Kai & Funky by Ton Steine Scherben feat. Birte VoltaMemories of a rebellious time
Is there a German rock band whose songs have hardly lost any of their relevance even after more than 50 years? Probably not many, but certainly one: "Ton Steine Scherben".
The band was founded in 1970 in West Berlin by R. P. S. Lanrue (real name Ralph Peter Steitz), Rio Reiser (real name Ralph Möbius), Kai Sichtermann and Wolfgang Seidel, who were all around 20 years old at the time.
After the early death of their singer Rio Reiser (†1996), the band returned to the stage in various formations in the new millennium.
Two original members still tour German-speaking countries today:
Kai Sichtermann (since 1970, bass) and drummer Funky K. Götzner (since 1974, now cajón).
Since April 2023 they have been playing together with singer/songwriter nomad Birte Volta (vocals, guitar).
Birte internalizes both the folk blues and the rock'n'roll that emerged from it with passion and poetry.
She draws on many years of road and stage experience at home and abroad, with her solo project and as a singer and guitarist in various formations of these genres.
The year 2025 was the 75th birthday of the late "Scherben" founding members Rio Reiser (vocals) and RPS Lanrue (guitar). The trio plays their concerts in special memory of these two songwriters and draws on their repertoire and that of the "Scherben", thus keeping alive the memories of a rebellious time:
The radicalism of the "Scherben", which was a lived everyday radicalism with values, heart and ideals!