating some tuna out of a can on my own. You get what I mean? With five other guys on the same couch, I can’t do these things.”

Sebastian Kluth: “There are unspecific rumours that at some point someone in West Germany wanted to exchange your band for the East Germany based band DIE PUHDYS or maybe not. Why is EISENPIMMEL so popular and what’s the essence of your band?”

Siggi Katlewski: “We are a six-piece Rock band with seven band members. The name came rather spontaneously and is definitely inspired by the zeitgeist of the eighties.”

Sebastian Kluth: “What is so great about the Ruhrpott and your hometown Duisburg?”

Siggi Katlewski: “People here are grounded and rents are still payable. There is a lot of unemployment; we have many beautiful landfills and the Rhine-Herne Canal. Now, let’s talk about the negative things. I dislike the structural changes and downtown architecture. I mean, we have to pay attention because it could happen that Duisburg might one day look like Düsseldorf and if this happens people will rather head directly for Hanover.”

Sebastian Kluth: “What are you guys doing if you aren’t creating profound artistic compositions for EISENPIMMEL?”

Siggi Katlewski: “Plenty of stuff. Wolle and Mütze are social workers. Karl has some sort of computer, you know? Addi is a concert organizer. Bobo makes his driver’s license. Bärbel and me are sole traders without getting any subventions. We are also working on creative merchandise products for EISENPIMMEL such as coasters or penis warmers.”

 

The band's legendary penis warmers 

 

Sebastian Kluth: “Are some of you guys also active in other bands?”

Siggi Katlewski: “Yes, some of us are and were active in bands such as 2^nd DISTRICT, DIE JAMMERLAPPEN, HASS, RENT A COW, SLIME, TELEMARK and UPRIGHT CITIZENS. I’m tired of listening up all of them but these are the irrelevant essentials.”

Sebastian Kluth: “What are your musical inspirations?”

Siggi Katlewski: “We are open for all influences apart of the negative ones. Seriously, inspirations don’t only come from pizza or beer, it can be Samba or Blues Rock, movies made by Billy Crystal or a cute Border Collie. I mean, okay, that last thing hasn’t to do anything with music but so do I.”

 

EISENPIMMEL are always inspired: the special edition of their latest record includes coasters, pizza advertisements and a TV guide

 

Sebastian Kluth: “How comes you write and play songs from so many genres like Blues Rock, Rockabilly or Schlager?”

Siggi Katlewski: “Musical diversity is a good measure to avoid perspiration. It’s more relaxed to play a completely stupid Carneval song about penises than forty straight German Punk anthems. It’s a question of physical strength and condition, I guess.”

 

 

The cover artwork of one of the band's most famous releases: "Komm mal lecker unten bei mich bei" with smash hits like "Salmonellenpogo", "Ich halt den Männern die Stange" and "Staat hau ab"

 

Sebastian Kluth: “Your band employs female and male vocals. How do you decide who sings what or if Bärbel and you perform together?”

Siggi Katlewski: “It’s all about female intuition versus male stubbornness.”

Sebastian Kluth: “Your Ruhrpott accent gives your songs a very special charm. Who had the idea to sing that way and what do people from other places around the world think about it?”

Siggi Katlewski: “We are singing the way we are talking. Well, almost. When we’re talking in our everyday lives, most sentences don’t rime but besides that fact it’s exactly the way I told you. Does that answer your question, Sebastian? Well and honestly said, sometimes I could laugh about my own stupid accent. Most of the time I’m the only one who laughs though and that’s why I need to drink so much beer to calm down and change my mind. I don’t know what other people think about it. Our fans drink too much beer and forget about their anger or they are just screaming around and talking nonsense. It’s quite hard to find someone with whom you could talk about serious topics like the elections of the bird of the year.”

Sebastian Kluth: “When you were younger, your band didn’t give many concerts. There were even other bands that have played under the banner of EISENPIMMEL but since the last few years, things have changed and you happen to perform a lot more than before. How comes that?”

Siggi Katlewski: “In the eighties, we were lazier than we are today. When you are in your mid-twenties, the only things you care about are drinking beer and having sex. That’s why it made sense for us to encourage numerous other bands to play under our name. We had a lot less to do that way. But when you’re getting older you start reflecting on the things you have done and on those that are yet to come, you know and you begin to have so many doubts about yourself. It’s great to be on stage and get the confirmation that nobody wants to listen to you because it proves you that everything you have done in your mid-twenties has turned out to be right and justified.”

 

Many bands played under the banner of and paid tribute to EISENPIMMEL on this sampler: ALI MINIUM UND DIE GLEITPLANKEN, DIE KUPFERBERGER NULLENSCHRUBBER, SILBERGURKE SPEZIAL, STAHLSCHWANZ, VULVA VON VORNE...

 

Sebastian Kluth: “On the internet, you are giving some updates of an ambitious Rock Opera project you are working on. Don’t you think that your fans might think you are becoming too bourgeois and that you only want to cash in and assimilate to mainstream tendencies?”

Siggi Katlewski: “Nothing is less mainstream than a Rock Opera project. Well, at least the kind of Rock Opera we are working on. And we really don’t have that many fans and that’s why we don’t care about things people say that don’t even exist.”

Sebastian Kluth: “What’s the current status of your project?”

Siggi Katlewski: “We have written something around thirty songs and some more will be done quite soon. I guess our new album could see the light of day in spring or summer 2014. Maybe we are going to release a trilogy. It depends if megalomania will finally get the status of a recognized disease next year.”

Sebastian Kluth: “What are EISENPIMMEL’s projects after this ambitious release?”

Siggi Katlewski: “We just want to take a break from all that shit.”

Sebastian Kluth: “Thanks for the interview. The final words to our readers are yours!”

 

Siggi Katlewski: “If you want to understand the essence of Punk, you need to listen to Hip Hop.”