Now to an important band that always inspires me and whose music is way ahead of other bands even after so many years. The music of the Neurotic Arseholes offers predominantly melodic punk with frequent changes in tempo, routine breaks, harmonious guitar solos and the varied mix of styles prove the high musical quality of the talented four. The predominantly subtle political texts are partly German, partly English. The band was founded 1979 in Minden by bassist "Zahni" and guitarist "Kurt", who were inspired by John Peel's program Rock Today. The two had already released a punk fanzine in their home area. In 1980 singer Dierk (“Zombie”) and drummer “Der Kurze” joined the founders (Der Kurze got his pseudonym because he was fourteen years old when he joined the band, and thus about four years younger than his bandmates) and their first appearance took place 1981 in a youth center in Minden. Also in 1981, the quartet received a record contract with Karl-Ulrich Walterbach's label Aggressive Rockproduktionen, whereupon three pieces were recorded in Berlin in one day and published on the essential album Soundtracks Zum Untergang 2. A year later three tracks followed on the Underground Hits compilation and in 1983 the band's first LP, ...Bis Zum Bitteren Ende, was finally released. However, after the album production the collaboration between the band and Walterbach ended, as his label, now Noise International, began to concentrate on the production of metal bands in the mid 80s.
In 1984 they therefore switched to the Hamburg label Weird System, which initially released two new tracks on the brilliant Keine Experimente! Vol.II record before the second album Angst comes in 1985. Despite enthusiastic reviews, there were differences within the band, which therefore decided to break up and gave their official farewell concert on January 25, 1986 in the AJZ Bielefeld. Only for this occasion the Paradise EP (200 copies) was produced and released via Weird System and only sold that evening.
In 1986 the third and final slab Live... All' Die Jahre came out with recordings from the band's last concerts. Individual tracks were also re-released on other samplers of the label. After the split, the members went different ways, Der Kurze founded the band The Brides with guitarist "Kurt", but they never achieved professionalism, so the project was abandoned and Shorty hired himself out as a drummer in dance music bands. Only bass player Zahni, who recently played with the Drowning Roses, achieved a certain level of reputation with this band and was part of the opening act for NOFX on a USA tour.
In 1989 the four reformed and a smaller tour which was simply titled "Just For Fun Tour" was the result that delighted many fans, including myself. During the tour, the Just Do It For Fun EP was distributed with older unreleased recordings. The busy fanzine maker Karl-Heinz Stille took care of the production of the single, the idea for this record: it's a small gratitude from them to everyone who has stood by themselves and know who they are! - Karl-Ulrich Walterbach released a new edition of the debut LP in 1989 without paying royalties to the band, this led to a lengthy legal battle between the four and Walterbach. Then it became quiet around the Arseholes. In 1998 they surprisingly returned with the Melancholia EP and a smaller tour across Germany.
Important, a bloody must have and buy immediately!!!
