The legendary cult band with the original singer Thomas "Monster" Schoppe Tom Wiehlgoh's music organization
In constant existence from 1967 to 1975, the Klaus Renft Combo (RENFT from 1974) from Leipzig was one of the first "beat bands" whose singers sang in German, and developed into one of the most famous and popular rock groups in the GDR. Always wild and unpredictable, RENFT became a legend when they were banned in 1975.
There is no doubt that RENFT is an East German cultural asset and lives on in the memories of many. Everyone in East Germany knows the band. No record collection is complete without their songs, still a beacon of hope for their ageing fans, stylistically independent of fashion and trends, their songs testify to indomitability and remind us of civil courage. The band RENFT achieved cult status in the GDR in the early 1970s, becoming a byword for opposition and rebellion against a state-imposed cultural doctrine. Under this pressure, a band was formed from 1971 to 1975 that was simply called RENFT. Their songs, multi-faceted, from folk and blues to ballads and rock, stormed the charts. No other band occupied so many top positions in the East German charts from 1971 (the first No. 1 was "Wer die Rose ehrt") to 1975. RENFT became a beacon of hope for an up-and-coming generation, creating a bridge for their integration into a society dominated by the socialist daily grind. Always wild and unpredictable, RENFT became a legend when they were banned in 1975.
Now that six former band members have died and two can no longer perform live for health reasons, lead singer Thomas "Monster" Schoppe is the last survivor of a band that was formative for the development of rock music in the GDR. Today, he is more aware than ever of the importance of the RENFT songs as cultural heritage. He is supported by two veterans of the GDR rock music scene: the popular guitarist Gisbert Pitti Piatkowski, ex-Puhdys bassist Peter Rasym since the beginning of 2020, and the young drummer Tobias Ridder, also since 2020.
In order to give the lyrical content of the songs even more expressiveness, but also to meet the atmospheric demands of theater and cabaret stages, the band deliberately chooses a musical-acoustic form of performance for most of their concerts, dispensing with some styles typical of rock music. This is visibly good for the ears of the musicians and the more mature fans, but still allows the brute force and the Renft-typical intensity to be recognized.
Of course, the good old RENFT songs such as Wer die Rose ehrt, Zwischen Liebe und Zorn, Apfeltraum, Gänselieschen, Nach der Schlacht or Als ich wie ein Vogel war will all be played. No longer with the original line-up, but still with outstanding musicians. Further information at: www.renft.de
Advance booking offices
Tourist Information Wismar
April to September daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
October to March daily from 10 am to 4 pm
Telephone: 03841 19433 (call at local rate)
E-mail: touristinfo@wismar.de
Eventim
Online order https://www.eventim.de/
Eventim order hotline: 01806-570070 (€0.20/call including VAT from all German networks) Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Box office
Admission begins one hour before the event. However, we kindly ask you to purchase tickets at the advance booking offices.
For marked children's and youth events, group orders for daycare centers, schools etc. can be made by telephone on 03841 32604-0.
Information on ticket sales and ticket prices
