The Böhsen Onkelz are a band that sang “Türken Raus” in the 1980s, but later distanced themselves from their earlier right-wing extremist stance. Youth researcher Klaus Farin had attested to the Frankfurt German rockers in 2017 that they had “fundamentally changed” and were no longer right-wing. Whenever ROLLING STONE publishes articles in which the Böhse Onkelz are even touched upon (even if only because their music is bad), there is a hail of angry comments on social media. Because we would definitely still consider the band to be right-wing. But this also shows that some bands have a hard time getting rid of their image. Because we didn’t claim that “the Onkelz” are still right-wing. But this accusation resonates in the comments directed against us.
It is perhaps remarkable how open “the Onkelz” are about their past. But some important details sometimes go unmentioned. The band published a commemorative post on Instagram called “England 🏴———————— 1985 (Part 1)”.
Böhse Onkelz on Instagram:
In it, the Böhse Onkelz report on connections they made in 1985 after a “skinhead festival” in Lübeck. Indecent Exposure, Kahlkopf and Die Hards also performed there – all bands with connections to the right-wing camp. Indecent Exposure is also mentioned by the Böhse Onkelz. However, the band’s ethos is not mentioned at all on Instagram. For this: “The band was thrilled. “A dream had come true” – because Indecent Exposure singer Steve invited the Böhse Onkelz to London.
What also remains unmentioned is what the… “Picture” knew to report on the performance. Singer Kevin Russell did not intone the intended “black-red-gold” on stage, but rather “black-white-red”. The color combination was widely used as a flag and is considered Characteristics of right-wing extremism. “Black-white-red” was also the flag of the German Empire. These colors can be found in the swastika flag. They can also be seen as the opposite of the democratic “black-red-gold”.
One could give the Böhse Onkelz credit for listing the gig on their homepage. They knew their audience, and from a Berlin gig shortly after Lübeck you write: “The Onkelz are playing for the last time in front of a purely bald audience, which now consists entirely of fascist bald people”.
The question is whether the band shouldn’t tell the entire story in postings about “Lübeck 1985” on social media. In other words, there are also fans who were perhaps not even born in 1985. For a band that sees itself as responsible for no longer recruiting right-wing fans, perhaps that’s not asking too much.