BÖHSE ONKELZ: We Are Not Nazi Sympathizers

June 3, 2003

BÖHSE ONKELZ, the popular German punk band once outlawed for their allegedly hate-filled, neo-Nazi lyrics, have issued a statement renouncing any connection between them and any neo-Nazi organizations or ideas.

The band — whose name is a deliberate German misspelling of "Evil Uncles" — are scheduled to open for the ROLLING STONES on Aug. 8 in Hanover.

The Evil Uncles have repeatedly "renounced" their links to the far right, but there are fears that the songs that propelled them to dubious glory in the underground Hitler-worshipping scene will tarnish the STONES' image.

The group's latest statement, issued through their management company, B.O. Management AG, on Monday (June 2) reads as follows:

"Dear Sirs

"We have renounced in the past and today again we renounce any connection between the group and any neo-Nazi organizations or ideas.

"The song 'Turks Out', as heavy as it is, was written in 1980 when we were 16 and 17 years old and had just formed our punk band BÖHSE ONKELZ. It was written to provoke our Turkish 'enemies' in the streets of Frankfurt suburbia and was never meant to be a fascist song. The song 'SS-Staat' was written in 1982 and despite it¹s title it has always been an anti-Nazi song and has always been quoted wrong. It seems that the media likes to quote the song 'SS-Staat' not only in the wrong time context but also leave out the hookline on purpose: 'SS a state within the state, could this ever happen again? SS a state within the state, we never want to see this happen again."

"These songs have never been released on vinyl or compact disc. In fact they were recorded on a private tape that has been bootlegged up to this day and that most critics have never heard, and yet again we would like to dissociate ourselves from any of these movements.

"Also have these songs never been a part of our repertoire during our short period as a skinhead band from 1984 to 1985. We cut all our ties to the German skinhead scene by the end of 1985, when the scene got infiltrated by right wing politics.

"Since 1986 we performed numerous shows for the victims of right wing violence, staged and hosted anti-violence gigs and continue to do so. Our fans know exactly where we stand and there is a lot of song material and media coverage to prove that."

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