Blechreiz

Blechreiz is one of the true trailblazers of German ska. Founded in 1983 in southern Berlin, the band helped shape the country’s ska scene during its rise in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Alongside Skaos, No Sports, The Braces, El Bosso & die Ping-Pongs and The Busters, they laid the groundwork for a vibrant movement. From the start, the band has been versioning great ska musicians like The Skatalites and Prince Buster while writing and arranging its own material — a commitment to originality that, combined with lineup changes, has reshaped its sound. In early 1990, Blechreiz was among the first West German bands to tour the GDR with East Berlin's Michele Baresi. Blechreiz maintained close contact with Messer Banzani from Leipzig. After hundreds of performances throughout Europe, five studio albums and one live album, Blechreiz disbanded in 1996 following a farewell tour – only to return in 2008 with its original lineup. Since then, they have released three albums and performed in Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland and Spain. In 2022, they released Flight of the Bumble Bee — 16 tracks on CD, 13 on vinyl — including Bogotá’s Memoria Insuficiente. In September 2023, Blechreiz celebrated 40 years since the founding of the band with concerts across Germany. Live shows in Greiz (March 2024) and Berlin (December 2024) were released in November 2025 as Live & Loud, capturing the band’s energy. Webseite: www.blechreiz-berlin.de Contact: info@blechreiz-berlin.de