Udo Lindenberg has been performing with his band Panikorchester since 1973 – they have already celebrated their 50th anniversary together. The documentary “Udo Lindenberg & The Panikorchester – 50 Years of Rock’n’Roll in the Colorful Republic” shows how it all began with the group. It can be seen on arte on January 24th at 9:45 p.m. and can be found in the channel’s media library until July 22nd, 2025.
In addition to archive recordings showing the early years of Lindenberg and the orchestra, the musicians themselves also have their say. As did Lindenberg’s companions, such as Jan Delay, Adel Tawil and Peter Maffay.
From Münster through the “Colorful Republic”
It all started in Münster in 1973. In the Westphalian city, Udo Lindenberg, Steffi Stephan, Gottfried Böttger, Peter “Backi” Backhausen and Karl Allaut decide to form a band. Under the name “Udo Lindenberg & the Panikorchester” the quintet performs in local pubs and releases the album “Alles klar auf der Andrea Doria”. The group around Lindenberg suddenly became famous overnight – and shaped the wild 70s in Germany.
Of course, not everything always goes smoothly in the band’s 50-year history: orchestra members come and go, the long tours take their toll, and in the political upheavals of the ’80s and ’90s, Lindenberg and his musicians also had to reinvent themselves.
The documentary shows how they achieved this and how a small band from Münsterland developed into one of the most successful music groups in Germany.