May 2000
Sportfreunde Stiller
Having a ball at being rock stars - soccer junkies
Kicking and Screaming
Soon, Flo, Rüde and Peter, better known as Sportfreunde Stiller, and even better known as southern Germany’s biggest pop sensation, will release their first album So wie einst Real Madrid. The story of this unusual Munich-based band began in 1997. The three enthusiastic local soccer fans (Peter roots for FC Bayern München, the others for 1860) discovered a love of punk and Brit pop, a marginal facility for guitar, bass and drums and a need to perform. “None of us can sing,” shares Peter, “so we all take turns behind the mike.” The trio gave itself a name, incorporating a tribute to their soccer club’s coach, Hans Stiller, and began to play at local venues “just for fun.” “We never meant to go professional,” says Rüde. But the athletes couldn’t escape fame. Munich concert promoter Marc Liebscher caught a live performance of the “sports friends” and, impressed by their talent, convinced them to record three EPs. The singles sold like gangbusters in Bavaria, that fact catching the eye of Universal Records executives. German producer Uwe Hoffmann signed on to launch the band’s first project. Sportfreunde Stiller will certainly reach its goal — with its mix of rock and ballads, So wie einst Real Madrid promises to score high points among German music fans.
