Revolverheld

by Jason Ankeny
A product of Germany's Neue Deutsche Welle punk revival, Revolverheld formed in Hamburg in the summer of 2003. Originally dubbed Manga, the lineup was comprised of frontman Johannes Strate, guitarists Kristoffer Hünecke and Niels Grötsch, bassist Florian Speer, and drummer Jakob Sinn. After adopting the name Tsunamikiller in 2004, the band quickly abandoned the moniker after a tsunami claimed thousands of lives in Thailand at year's end. As Revolverheld, the quintet toured in support of acts including Donots, Silbermond, and Udo Lindenberg before signing to Sony BMG in early 2005, issuing its self-titled debut LP that autumn. The second single, "Die Welt Steht Still," proved a Top 20 hit, and the third single, "Freunde Bleiben," was selected to represent Germany in the annual Eurovision Song Contest.