Ausradiert

The story so far: in the late 1970s, a new four-piece band emerges, taking their name from a self-adhesiveplaster with a non-stick wound pad: Hans-A-Plast. The group’s ranks are soon bolstered by a fifth Beatle — orshould we say a fifth plaster — Annette, allowing drummer Bettina to focus exclusively on her drum kit. »Noneof the new bands can match Annette for sheer energy, she can sing you into submission,« Alfred Hilsbergannounces in Sounds magazine. The band go on to win the newcomers of the year poll, as voted by the musicpaper’s readers. They play gigs when and where they can get them: an anti-fascist festival in Berlin, theWuppertaler Schuppen Börse, Hamburg’s »Into The Future« festival; before long they are ready to record abaker’s dozen of songs in their home town of Hanover. It takes them less than a week, including the mix.When the music industry comes calling, Hans-A-Plast keep them at bay with outrageous demands. Releasedin true DIY fashion on »No Fun«, the label founded by the band for this very purpose, the eponymous debutalbum features cover art by cartoonist Uli Stein. A thousand sales would see them break even, but before thenew decade begins, they sell ten times that amount. The 2nd No Fun Festival attracts a crowd of 2,000.Things are happening so fast. Rockpalast records a legendary gig for television broadcast in 1980. »Rockpalast a guest of Hans-A-Plast,« the young punk singer shouts into the microphone to open the show.