Checkpoint Band

The spontaneous decision of the future band members: “Then we’ll just do it ourselves—this is our place!” After the celebrated gig—which, as expected, was cut short by the Kreuzberg police for alleged disturbance of the peace—it was clear to everyone: “We’re keeping at it!” An office of the Tagesspiegel editorial board was quickly taken over and converted into a studio.

The band named itself after Berlin’s most popular newsletter, the Tagesspiegel’s “Checkpoint”—all band members are part of the team:

Berlin Bureau Chief Stephan Wiehler (vocals), Deputy Editor-in-Chief Anke Myrrhe (keyboards, sax, backing vocals), Culture Editor Thomas Wochnik (guitar), Business Editor Kevin Hoffmann (guitar), Publisher Lorenz Maroldt (keyboards, backing vocals), and singer-songwriter and comic artist Naomi Fearn (ukulele, vocals).

With a Berlin heart and grit, the Checkpoint band delivers the soundtrack to the city’s socio-political mood with its classics and urban anthems: cheeky and cheerful, loud and funny, atmospheric and powerful, interactive and ironic, raw and restless, breathlessly current, surprising—and sometimes melancholic, beautiful enough to make you cry.

Even the Governing Mayor won’t be surprised if one or two new songs about Tempelhofer Feld are added to the setlist just for this summer!