Free spirits and party animals

1LIVE boss Schiwa Schlei on the anniversary of the year: 40 years of Die Toten Hosen 

The previous COSMO boss Schiwa Schlei took over the management of 1LIVE and COSMO on January 1, 2022 and thus the management of the broadband programs of WDR radio. Schlei spoke to radio presenter and DJ Mike Litt for the Visit Düsseldorf podcast "Alle Rhein" about the anniversary of the year: 40 years of Die Toten Hosen. And beforehand, Sven-André Dreyer asked the political and media scientist a few questions about her very personal relationship with the band, which has shaped Düsseldorf's musical landscape like no other. 

Dear Ms. Schlei, Düsseldorf and Die Toten Hosen inevitably belong together. Apart from Kraftwerk from the electronic music genre, there is hardly any other band that is so strongly associated with the city. And: every stone in Düsseldorf tells a story about Die Toten Hosen. Some even have two. Do you have any typical "Hosen places" in the city? 

The Ratinger Hof.In the first episode of the 1LIVE Toten Hosen podcast, we tell how Campino and Andreas Meurer discovered the Ratinger Hof as teenagers, how this club became a place of inspiration for them, where they experienced live concerts by older punks and immortalized themselves with graffiti. We also hear how they regularly rush out of the Ratinger Hof at 10 p.m. to catch the bus back to Mettmann and how the owner of the Hof at the time even gives them money for a cab home after they miss the last bus. 

Do you also have a personal connection to Ratinger Hof? 

In fact, I also experienced legendary nights in this very Ratinger Hof - albeit many, many years, actually decades later, when the Hof was still frequented by free spirits and party animals - as we say in the podcast - but the dance floor was dominated by techno and electronic sounds rather than punk. But one thing I experienced was exactly how Campino perceived the Ratinger Hof: "Age didn't matter. There were unwritten rules about which music and which outfits were stupid. ... And when you realized that you were there with passion and hair and understood the movement, then it didn't matter whether you were 16 or 20." 

From Tor 3 to the Arena - Die Toten Hosen have grown continuously and with them their venues in the city. Where have you seen the band live in Düsseldorf so far? 

I think a very special performance by the Toten Hosen was as part of the 1LIVE Thekenmeisterschaft - a betting game in which clubs from NRW could win a live performance by the band. Experiencing the energy with which such a successful band performs in front of a small audience really impressed me at the time.  

Between upheaval and tradition: punk can be both today, for example Die Toten Hosen remain true to their hometown to this day. Why do you think that is? 

Düsseldorf is worth living in because, on the one hand, it is a tranquil village and, on the other, it has all the opportunities of an international metropolis: from the great art scene to concerts or sporting events and a varied gastronomy scene. There is only one area where we could improve: club culture and affordable opportunities for young musicians and artists to develop. 

Pictures: 1LIVE, Thomas von der Heiden