Klaus Renft Combo - Renft

In continuous 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. The band developed into one of the best-known and most 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 aging fans, stylistically independent of fashion and trends, their songs bear witness to unyieldingness and are a reminder of civil courage.

The band RENFT achieved cult status in the GDR as early as 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 between 1971 (their first No. 1 was Wer die Rose ehrt) and 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.

With six former band members now deceased and two no longer able to perform live for health reasons, lead singer Thomas Monster Schoppe is the last survivor of a band that played a formative role in 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 equally well-known drummer Olli Becker since the end of 2021.

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 the musical-acoustic form of performance at many of its concerts. This is visibly good for the ears of the musicians and the more mature fan base. RENFT concerts are still extraordinary concert events, loved by the fans and admired by the concertgoers due to the typical Renft intensity and brute force as well as the unpredictability of lead singer Thomas Monster Schoppe.

Of course, the good old RENFT songs will be played: Wer die Rose ehrt, Zwischen Liebe und Zorn, Apfeltraum, Gänselieschen, Nach der Schlacht or Als ich wie ein Vogel war. No longer with the original line-up, but still with outstanding musicians.