Düsseldorf Now: The current music scene as a mixtape

#4: Rogers

Düsseldorf has a lively music scene. If you want to get an up-to-date overview, check out our Spotify playlist "TSOD Mixtape" - curated by Julian Janisch from the concert agency KKT.

Every week we present an artist or band from the playlist. In this way, we want to help ensure that "The Sound of Düsseldorf" gets the distribution it deserves during the pandemic. As long as no concerts can take place, it is all the more difficult for new artists to find an audience. Support your favorite local bands now. Play it loud for your neighborhood! Here is the profile of the Rogers:

Where in Düsseldorf did you play your last concert?
Hello first and thank you for letting us play here! We played our first concert in 2005/2006. Unfortunately none of us can remember exactly. In any case, the gig took place about three weeks after we had founded our little band, which was still called "Notaufnahme" back then, and we had three or four songs that we played two or three times in a row. But the sound, and especially us, were so bad that nobody noticed and everyone celebrated anyway. Incidentally, the location was our first small rehearsal room in the basement of the Schlosskirche in Eller and was packed with 20 people. And as you can see today, this fever has never left us.  

And where was your last one?
We played our last show in Düsseldorf on December 7, 2019 at the sold-out Stahlwerk. It was the biggest and most spectacular ROGERS show we've ever played and was probably the biggest thing we've ever experienced together as a band, crew and fans! Home games have developed into a very special, intimate and very party-filled event for us. Many friends from all over the country and neighboring countries, or even from far away, whom we have met on tour or privately, come together here once again and celebrate a wild party!

What song do you listen to when you're homesick for Düsseldorf?
Phew, difficult question! I think if you're already very emotionally sensitive, especially in situations like homesickness, it can also just be the song that's coming out of your headphones at that moment. But let's look at it another way: When you drive back over the Rheinkniebrücke bridge into the city after a long tour or a long festival weekend and 'The Boys are back in Town' is blaring out of the tour bus speakers, that's really cool!

Which Düsseldorf band should you build a statue of?
None. I think bands and generally "loud" artists build their own statues through their work. Through studio recordings, music videos, merchandise etc. there are thousands of memorabilia. A few days ago I read in the newspaper that Angelika Tampie, who many Düsseldorfers knew as the disguised witch 'Angela Spook' on the Kö, has sadly passed away and there are many locals who would like to erect a monument to her. I would fully support this because I also knew the witch as a small child, she brought joy to many, many people and, unlike a musician, for example, there won't be nearly as many material mementos of her. In addition, she seemed to have simply been content with the 'little' she had and went about her life the way she wanted to, which in retrospect really touched me and I am glad that people like her still exist. 

Where else would you like to play in Düsseldorf?
After almost 14 years of band history, I think we've already played every playable stage in the city. From Haus Spilles to the Arena, we've played pretty much everything! What we're definitely still missing is the Philipshalle - but we'll definitely tackle that soon!

You can find out more about the Rogers here.

Listen now:

The curator

Julian Janisch observes the Düsseldorf music scene for Visit Düsseldorf and curates the Spotify playlist "TSOD Mixtape". The 33-year-old has worked in Düsseldorf for many years as a concert organizer and booker for the FFT, Zakk and New Fall Festival as well as for the Department of Culture. Since 2018/19, he has been working for the Berlin concert agency KKT, which is part of the Toten Hosen record company. He looks after bands such as the Donots and Kavka and works on tour planning for Die Toten Hosen and Die Ärzte.

Cover picture: © Artur Freund
Julian Janisch: © Thomas Tiefseetaucher

The Sound of Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf has repeatedly produced influential and successful pop music. Everything about "The Sound of Düsseldorf" can be found here.