Die Roten Punkte (The Red Dots)

Josh Earl was a charming opener to a night of music based comedy at Beck’s Music Box on Tuesday. The audience didn’t hold his being Tasmanian against him, and his set of indie rock and nostalgic humour generally went down well. Song topics ranged from telephone calls with his mother to the day he discovered he wasn’t punk rock, Earl proved to be a down to earth delight.

Then it was time for Die Roten Punkte , who were nothing short of amazing. Direct from Berlin, Die Roten Punkte consists of siblings Otto (guitar) and Astrid Rot (drums), and they know how to rock. They also know how to argue and piss each other off, but it makes for some damn fine entertainment whatever the situation may be.

An early highlight was an audience quiz from Otto, eventually telling all to sit down bar one particular girl…Alex, who he proceeded to serenade with the sweet Straight Edge Girl. An unimpressed Astrid was not to be outdone however, and dedicated a somewhat raunchy Oh My God Yeah! to a gentleman in the front row. Soon afterwards followed a highlight of the evening, Ich Bin Nicht Ein Roboter (I Am a Lion) featuring keytar, robot dancing, and a light show worthy of Daft Punk.

After an earlier discussion about Astrid’s recent stay in rehab (ahem, “going away for a little while…”), a defining moment of the evening was Astrid’s Drinking Song. Before the song was performed however, Otto handed out a selection of cue cards featuring Astrid’s “acceptable drinks” (Apelsaft, Kaffee, Tee and so forth) to which the crowd were encouraged to yell out at particular moments. After leading the crowd through a particularly rousing rendition of the anthem, the duo hit a moment of pure tension.

Discovering that Astrid’s energy drink was actually alcoholic, Otto hit the roof. Calling an immediate end to the performance, yelling at his sister and packing up his gear, the show was very nearly over. That was until Astrid sweet-talked her beloved brother, and after a disturbingly intimate moment, Die Roten Punkte were ready to rock again. Closing with the brilliant Rock Bang, and rapidly returning for an encore of Super Musikant, Die Roten Punkte ended the night on a rollicking high, German style of course.

Even if they’re perhaps not who they say they are, Die Roten Punkte are seriously funny. Not to see them when they return would be a crime against rock and roll, and not more much needs to be said. - Faster Louder

“Danke Dublin!” yelps Otto Rot of the adorably ghoulish brother und sister rock band, mit ze implausible German ex-sents. That their knowing strut – louder than the White Stripes, more dysfunctional than Metallica and funnier than Flight of the Conchords – is more playful New York irony than Berlin punk naivety may give you some suspicions – but what’s a rock band without a dubious back story? So, fresh from big sister Astrid’s recent, deeply unsuccessful stint in rehab and Otto’s unresolved phobias of trains and lions (one of which killed his parents), the pair arrive to coax an almighty and enormously fun racket from their child-sized drums and guitars.

The show is small and three parts cute to two parts nasty. Brimming with goodwill and surprisingly good tunes – Ich Bin Nicht Ein Roboter (I Am a Lion) could be the feel-good hit of the autumn – it fizzes with audience participation, the band letting us in on the joke, leading us through every chorus. You’ll be saying it for days: “Rock Bang!” Until Sat. - Irish Times

Lots of Fringe shows claim to bring elements of the music scene to theatre, but this is the only one that actually feels like attending a sold-out rock gig. Walking on stage to screams and cheers from devoted fans in the front row, the high-styled Berlin duo playfully explore the zany world of art rock with a new set of catchy songs and their cute brand of funny German-inflected stage banter. Kunst Rock kills! - Now Magazine

These perennial Fringe favourites, Die Roten Punkte, have come a long way. Forgive the subjective first person, but I saw them when they first came to Toronto and were stuck, with many of the other international companies, in the visually interesting but small and stiflingly hot Robert Gill Theatre (thankfully no longer in use by the Fringe). Despite this technical disadvantage they still managed to rock the house with their pint-size but full volume instruments and obviously made a lasting impression given that their audiences have been growing ever since.

This year they occupy the oh-so-perfect Bathurst St theatre (reminiscent of of Toronto’s legendary Massey Hall) and have no problem filling the giant and colourfully lit stage with their personalities and authentically awesome, if bizarre, rock tunes. With plenty of impromptu bickering between the two clown-like siblings their show is as much Smothers Brothers as it is White Stripes. This faux-German duo continue to impress and eke ever so closer to being true rock stars who do Fringe festivals vs Fringe performers who pretend to be rock stars. - Plank

These perennial Fringe favourites, Die Roten Punkte, have come a long way. Forgive the subjective first person, but I saw them when they first came to Toronto and were stuck, with many of the other international companies, in the visually interesting but small and stiflingly hot Robert Gill Theatre (thankfully no longer in use by the Fringe). Despite this technical disadvantage they still managed to rock the house with their pint-size but full volume instruments and obviously made a lasting impression given that their audiences have been growing ever since.

This year they occupy the oh-so-perfect Bathurst St theatre (reminiscent of of Toronto’s legendary Massey Hall) and have no problem filling the giant and colourfully lit stage with their personalities and authentically awesome, if bizarre, rock tunes. With plenty of impromptu bickering between the two clown-like siblings their show is as much Smothers Brothers as it is White Stripes. This faux-German duo continue to impress and eke ever so closer to being true rock stars who do Fringe festivals vs Fringe performers who pretend to be rock stars. - Plank

It’s not often that you see a Fringe audience applauding loudly before anything happens onstage, but in Die Roten Punkte’s case the anticipation was warranted. Squabbling glam-rock casualties Otto and Astrid — a dim-witted Eno acolyte and his petulantly imperious sister/mate (they’re confused about this aspect of their gimmick) — play a set which becomes increasingly shambolic and satirical. The performance of their “artiest” track, a quilt of outlandish found-object sampler loops, is preceded by an Abbott and Costello routine about its non-title; a song hinting at how taste categories can be straitjackets features the refrain “I am really glad that I am me and not you.” The duo brings skillful craft and an ambivalent affection to everything they cleverly mock, ensuring that their conceit doesn’t calcify into schtick. - Eye Weekly

This must be Die Roten Punkte's third or fourth visit to the Adelaide Fringe, and while I have seen them do 'spots’ before as parts of other shows, tonight was the first time I have seen a whole show. I haven’t stopped slapping myself since I got home. What was I thinking, avoiding them for so long?!? Otto & Astrid Rot have some things in common with that other brother and sister duo, The White Stripes. They both wear a lot of black, white and red, the line-up is the same, Astrid on drums and Otto on guitar. They look a bit unusual and they have very catchy tunes. Similarities end there. Especially since over the last few years Jack White has disappeared up his own art-hole, and has spent too much time believing the people who call him a genius. He has turned from a lovely quirky blues playing oddball into, well something else, doing Coke adverts and Bond themes and being FAR too serious by half. No such danger with Otto and Astrid. They bound on the stage of the Bosco: Astrid looks like a member of Voice Of The Beehive (go and look them up) gone wrong and Otto looks like a tall nine year old who’s got into mum’s make-up bag.

They launch into Rock’n’Roll Monster, a glorious blur of buzzsaw pop, with a ton of punky elements. After some introductions and discussion of Astrid’s recent “lifestyle changes”, Otto croons Straight Edged Girl to a girl in the audience, which is followed by Astrid taking a shine to a guy in the crowd and singing a startling song to him. 4.15 To Spandau is a complex and disturbing tale – they claim Nick Cave provided the English lyrics to this tune (and it’s possible). Their neo-Kraftwerk Euro-pop song Ich Bin Nicht Ein Roboter (I am a Lion), is catchy as fuck (I’ve had it on repeat on their MySpace all day). Astrid’s Drinking Song has some groovy audience participation as does Rock Bang which could easily be a Triple J hit given half a chance. Through it all they unfold their family dynamic with deft comic timing, great material and marvellous results. At times it’s hard to decide if this is a good band doing funny songs or a comedy act with great tunes, but either way, Die Roten Punkte is one of the best shows this Fringe.

I suspect any show with 'punk’ in the title will scare some people off, but while the music has some cartoon elements of The Ramones or The Buzzcocks, the songs are awesome, catchy and very funny – it really is a brilliant comedy show. - Faster Louder

WHO would have believed that respite from the stand-up onslaught would come in the form of a pseudo-German post-punk/electro/rock band? But it does. Die Roten Punkte, dysfunctional siblings Otto (guitars and keytar) and Astrid (drums, cowbell and mini squeezebox) Rot, are The Red Dots, Jack and Meg's clownish alter egos and a pitch-perfect pop parody. They're so convincing I'm not sure I'll ever be able to take pop star posturing seriously ever again.

This is irredeemably silly stuff but it still manages to transcend its status as novelty musical schtick. How come? It's the songs, which are good enough to make you forget that it's a spoof. The gags are obvious and gentle and that only made me like them more. It's nice to be reminded that comedy doesn't have to be at anyone's expense (nope, pop stars don't count) and real laughs can come from a well struck cymbal.

There are plenty of homages – The White Stripes, Nick Cave, even the Stones – and some middle-of-the-road balladry, a dollop of Krautrock and even a bit of Kylie. It's all delivered deadpan in wonky accents that slip as the gig goes on, and although the banter between sweet but troubled Otto and his vodka-swigging sibling could be tightened up, a cuter pair of popsters you'll never find. An encore of Super Musikant (say the last syllable out loud in your best comedy German accent) left the audience whooping and hollering just like they would for Jack and Meg. If there's a fan club, I'm joining.
- The Scotsman

This show is my unabashed favourite of the Fringe so far. There’s so many things to like about Die Roten Punkte’s KUNST ROCK! that I’m not entirely sure where to begin. If you’re a music fan and are irritated that your favourite Toronto indie blog (this one, naturally) has been taken over by theatre reviews, you should do two things: the first is to calm down, things will be back to normal soon, and the second is to go see this show.

Die Roten Punkte is a two-piece band from Berlin made up of siblings Astrid and Otto Rot. She plays drums, he plays guitar, and they sing songs about things like bananas.

It’s all a terrific parody, of course, as Astrid and Otto strut around making a complete mockery of all kinds of stuffy, pretentious rock. There’s a pretty clear White Stripes caricature here, but it’s all such good-natured fun it’s fruitless to list everyone Astrid and Otto might remind us of on stage. The two of them flirt with members of the audience, dance, run all around the theatre, speak with artsy German accents, load their sampler with sounds from whatever they can find, and actually happen to be pretty good musicians, too. Their stage banter is terrific, and they speak just loudly enough when they’re away from their microphones so you can hear them bicker on stage. Their “mini-rock opera” is about the death of their parents, and their subsequent escape from an evil aunt and uncle; Astrid sings that they were killed by a train, while Otto is convinced their parents were eaten by a lion. They claim that to write their new album they spent three months in a bunker for “creative development,” and for days listened only to the sounds of things like water dripping into a cup and a brush rubbing against a pineapple.

It’s absurd, it’s silly, it’s loud, and it’s a whole lot of fun. Don’t wait until the weekend to see it; Astrid and Otto only have Thursday and Friday shows left in Toronto during the Fringe. After that, you can catch them at festivals in Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton and Vancouver. Check out their website for the full tour schedule. - Panic Manual

A visit to Google is enough to dispel most of the PR hype surrounding Die Roten Punkte, now at the Barrow Street Theatre as part of their international tour. But does it really matter if Astrid and Otto Rot are truly Berlin-born siblings orphaned at a young age who have risen to become household names in Europe or not, when their show is truly hilarious.

The duo, whose name is translated to The Red Dots, have gained renown for their unique mixture of rock and role play. Otto is a devout, straight-edge punkster and a passionate proponent of veggies, virginity, and herbal tea. Astrid, on the other hand, has found her escapades repeatedly in the tabloids, and a recent stint in rehab doesn't seem to be hindering her alcohol dependency.

Still, we must sympathize with both Rots because their parents were run over by a train -- or devoured by a lion. As a result, the intensity of the siblings' attachment to one another is only slightly stronger than their antipathy; and the ups and downs of the Rots' relationship is in full evidence during their concert.

Between songs and during songs, the sibling's squabbles spill out into the audience, with Astrid no less jealous of the woman her brother fancies as Otto is hostile toward the guy his sister comes on to. (The show isn't tightly scripted, as a group who arrived late on opening night in the duo's recent stop in Charlotte quickly discovered.)

Still, the group's music is not to be underestimated, and the playlist is impressively delivered by chunky Astrid (who plays a child-sized drum kit) and athletic Otto (who plays various guitars). The selection ranges from the techno "Ich Bin Nicht Ein Roboter (I Am a Lion)" to "Astrid's Drinking Song" and the frankly orgasmic "Oh My God, Yeah."

And audience participation isn't optional -- as one stands for choruses, swinging one's arms in drinking-song style, divided into five sections, each representing a non-alcoholic beverage. The sad demise of the elder Rots is memorialized in art-rock fashion with "The 4:15 to Spandau Will Not Run Today," and the audience encounters another learning curve with "Rock Bang," having to learn two hand signs. But it's all so much fun, no one will mind. - Theater Mania