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@ 1986 W Germany Pressing

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1986 - the first TRUST (The Punk Magazine In W Germany) appears. The German hardcore scene is still in its infancy. Some of you will remember vividly and not be able to suppress a few sentimental tears, for others the seriousness of life had not even begun.

One of the better known bands back then was TU DO HOSPITAL. In the first TRUST there was some kind of report about that. 15 years later I ask Winni, who was then singing at TU DO HOSPITAL, about his memories of then and what his life looks like now….

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Hi, first introduce yourself, what's your name? how old are you? What are you doing?

Winni: Hi - I'm Winni, on this planet for 34 years, currently in San Francisco, California, where I work as a graphic designer.

Winni, you used to sing at TU DO HOSPITAL. in the first TRUST there was a report about you and 2 concerts that you played in leutkirch and linz. that was 15 years ago. what memories do you still associate with the band and the “scene” in germany back then?

Winni: I found the scene very exciting at the time. The whole punk rock history seemed to be changing and a lot of new people came into the scene who were very active and redefined punk rock.

I think a lot of kids came along who were very influenced by the US hardcore scene and that brought new momentum to the movement. Suddenly you saw a lot of new people at the concerts who didn't care how “punk” they looked or whether they were laughed at when they went around with their skateboards.

This may all be a very personal experience, but around the mid-80s there was suddenly a lot going on. Many new bands & zines started, more concerts were organized and all of a sudden there was a network across Germany and other countries that made it possible for bands like ours to play everywhere.

At concerts you often met the same people who were very active, whether it was a cow village in Holland or Kreuzberg - at that time you traveled huge distances to see bands and a lot of people in bands were also involved in organizing concerts and wrote for zines. I think to myself that that has not necessarily changed today, only the “scene” is probably much bigger and more professional today compared to back then.

To stay a bit in the past: TU DO HOSPITAL was a band with very personal lyrics that were probably written by you. “You think you know me, but that's not true. you see my clothes and hear what i say, but what i feel is hidden inside me from you. my thoughts change very often, because i'm learning new things every day, but you have this picture of me and you think i'm still like that ”(from“ wrong image ”). what do you think of your old texts today? and to stick with the wrong image, what kind of person is winni wintermeier today?

Winni: I haven't looked back at the old lyrics for a long time and can no longer find the old record to read it all over again. I can still remember a few fragments and I think that many of the things I wrote back then seem a little naive today. On the other hand, much of it is still valid today and some thoughts have not necessarily changed. I can't even describe in a few words what kind of person I am today.

I could try to describe my personality, but it will probably sound like some sappy personal ad. Who I am and what I do in this world is a question that I continue to research with great interest and which may never be able to answer. This is partly reflected in the old texts.

In retrospect, what significance did the band have in your life? why and how did you break up?

Winni: At that time the band was already an important part of my life. As a result, I have had relevant experiences and met many people who have also shaped my life. We broke up because of musical and personal differences without much drama. We just got to a point where it wouldn't have been easy to continue as a band.

And does it still matter today? are you still in contact with your bandmates? do you even have contact with anyone “from the past”?

Winni: It hasn't lost its meaning, but looking back it was just one of the many important experiences I've had in my life. I lost contact with my old colleagues, but recently a friend sent me a CD from the Carnival of Souls, the band from Achim, the old guitarist.

You now live in san francisco and run the one-man company 3AM (www.3am.net). how did your move come about?

Winni: Boredom drove me to San Francisco in 1992. I had studied photography in Germany for two years and that didn't really help me. I just couldn't imagine going through this for 2-3 years. I had visited San Francisco several times and had become a kind of second home.

I knew a lot of people who do interesting things and there was a lot going on in terms of culture. For me it was very inspiring to take the big leap to concentrate on the things that interest me (music, photography, design, art, etc ...)

Do you see a connection between the punk / hardcore ideals that you also promoted in your texts for TU DO HOSPITAL and what you are doing now? “It's ok if you don't like our music because we don't play what you want to hear. if you don't like the things we sing about, listen and try to understand us. I don't mind if you don't like our music. we put our energy into it and like to play it ”(from“ our music ”)“ i feel young and strong, full of energy. I know how to use my strength, I won't hide it. i live to be creative and not to waste my time. I know there is an end, but I'm not afraid of dying. "(from" 1-2-tu-do ")

Winni: Partly yes, I'm a little “punk rock damaged”. I still have many ideals from earlier times that are reflected in my work. With “3 am” I work on a lot of record covers for various small indie / punk rock labels or just for friends for little money.

These are often projects that are very non-commercial and where no one earns anything materially. On the other hand, I also do a lot of things for bands that call themselves punk, but are basically nothing more than any other rock band that want to be popular and successful.

I often have to make compromises so that I can pay my rent. To get to the quotes - I sometimes wish I had the same energy again that I had at the young age of 18 - my body can no longer keep up with what I plan to do in my head, ha, Ha.

With 3AM you do some graphics / layout things for various punk / hardcore things. how did this collaboration come about?

Winni: A friend of mine was working at a small punk label that had just released two records and needed a graphic designer for their new projects. Back then I had designed a couple of CD covers in Germany that I showed them and all of a sudden I got a lot of work.

The label (Fat Wreck Chords) then grew quite quickly and other labels (Hopeless, Side 1, etc ...) saw my stuff and suddenly it became my full-time job. It was quite hectic because I had to teach myself everything and I had hardly any idea how to use a computer.

Can you live on 3AM?

Winni: So far I've been able to make ends meet, but right now I have to look around a little for new work. The budget for a lot of record covers is quite small and for the last two years I have often helped out with a hi-tech magazine that paid me quite well, but they are just going down the drain.

San Francisco has become very expensive and the new internet economy has almost completely destroyed the city, which has made it very difficult for many people to survive here. At the moment I would like to concentrate more on my photography, because I don't feel like sitting in front of the computer all the time.

Do you actually see your work as political? do you try to make certain statements in what you do? or is that more "art for art`s sake"?

Winni: My graphic arts less, although I often work for bands that are politically oriented in their lyrics. Some of my photos are more political because I am interested in documenting the influence people have on their environment. That suggests more in the direction of photojournalism and as an artist I wouldn't necessarily describe myself because this term is not important to me.

I think that with 3am I will try to create a free space in which I can work for people who have similar points of view and who work outside the big system and that is politically motivated.

what motivates you these days?

Winni: The urge to explore life. I find inspiration for this everywhere, whether it's music, art, literature or the old man sitting around the corner in my café.

What will you do if we repeat this interview in 15 years?

Winni: I don't know - I still haven't decided on a big plan for the future. I'll be able to tell you that in 15 years.