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Rob’s Biography

…a life on the edge


1970

Born in Heidelberg


1978

Commencement classical studies on the Tuba at the Music School and at the Stadtkapelle in Wiesloch. Within the next 12 years several prizes in the competitions for Jugend Musiziert in the ratings for Ensemble and Solos. Concert tours in European countries, i.a. in England and Hungary.


1989

Member of the Ska-Band The Busters

The first and until today yearly Germany tours with the Ska Band The Busters in Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Dresden, Bremen, Freiburg, Heidelberg, Karlsruhe and many other cities.


1990

Instrument expansion with the Tenor-Trombone


1991

First participation as Trombone player on a professionell recording: The Busters Album “Dead or Alive”.

To date participation on more than 60 albums of national and international artists.

North America and Canada Tour with The Busters. 18 concerts in 21 days in large cities on the East Coast i.a. New York, Chicago, Washington, Boston and many more.


1992

Fellow-player the New Orleans style Brass Band Mardi Grad.bb founded in Mannheim. Worldpremiere in the “Alte Feuerwache Mannheim”.

America Tour The Busters on the West Coast in cities like Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix.


1993

Elected to take over The Busters management. Until 1998.

Invitation The Busters to Montreux-Jazzfestival in Switzerland. The exhilirating performance in the Miles Davis Hall appears as Live CD and Video with brilliant simultaneous filming and cuttings. Excerpts for viewing on YouTube.

First tour with Mardi Gras.bb in the pedestrian zones in Germany with concert highlights in Market Squares and Shopping Arcades in most well-known German towns.


1994

Preparation for the first Mardi Gras.bb Album in Bracchio, Nord Italy. Concert recording in Capital Mannheim. The Live-CD “Live im Capitol” resulted.

Further Studies: Jazz- and Popularmusic at the “Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Mannheim”, major subject Trombone by Adrian Mears.

First composition releasing with the life-affirming Titel “Life’s a bitch” on The Busters’ Album “Sexy Money”. To date over 50 compositions for national and international artists.


1995

Sony Music makes a contract with The Busters. This resulted in Media effective publication the Album “Stompede” wth TV appearances at The Harald Schmidt Show, VIVA Interaktiv, Live aus Alabama, Rockpalast, i.a.


1998

Diploma: Jazz- and Popularmusic, main instrument Trombone.

Tours with The Busters and Mardi Gras.bb through Europe in countries like Spain, Italy, Denmark, France at Festivals e.g. Roskilde, Sziget, i.a.

Summer Festival Tour The Busters as Support Band for Die Ärzte on over-large stages. The Busters Brass Section participated on Die Ärzte Live Album “Wir wollen nur Deine Seele”.

The first gold record.


1999

Release Mardi Gras.bb Kult Album “Alligatorsoup”, which was gloriously welcomed in France. Recording in the inspiring rooms of the Hazelwod Studios in Rödelheim under the direction of Gordon Friedrich. 7 Albums followed in the following years in the Hazelwood Studios and numerous Tours in e.g. France in almost all the most important cities Paris, Nantes, Bordeaux, Marseille, to name a few.


2000

Single The Busters featuring Farin Urlaub “Liebe macht blind” with Videoclip by VIVA and MTV.


2001

Fellow-player in Farin Urlaub Racing Team. Brass section recordings to the Solo Album “Endlich Urlaub” from Farin Urlaub (Die Ärzte) in Wiesloch.

Universal Jazz made a contract with Mardi Gras.bb. World tour in countries like Canada, Norway, Italy, Turkey with performances at famous Jazz Festivals i.a. Montreux-Jazzfestival, North Sea Jazz-Festival, Filmfestival Cannes, Istanbul Jazz, Perugia Jazz.


2002

After a short warming-up in Hamburgs Markthalle, the first Live Konzert with Farin Urlaub Racing Team at Rock am Ring with an audience of 50.000. This was followed up with an extended Club tour through Germany.

Engagement The Busters in Japan with Concerts in Tokyo and Osaka.


2005

Album “Live Album of Death”- Farin Urlaub Racing Team Tours in Germany, Austria, Schwitzerland. Concerts with the dedication song “Der Mann mit der Posaune” set new challenges and impressive moments at the taking-over of the solo front position on the stage.


2007

A very pleasant Tour in Germany with Singer Laith Al Deen.


2008

Participation on Laith Al Deen Album “Die Liebe zum Detail Special Edition”. A relaxed Summer Festival Tour.

Goethe-Institut-Concert-Journey to Tansania, Africa with Mardi Gras.bb.


2009

First time participation on the 16. Album of The Busters “Waking the dead” as Sound Engineer and Producer. Also as Composer for the Movie “Resiste-Aufstand der Praktikanten” from Jonas Grosch and Katharina Wackernagel.


2010

Germany-Tour The Busters with acoustic stage performances in diverse small cinemas in large cities. Framing for the Film Opening Nights of “Resiste-Aufstand der Praktikanten”.

For the time being, the last Album Mardi Gras.bb “Von Humboldt Picnic” and Germany-Tour.


2011

Producer workmanship for Jonas Groschs Film “Die letzte Lüge” with Katharina Wackernagel and Sebastian Schwarz. Presentations followed throughout Germany’s Cinema World with the Pocket Busters.

Invitation The Busters from the Band Desorden Publico to Venezuela with an extremely impressive performance on the “Plaza La Castellana” in Caracas for tausends of spectators. A 2-part gem documentation from Jonas Grosch worth-seeing on YouTube.


2012

Tour with Helene Fischer. 50 Concerts in 7 Provinces in Germany and in bordering European foreign countries. Documented on CD and DVD ”Nur für einen Tag – Live”


2013

Mardi Gras.bb, sensational Tour through Mexico with performances in Mexico City, Monclova Coahuila, i.a.


2014

Album Farin Urlaub Racing Team “Faszination Weltraum” with bizarre Release Tour in cities like Erfurt, Klagenfurt, Schweinfurt.

Album The Busters “Supersonic Eskalator” with Dr. Ring Ding aka Richie Jung as Busters Singer.


2015

Germany Tours and Summer Festivals i.a. Hurricane, Southside, Highfield, Das Fest with Farin Urlaub Racing Team. The Live Album and the DVD “Danger” resulted.


2016

Childrens’ Musical CD Production from Gerhard Meyers “Frido, kleiner Maulwurf großer Tag” for the Fidula Publishers.

Release Schramme 11 “Durch dick und dünn”. The Busters in a new role with German lyrics produced from Elephant Music. RTL TV-Marketing.

Simultaneously The Busters Live Album Ska Bang 87.


2017

Recording Trombone and Trumpet via Brass Recording for the Debut Single from Ex-Django3000 Bass Player and Singer Songwriter Michael Fenzl “Dea ma wos ma woin”. The resulting Video filming under full operation overnight paved the way for the legend.

The latest Busters Album with the discovery of Singer Joe Ibrahim brings fresh Wind.

A clap on the back for my Composition and Lyrics for the song “Ska is…” with Video Clip.


2019

Trombone Tracks for the Fenzl Album “Mit scharfm Zett” to the Song “Gfährlich Frau” via Brass Recording.

First Live Support of Fenzl with Tuba, Trombone and Farfisa Orgel at multiple Concerts in Bavarian Clubs and Festivals in the Summer.

Russkaja Album “No One Is Illegal” support with several Brass sets via Brass Recording

Gerhard Meyers Children’s Musical Production “UFO, kein Wunsch ist Schnuppe” for Fidula Publishers.

Invitation to Mexico and Columbia for The Busters’ Concerts in Bogota, Mexico City and Monterrey.

The Busters Album Number 17 “The Busters”.


2020

Best of Kirchenpop Brass via Brassrecording for the Song “Friedensnetz” produced from Dirk Schlag.


2021

First ecstatic concerts end of August with The Busters and Fenzl after a long break. Due to the worldwide Pandemic Live Performances were not possible.


2022

The Busters “Move” Tour through Germany and hopefully more concerts we had been used to in former times. ;-)


Bands
…with Rob