German Marching Techno Band Meute's International Fame Comes And Goes With Their Red Jackets
Thomas Berhorn has been a famous musician for the past eight years, but when he got tired of his fame, he took off his red jacket and resumed his normal life.
Berhorn is a founding member and trumpeter of the Hamburg-based techno band Meute, which will be at Womad in New Plymouth from March 17-19.
Over the past eight years, 11-piece band Red Jacket has become an international phenomenon, whose live shows never leave audiences.
"I think we're very famous, but without that red jacket, no one recognizes us. It's great," Berhorn said in a video call from Hamburg.
know more:
* A commuter cycle path is available at New Plymouth Pukekura Park.
* Omicron has canceled Womad NZ for the second consecutive year.
Die Meute Womad is one of the signature events of her return to Brookland Park, New Plymouth. They will play two sets, Friday night at the Bowl Stage and Saturday night at the Brooklands Stage.
Here's what you can expect. The band takes techno, house and deep house tracks from favorite DJs and complements them with electronic beats from orchestral instruments such as trumpet, saxophone, drums and sousaphone.
The music they create is similar to the march band and techno genres, with a completely new yet instantly recognizable sound.
Videos of their concerts and street performances posted on YouTube have millions of views, and most of the time the band looks like they're having as much fun as anyone.
"We're fun-loving people. But it's also about having fun and loving what we do. We have the opportunity to do what we love," Berhorn said.
Not everything is fun. The group's massive popularity recently led to them appearing as the house band in the dance club 1930s Netflix drama Babylon Berlin.
Promotional material for the fourth season episode shows the band in full swing, but this shot takes place hours later.
"Wait, wait, wait, then someone says 'act' and go, go," Berhorn said.
Despite their extensive touring schedule, which often covers dozens of countries a year, the members of Meowth will visit New Zealand for the first time.
"We are very interested in New Zealand because we have heard that it is a very beautiful country."
