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 would like to help "The Sound of Düsseldorf" get the distribution it deserves, even during the pandemic. As long as no concerts can take place, it is even 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 of all and thanks a lot for letting us play here! We played our first concert in 2005/2006. Unfortunately nobody of us knows that exactly. The gig took place about three weeks after we had founded our little band, at that time still under the name "Notaufnahme", and we had about three or four songs on it, which we played two or three times in a row. But the sound, and especially we, were so bad that probably no one noticed and everyone celebrated it anyway. By the way, 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 let us go.  

And where is your last one?
We played our last show in Düsseldorf on December 07, 2019 at the sold-out Stahlwerk. It was the biggest and most spectacular ROGERS show we ever had the pleasure to play and probably the biggest thing we could experience together for band, crew and fans! Home shows have become a very special, intimate and party-filled event for us. Many friends from all over the country and neighboring countries, or even from far away, which we have met on tour or privately, come together here once again and celebrate a wild party!

Which song do you listen to when you feel homesick for Düsseldorf?
Puh, difficult question! I think if you are, especially in such situations like homesickness, already emotionally very sensitive, it can also simply be the song that just comes out of your headphones at that moment. But let's look at it another way: If you drive after a long tour or a consumed festival weekend back over the Rheinkniebrücke back to the city and from the tour bus box 'The Boys are back in Town' booms, that is already very cool!

Which Düsseldorf band should you build a statue to?
None. I think bands and generally "loud" artists build their statues by their work quasi themselves. Through studio recordings, music videos, merchandise items 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, unfortunately passed away and there are many residents who would like to put a monument to her. This in turn I would completely support because I too knew the witch as a small child, she brought joy to many, many people and unlike, for example, a musician there will not be nearly as many material mementos of her. In addition, she seemed to be simply satisfied with the 'little' she had and has walked her life the way she wanted, which in retrospect has touched me very much and I'm glad that there are still such people. 

Where else in Düsseldorf would you like to play?
After almost 14 years of band history, I think we have played on every stage in the city. From Haus Spilles to the Arena, pretty much everything has been there! What we are still missing in any case is the Philipshalle - but we will certainly tackle that soon!

For more on the Rogers, click here.

Listen now:

The curator

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

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

The Sound of Düsseldorf

Influential and successful pop music has always been created in Düsseldorf. Everything about "The Sound of Düsseldorf" can be found here.