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Stephan Weidner | |
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 Weidner in 2019 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Der W |
| Born | (1963-05-29)29 May 1963 (age 62) |
| Genres | Hard rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, producer |
| Instrument(s) | Bass, vocals |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Labels | Rule23 Recordings |
| Website | www |
Stephan Weidner (born 29 May 1963), also known asDer W, is a German musician, songwriter and producer. From 1980 to 2005, he was the bassist, songwriter and leader of the German rock bandBöhse Onkelz. He was also a singer with Nordend Antistars, a collaboration with Sub7even singer Daniel Wirtz. In April 2008, Weidner's first solo albumSchneller, Höher, Weidner was released.
Weidner was raised by his father Tex Weidner with two half brothers and two sisters in an impoverished family. Conflicts with a school principal resulted in Weidner being banned from school. His father then moved the family toHösbach nearAschaffenburg inBavaria. There Weidner first met the musicians (Kevin Russell andPeter "Pe" Schorowsky) who would later become the first line-up for Weidner's band, Böhse Onkelz. Weidner failed to graduate and subsequently did not pursue a career, instead taking a variety of odd-jobs including working as a bartender in a tavern connected to a brothel owned by Weidner's father.
In 1980, the 17-year-old Weidner founded the band Böhse Onkelz ("Evil Uncles") withKevin Russell andPeter "Pe" Schorowsky. Weidner initially played guitar in the band. AfterMatthias "Gonzo" Röhr joined the band, Weidner moved to the bass. The band modeled itself as a Nazi-Skin band. Weidner particularly felt a connection to theOi!-punk movement, but also to the original, politicalskinhead andhooligan movements that had come to Germany from England early in the 1980s. This inspiration expressed itself in Weidner's songs with lyrics that often glorified violence, racism and the use of force. Conflicts with Punks and Antifascists nationwide,local Turkish residents and the increasing right-wing shift of the skinhead movement were reflected in the band's music, leading toxenophobic lyrics and the band's subsequent popularity with those movements.
In 1983, Weidner married and struggled to find work. The first commercial releases of Böhse Onkelz earned little money. Their first albumDer nette Mann was banned in Germany. For the albumBöse Menschen – Böse Lieder, the band never received any money. Meanwhile, they continued to break way from the skinhead movement due to the increasingly restrictive dress codes and regulations associated with those movements, particularly as those trends conflicted with the sense of freedom embraced by the punk movement.
Weidner's lyrics continued to grow musically. In the song "Erinnerung" he expressed his feelings about his earlier life. Nonetheless, his reputation as a "right-wing skinhead rocker" remained. Weidner remained faithful to his influences both musically and in his lifestyle, as expressed in his writings and interviews with the press. This attitude often led to conflicts with the press. His refusal to rename the band was seen as a sign that Böhse Onkelz had not done enough to clearly distance itself enough from the skinhead movement. This conflict with the media culminated in songs such as "Meister der Lügen"(Master of Lies) or "Danke für nichts"(Thanks for Nothing). Weidner's refusal to give interviews outside of the music press at that time is part of the "mythos Onkelz".
In 1993, atMTV's "Free Your Mind" event, Weidner andCampino (of the bandDie Toten Hosen) discussed the influence of xenophobia on their music and their fans. Though the public was skeptical of Weidner's reform, his success continued to increase. After a gig withthe Rolling Stones atHanover in 2003, Weidner stated that he would not spend his old age on the stage. In 2005, Böhse Onkelz split up. In 2014, they made their comeback in front of 400,000 people.
On 15 May 2006, Weidner (along with Daniel Wirtz of Sub7even) released the songsUnser Stadion – Unsere Regeln ("Our Stadium– Our Rules") andGewinnen kann jeder ("Anyone Can Win") under the band name Nordend Antistars as arena anthems for the2006 FIFA World Cup.
Weidner has been a guest artist on a number of tracks from other bands:
On 25 April 2008, Weidner released his first solo albumSchneller, Höher, Weidner ("Faster, Higher, Weidner"), for which he recorded some songs with American heavy metal bandPro-Pain. From March 2009 until April 2009, he toured Germany, Austria and Switzerland to promote this album.[1] Opening acts included Pro-Pain, Danish rock bandD-A-D, and German rock bandSkew Siskin.[2]
For his live performance, Weidner's band consisted of Rupert Keplinger, Dirk Czuya, Henning Menke and JC Dwyer.[3]
In addition to producing for Böhse Onkelz, Weidner also produced for:
Weidner was married and has two children (a son and a daughter). He currently lives in Portugal andIbiza, Spain.[4][5]
In addition to his music projects, Weidner also designs clothes. He aims to create fashion with subtle messages that help the wearer to express his or her own style. The clothes (criticized as being overly expensive as compared to similar clothing lines) are sold through an online store called W Couture.
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